 
##### FREE ON THE INSIDE

##### by Ian Hollander

##### Smashwords Edition | Copyright 2013 Ian Hollander

##### This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Free on the Inside

Impermanence

Inspiration, Desperation and the Spiritual Success Secret That Will Set You Free

The Voice of Time

6 Things I am Grateful For

Free HUGS!

Radicals Rebels and Revolutionaries

Breaking the Rules for Fun, Fame and Fortune

PASSION, The Poetry of Progress and my A-HA moment

Fear Loathing and the Magic of Mojo

The POWER of Priceless

Wide Awake

The Paradox of Price.....and the Fallacy of Free

These 3 Words

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

\- Pablo Picasso

I love this. **(but still charge)**

**Welcome!**

As we don't know each other just yet........I'm going to start with a short confession.

Then a challenge.

And finally an invitation.

But first - an introduction.

My name is Ian.

I am an artist, an author and a very enthusiastic entrepreneur. (depending on the year you look at my bank account balance and track record - either a very good one - or an even BETTER example of what NOT to do when launching anything new :-)

And this is my 4th book.

If I've done my market research right - you and I are probably a lot alike.

We both dress well.

We have good sense of humor.

We're both smart, successful, love Breaking Bad, and look great in purple.

And we both spend a lot of our time staring at a blank computer screen.....perpetually doing our best to be engaging, entertaining, inspiring and illuminating to the avalanche of eyeballs who studiously study our stuff.

Sometimes we stick the landing.

And other times the landing sticks us.

The collection of stories in this short book are about a bit of both.

Because life - like business - is about taking a deep breathe and looking long.

Facing yours fears.

And dancing in the direction of your dreams.

Sometimes you fly to the finish line with flying colors and a sensational smile.

And other times – you crawl the last 100 yards with blood and sweat stained shorts.

I believe that artists, authors and entrepreneurs - people of passion and purpose are the true pioneers of every generation.

And that courage and creativity - a willingness to dive in deeply and do your very best to "dent the universe" where you live and love - is your greatest gift.

I hope you find a little bit of yourself reflected in the pages and pixels and short stories that follow.

The amazing & exhilarating ups of unexpected success.

And the devastating downs of watching it all disappear.

And ultimately - the phenomenal fun in finding meaning, magic and mojo as you go, grow and discover yourself along the way.

My confession, as promised - is simple.

Many of these posts were written in some of my darkest hours - my most deeply doubtful moments - when I often found myself wondering if I picked the wrong line of work when I quit a comfortable career for the uncanny appeal of working from home in a pair of footsy pajamas whenever I found the urge.

Of spending years on the "road".

The romance of traveling from place to place with only a wi-fi connection to guide me....... and ultimately, the reality of the loneliness and isolation of working alone.

Of listing "professional blogger" on the job description section of more insurance forms and rental applications than I can count.

It's been a wild ride - but as I write these words - truly a life that I love.

And If you are a creative - a coach - a writer - a blogger - a brand builder or social media super star - my challenge is simple.

Never give up.

I challenge you to find yourself buried somewhere within these pages and pixels - and if i've done my job - I hope you find a little extra ounce of enthusiasm or inspiration, creativity or confidence - of meaningful marketing mojo that takes your ideas (and income) to what you deserve.

And -

My invitation is simple.

If you are a person of passion, with inspired ideas who loves to write, create and contribute.....join us. Our newest venture is a brand new small publishing house and creative community for radicals, rebels and revolutionaries who want to change the world with our words (and work).

It's called "No Guru Guides" - and it's all about empowering people with PASSION and purpose, information and illumination.

Latitude - without the attitude.

If you care about contribution as much as cash - and PURPOSE as much as profit

Connect with me on Facebook for a beta invite.

Finally -

The stories below are in no particular order.

Some may resonate.

Others may not.

My hope is only that you'll read the one that does – and gives you something that you truly need to succeed.

Enjoy :-)

\- Ian Hollander

Fall 2013

"NoGuruGuides" (Beta) Invite on Facebook

Free on the Inside

I have ugly feet.

But I'm free on the inside.

When you love what you do.......and you do it every day, **at least for a little while, you're free on the inside.**

I was watching a show a few weeks ago on women who committed violent crimes.

Murder. Mayhem. And Madness.

One woman had spent her life on the streets.

Doing Drugs.

Dancing with Danger.

Dodging Demons.

And decades of Desperation.

She sold her body for money.

So she could get her next fix.

She was beaten, battered and spiritually scattered.

One day......she killed her pimp.

Not in a fit of rage. Or in self defense.

But rather....in a methodical, matter of fact way that made sympathy for her plight hard to hold.

In a throwaway world where most don't notice and the nameless become numbers, she now lives in a paradox box of concrete and contribution.

Confined.

Yet connected to a community who cares more than the wired world from which she came.

And yet, she looked in the camera.....describing the work she does with abused and drug addled women who will get the second chance she probably won't – and said – " _for the first time in my life, I'm truly free. I'm free on the inside."_

**So I wrote that down on a little notepad and thought about it for awhile then......and again.**

Because when we all do what we truly love and feel connected to some sense of something that is bigger, better and bolder than ourselves.......we are free.

On the inside.

And out.

It's rare. It eludes most forever.

It requires a little bit of bravery.

But it's always there.

**I have some strange fascination with synchronicity these days.**

That weird way the nutty laws of nature, or the universe, or whatever it is that holds all of this together by the slenderest of shreds occasionally tickles our feet to remind us who is in charge.

That there is a plan and a purpose and that as cynical and skeptical and dubious as it may sometimes seem, the signposts, and synchronicities are singing.....and smiling for attention.

I picked up a book yesterday - on the 4th of July – **Explorers of the Infinite** – about extreme athletes and adventurers- hikers, and mountaineers and big wave surfers and deep sea divers........and their extraordinary experiences and death defying pursuit of something bigger that I can't quite understand until the end when one world class mountaineer.....in trying to describe the rush of ascending some of the highest peaks in the world without a net, or harness or help......describes it as the only time he ever truly feels " _free on the inside"_

**I opened my notebook leafed through 50 pages of scribble.......found the exact same 4 words from just a day before.......and smiled.**

And this blog post wrote itself.

The truth is, I'd make a horrible hiking companion.

I'm a creature of comfort.

And not really fond of heights.

But I AM a huge fan of freedom.

And in doing work that I love.

And in doing that work, helping others express their identity...... and their art and their IMPRINT, inspiration and ambition......... through the fabric of focus and the pursuit of PASSION.

The truth is, so too can you.

**I know it sounds trite.**

And tired. And sugary sweet.

And of course, I don't really know you.

But I know this.

**There is SOMETHING that makes you free on the inside.**

And you're probably not doing it nearly enough.

It may be prayer.

OR meditation.

Maybe it's looking at the smiling, happy faces of your children on a sunny day, lost in a frozen moment of fun.

Or spending lazy days with people that you love.

Or the basking in the beauty of nature.

It may be sharing your gifts.

Or doing work that you love.

**Or expressing yourself in ways that motivate, excite or inspire others to action**.

I know there are many things I love to do.

All of the above...and much more.

But what makes me feel free is doing exactly this.

I would even do it for free. (and quite often, actually do..:-)

Once in awhile, I read some of the emails, blog posts, product pitches, promises and promotions that some of our peers in this business put out into the world.....and it makes me mad.

Not sad. But mad.

Even some of the people that I know and like personally, I'll read their stuff and sometimes......silently, I seethe.

But you know what?

Those people are never free.

Not where it counts.

They are tied and tethered.

Bound, bolted and buried.

Always thinking about that avalanche of cold, cruel karma that's coming down the mountain.

If you believe in anything bigger, better and bolder than yourself......... you know that already.

I do have ugly feet.

And I still can't draw a good smiley face, even though I've been trying for a decade.

But when I find refuge in what I love - no matter how much stress and mess and muss and fuss is whirling and swirling around me.

For at least a little while -

I'm still free on the inside.

And my hope is - if you've read this far - at least for tonight....

So too are you.

IMPERMANENCE

Years ago I had this idea for the perfect reality TV show. I actually thought about filming, producing and editing it myself, from the comfort and convenience of my grandmother's couch in Tamarac, Florida.

The hard part of creating good TV is the writing.

Good material ain't easy to come up with.

The beauty of this idea was......no writing was necessary.

The editing wasn't going to be really all that important either – after all – it would simply be a matter of what riotously funny stuff you had to cut out due to time constraints.

Rather than having to hunt for the good stuff.... _.you'd have to hunt for the stuff that was only so-so sensationally silly,_ rather than **the abundance of gut busting goofiness that used to take place in that apt,** and the adjacent 2 – and the extended community of 75-95 year old Jewish women that made up this complex.

Florence, my grandmothers next door neighbor always loved me.

She was convinced I was in possession of a rare and extraordinary genius that came around only once or twice in a generation, which always made me feel great about visiting.

My genius, at least as far as Florence was concerned, was cemented the day that I resurrected her broken, busted, no good computer from the brink of the trash heap.

It was a huge, clunky computer that Florence needed to do her taxes, and write letters to the community association about parking problems, guests who stayed too long and other offenses, and without it, she felt as disconnected as it was.

It didn't work....and apparently, even the smartest men in the community (Joe in 4B) were unable to breathe life back into the belly of the beast.

One day, after hearing her lament......I went into her apartment to survey the scene, and see what, if anything could be done to salvage this little piece of her life that meant so much.

Being uncommonly astute – the first thing I noticed was the keyboard wasn't plugged into the little serial port, making typing logistically impossible.

Once that small tweak was done, astonishingly.....new life was found in old bones. Words appeared on command.

The future looked bright yet again......for both Florence, the evolution of the USB port, and

her 1993 Dell Dimension.

Florence was a small woman – but she was so excited, her bear hug almost knocked me over.

She kept saying -

" _Tilly, he's a genius. I told you he's a genius. I don't know what he did. But he fixed it. Why can't he visit more often?"_

I've always loved visiting my relatives in Florida....especially my grandmother and her friends, my great aunts and their friends......there is something so safe, and sweet and so incredibly touching about being and feeling important and needed and when the act of visiting, in of itself is so obviously meaningful.....it's hard not to want to do it more.

Florence is long gone now....as is my grandmother – but those memories are still special ones – and they always make me smile.

But I'm back now – for a little while – back in that part of Florida where senior citizens reign supreme.

And what's so funny to me – so eye opening – is, after living 2 years in the Florida Keys – Key West in particular – which is SUPPOSED to be one of the weirdest, wildest and most wacky places in the world – in terms of pure strange experiences, it doesn't hold a candle to Boca Raton where age and experience offer the ultimate in the freedom of fuck you expressionism.

I've had a 89 year old woman give me the finger in a Publix parking lot just for smiling at her for no reason.

I've been cut off in traffic by cars that seemingly are driving themselves....with only the _smallest slender glimpse of a forehead peeking_ out from under the dash to know that corporeal hands are guiding the machine.

I've been cut off in line at the drugstore, bumped by more shopping carts than I can count, and in general, everyday encounters are a smorgasbord of sublime surprises.

Yesterday, as I sat with a small group of women at the assisted living facility where my great aunt now calls home.....we watched the latest news about world affairs and shared thoughts **over decaf and saltless saltines.**

" **How many men did that woman, kill – 1 or a whole bunch?"** my Aunt Sarah asked.....pointing at the mysterious mug of Jodi Arias plastered on every screen.

" **just 1″ I replied.**

" _Oh well...." she said – "such a shame to waste your whole life on just one"_

The other women agreed.

I wasn't quite sure I understood – but I decided not to press.

An hour later I was in the local supermarket – barely there for 2 minutes flat – and a woman in a very strange looking housecoat approached.

" **Do you live in Kings Point?" she asked?**

"No.....I don't" I replied. (while thinking....maybe in 30 years, thanks a lot, lady

She said – "I thought so – I saw you in the gym earlier today"

She then starts to describe a fight she just had with a cleaning lady of some sort......a story I politely listen to without interrupting.

Then she says – "you got your cell on you? Here – call this number and when she picks up, hang up"

For a moment.....thinking back to Florence and the days of doing small tasks so impressively well that you could almost hear the crowd cheer.......I almost did it.

Instead, I looked at her for a moment, smiled sadly and wished her well.

Life passes all so quickly – the magical and the mundane melting into but a memory of what was, much more than what could be.

I'm always reminded of that here.

To be grateful.

And mindful of the moment.

We never get them back.

Inspiration, Desperation and the Spiritual Success Secret That Will Set You Free.

I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be TRULY successful over the last few days.

.

To be "1″ with my work

**To feel committed, creative and compelled to contribute to a community of people who will truly benefit from what I have to say or sell.**

The truth is, with so much tragedy in the world recently... it's hard not to get up in the morning and ask yourself – what is it that I'm doing to make the world a better a place?

How am I using my gifts... in a way that empowers, inspires, and encourages people to step UP and stand out and pay it forward? Or am I just taking up space....and just kidding myself to feel better?

**Often, in my own life... while I've had lots of ENORMOUS ups and disastrous downs, when I really think about it – it's never the size of my bank account that's made me feel successful.**

**At my best, when I've felt most entrepreneurial alive,** it's been when my work has been most **closely aligned with that which I love.**

The truth is... there is a BIG "pink elephant" in the middle of the online marketing world... and entrepreneurial space overall.

If you are trying to earn an income online, and have watched the panoply of product launches, push button profit systems and perpetual parade of product pitches, you already understand that scarcity sells.

The idea that desperation, and the fear of losing out is wielded like a WEAPON.

If you DON'T do something now... you'll lose out on some sort of important opportunity forever.

**This idea has made many smart people buy many dumb ideas**... myself included, and very rarely... if EVER, _leads to any real modicum of meaning, or momentum._

If you I want to challenge you to think differently.

To rise above that.

And elevate your ideas, your imagination and hopefully......your income in the process.

I want to share something with you that I hope you find more appealing,... especially if you are an aspiring "guru", coach, consultant, teacher, trainer, marketing mentor or PASSION professional.

Offering Inspiration is a far greater motive than desperation.

And longer term, where it matters most... it works WAY better.

(and you'll sleep better to boot)

Trying to lift people up... and show them what it may look from a slightly more elevated, or more inspired view........ maybe just a wee bit higher than they believe they are capable of... it's a very rewarding thing to do.

It feels good.

It does good.

And ultimately, it is far better for your brand, your blog, your business... and your bank account to boot.

I'll share with you one last thought that I hope resonates a bit with you, along the same lines.

I watched a new story last night about a former marine who is standing guard outside of a local elementary school, in the wake of the tragic shooting last week.

He's not doing it for money.

Or fame.

He's not being paid... or endorsed by any organization.

He's just doing it to install confidence, comfort and compassion in the community in which he lives.

And compassion is the ultimate entrepreneurial secret.

If you can truly feel the pain of your prospects, your ideal audience, community of clients and the folks that you ultimately serve... the things you do will ALWAYS come from the heart.

You'll immediately recognize that inspiration is a far better tool than desperation.

And while they may work for others... you'll never feel the need to tell people what they WON'T get by buying "this" today.

Instead, you'll show them what it takes to be great in your chosen field, and make them believe they can be great too.

" _I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."- Maya Angelou_

The Voice of Time

I used to fear time.

The passing of time.

The things that were too late to do, to try, because....well......Why start now?

It's been too much time.

I should have done it in college.

Or when i was single.

Or when I was broke.

Or rich.

Or sandwiched somewhere awkwardly in between.

But not now.

It's too late.

It's not ready.

Or it's simply the wrong time.

One of the things you may not know about me is that I'm a mediation junkie.

Sometimes I think that in a perfect world an alternative universe away, I am a complete recluse, **shut off from the outside world, eyes closed, lost in an inner universe of beauty and bliss.**

Sort of like a younger Howard Hughes with a lot less money and much cleaner fingernails.

One of the reasons I love to meditate is the strange sort of melting of time.

That somewhere between here and there – time just forgets to keep score.

No beginning.

No end.

And somewhere in there, if you're lucky......you get to just be.

And begin. Anew.

I remember once being at a marketing conference and hearing a guy say that he made 500 year personal development plans and goals.

He had plenty of time.

The rest of us were in a rush.

Because, I guess...he planned on outliving us all.

Or maybe his vision of time was different – or he was using a different clock.

I used to shake my head at that stuff and just sort of laugh it off.

Silly wishful thinking.

New age nonsense.

We all get so little time.

But –

What if I made my story longer?

What if I forgot there was a beginning?

Or an end.

What if I just gave myself more time?

What if we could simply talk to time.

I've been exploring this very cool meditation technique that gives everything a voice.

A position and a perspective and a willingness to hear what you fear.

Essentially, the underlying idea is – **you give voice to that which is silent, but yet still speaks.**

Owning the disowned.

Facing your faceless.

And understanding that what we all tell ourselves – even collectively – are simple stories.

We use those stories to box ourselves in.

Throw in the towel. Give up early.

Because the box is bulging with believers.

_But.....they are no more true or less true, based on the bigness of that box._

I fear time.

As probably do you.

So I have learned how to speak to the voice of time.

(and many other voices, too..:-)

It can be quite fun.

And makes you feel phenomenally free.

And you don't even need to believe it's possible - to at least temporarily turn back the hands of time.

It just invites you to ask. And play with the process to see how much longer your story might grow.

Q: Who are you?

A: I am time.

The voice of time.

Q: What is your job?

A: I measure. I manage. I count the clock. I keep score.

My voice isn't always loud. Sometimes it's silent.

But you always hear me.

Q: But what if you are an illusion? What would I do if you didn't exist? What if when i think you'd caught up with me......it was only time to start the clock yet again?

A: You'd be evolving but not ending.

Forever growing and flowing.

Occasionally slowing.

But never ending.

Your story bigger, more beautiful and more bountiful than you can even imagine.

You'd never be out of time.

Who knows how long your story really is?

Maybe these frighteningly fleeting passing years are just a small move on the dial in the adventure that is the true you.

Maybe you've got a lot more to do than you know.

And maybe you've got all the time in the world to do it.

So maybe -

If it moves you, inspires you and makes you feel alive......

It won't be a waste of time.

Of course your voice may be different than mine.

And we all believe what we want to believe.

At the end of the day – they're all stories, and it's all just a guess.

Maybe that thing you do when you're 84 that feels like the cherry on top of a life most excellently lived is actually just the first baby step in a journey of 1000 metaphorical miles.

I hope that's true.

But maybe it really is the cherry on top.

Who knows?

What I do know is THIS:

Thinking bigger, and bolder and beyond the box a bit ain't going to hold you back.

When you think of your 200, or 500 or 1000 year life plan and purpose – there is a shift.

You move from the small self into the sublime.

You can slow down a bit.

Embrace the adventure. Stop panicking. You know you on the right path.

Excuses are unimportant.

You've got plenty of time.

Anyway, I've been thinking about writing this for a while, and a conversation with an old friend who told me "the best is behind us" made me think of it again.

So here I am.

I decided it was about time

6 Things I am Grateful For

**1 - I am grateful to be doing work I love,** _for being allowed to be creative,_ for feeling inspired everyday and being afforded the opportunity to touch people with my words and work – friends, family, and strangers who stop by only for a slender sliver or frozen moment – we'll never meet – but I'm grateful we met.

Thank you for coming.

**2 - I am grateful for the occasional gift of silence and solitude** – for the suffering and the struggle and the blankness in my brain that occasionally makes me want to scream – and for for that small still voice within that eventually speaks up and shows me the way.

I'm grateful that from that place of endless emptiness and ineptitude......often arises the clarity – and creativity and keeps the carnival moving.

Thank you for being part of my being.

**3 - I am grateful for all of the people who read these words** and give me confidence and courage and conviction that these words are meaningful and that it matters – all of you – the visible, the verbal, the invisible – you challenge me to go, grow, learn, leap and persevere...and encourage me to keep going, **even when I hit a wall – and I thank you.**

4 - I am grateful to the kid I saw in the Key West Winn Dixie on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Your cool and innovative hair style inspired me to go home and experiment on doing the same thing with mine. I feel like a superstar skater or surfer or even a little like Tom Cruise in the last Samurai, just without the long kimono and Scientology tent in the parking lot.

I feel 7 years younger already. Thank you.

5 - I am grateful for living in a country I love, but often don't appreciate nearly as much as I should.

For friends and family who love me, and forgive me and keep calling, even when I don't call back enough. I'm grateful for the freedom to argue, to be outrageous and to express my opinions without the faintest feeling of fear....even when they are unpopular, idiotic or even 100% wrong.

6 - I'm grateful for being able to hold on to the idea that something, somewhere out there there is a reason.

And that I have the opportunity to keep looking for it.....for yet another year.

Thank you – time is a blessing, and I'm grateful for the gift.

I will use it well.

**Larry's Laws**

Be impeccable with your word.

Lie to everybody. But do it with a smile. (they'll forgive you.)

Don't take anything personally.

It's always about me. WTF is wrong with me? It's all my mom's fault.

Don't make assumptions.

When in doubt, when unsure – just assume. (and whenever possible, assume the worst)

Always do your best -

Do as little as possible to get the job done. Someone else will pick up the slack. (less pain = more gain)

I want to share a funny, pretty illuminating experience I had the other day.

And then I want to invite you to take part in something that not only will hopefully change your business.....but if I'm lucky, will change your life a bit for the better to boot.

The story is short – but it's pretty funny...and it really made me think about **how much the hidden assumptions we make about the world around us, shape the people we become.**

There is a guy who lives down here in the florida keys who is a bit of a local legend.

We'll call him Larry....mostly because that's his name.

I have no idea how old he is....but I'm going to guess somewhere in his early to mid 60′s.

According to local lure.....Larry the Legend has been married (and divorced) a half a dozen times, has been a zillionaire (and back) half a dozen more and there is no subject that Larry is not the reigning local expert as well.

I wouldn't call Larry a friend.......but I've met him a bunch of times at this point, and maybe because it's because we're both originally from NJ – maybe it's our shared cultural heritage – maybe I remind him of one of his kids or something.....But I'm pretty sure Larry likes me.

Not because he would say so of course, _(because that ain't like Larry)_ but just because he never misses an opportunity to yell, swear, laugh at or lecture me whenever our paths cross.

A little inside scoop.....

I like larry too. (although he occasionally doesn't make it easy)

The first time I met larry I was playing tennis.

Not competitive tennis – just hitting a few balls around with a friend.

Larry was sitting around on the bleachers, outside of the fence area, talking loudly (as he typically does) and starts yelling instructions to both myself, and my friend, about our tennis game.

C'mon that was an easy backhand!

You going to watch the ball or hit it?

See if these guys want to play for money.

And so on

Once I realized my friend didn't know this guy......

I'm thinking, uhh.......WTF??

I can honestly say that in decades of playing tennis......I've never been heckled in a public park by a complete and utter.....and seemingly sober stranger.

A few minutes later, while leaving and contemplating what (or if) I should say something smart, or funny, or obnoxious, or angry or whatever.......another guy came over to their small group who I happen to know, and I walked over, smiled said something I hoped was witty.........and said hello..

And this was my introduction to Larry.

Since then, I've bumped into him 4 or 5 times, mostly out and about, and he's always loud, always appears angry and agitated about something, but oddly and endearingly.....always talkative and friendly and somewhere deep down a gentle and warm soul.

I typically shake my head in agreement at whatever he is ranting about......and try to crack a joke whenever possible hoping to make larry laugh.

So fast forward to yesterday, August 1.

I was sitting on a little bench on the White Street pier....a beautiful spot in Key West where I love to read and write and sort of sit and think about the disaster that is my life...and here comes Larry with two small dogs, the 3 of them looking like a tornado of tumult, about to upset my easy peasy afternoon.......walking my way.

I had a small version of the **"4 AGREEMENTS"** by **Don Miguel Ruiz** a book i had long been familiar with but never really read.....but had watched Pat Riley, the legendary basketball coach and NBA executive recommending just the other day...and figured it was worth finally checking out.

**Larry looks at me – looks at the book with it's new age artwork and asks -**

What the hell are you reading?

Ah....a just a little self help rearrange the furniture in the attic sort of stuff – I said.

Larry reaches down and tilts the back cover of the book in his direction, turn his head to the side...seemingly is lost in thought for a moment and then he starts to wave his hands in the air looking seriously distressed and disappointed.

" _C'mon.....tell me you don't buy that garbage."_

" _I'll tell you what he continues.......let me give you some free advice – whatever that book tells you to do – just do the OPPOSITE. If it tells you to go north – go south. Better yet – just put it down and run."_

" **How do you know, " I ask " Have you even read it?"**

" _I wouldn't waste my time. Trust me – do the exact opposite and you'll be better off – free advice from me to you – no charge."_

And with that.... _Larry laughs his loud locomotive Larry laugh_.......and he and his little labradoodles were on their way.

So I sat there for a few moments......and at first, to be totally honest, I felt a little bit silly and insecure about my choice of reading material.

So I did something really smart for a change, and a bit contrary to my natural reaction to that sort of jab.

I took Larry's advice.

And created 4 new agreements that Larry would love – Larry's laws to speak – although I'm pretty sure they won't be anywhere nearly as popular as the original 4.

Be impeccable with your word.

Lie to everybody. But do it with a smile. (they'll forgive you.)

Don't take anything personally.

It's always about me. WTF is wrong with me? It's all my mom's fault.

Don't make assumptions.

When in doubt, when unsure – just assume. (and whenever possible, assume the worst)

Always do your best -

Do as little as possible to get the job done. Someone else will pick up the slack. (less pain = more gain)

The funny thing is -

The older I get, the more experience I accumulate, the more hardships I hurdle, the more obstacles I overcome and the more aware I am of how little I know and how much more I have yet to learn, the more convinced I become that the secret is so simple as well.

Control what you create.

And even more important -

**To thine own self be true.**

The world is neither cold and callous, nor full of easy offerings only for the asking.

It's a mirror only for the meanings we make.

And, to quote Wayne Dyer, another self help guru Larry wouldn't love.....

_\- When you change the way you look at things – the things you look at change.  
_

Believe in Something Big

" _This is Totally and Utterly Pointless. A Complete waste of time"_

I knew the words weren't nice ones.....but they fit how I felt.

Having just missed a 3rd open layup in 10 minutes, _I was running my third lap around Joel Abramson's over sized back yard_ as self imposed punishment for my ineptitude on the court.

As 2 undersized Jewish kids from the suburbs, we realized our only real chance of making it to the NBA relied on a self imposed **carrot and the stick discipline** – big baskets were rewarded with enthusiastic high fives and missed 5 footers were punished by the brisk jog of shame around the Abramson's carefully coiffed pool and 1/2 acre back yard.

We had been doing this for going on a full week, and both of us were convinced it was our ticket to top shelf pre-pubescent fitness and a lucrative career as professional point guards for the philadelphia 76ers.

Somewhere in that 3rd lap I had an epiphany.

In one bright and frightful moment, I realized I was never going to play professional basketball.

I would never hear my name screamed by the roar of the crowd.

I would never trade knowing nods with Dr. J before a big playoff game.

I would never hear Magic Johnson talk about the difficulty of guarding me one on one with the game on the line.

Having been a kid who wore bright red NBA style wristbands to all but the most solemn occasions **\- everything BIG I believed in up to that point in my life was taken from me**....in one white hot bolt of terrible truth.

I began to run faster.

I was in the midst of my first existential crisis.

**I was 9 years old, and had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life.**

Maybe like you, I've spent most of the years since looking for something big to believe in.

Something meaningful.

Something that matters.

My own pursuit of passion – both personally and professionally alike – has lead me on many odd, unusual and even ominous paths.

And every time I've felt (or found) myself beat up, busted and broken......one thing has always redeemed me.

Believing in something big.

Serving something bigger, bolder and more important than myself.

And trusting that there was a wisdom in betting BIG on that something to show me the way.

I'm not talking about religion per se.

Or dogma, ritual or blind faith.

(although that's certainly ok if that's what motivates You)

Instead -

I want to share 3 quick stories with you.

They are a bit revealing in ways that I don't typically share – but I hope that they help you connect to your sense of what that big thing is.

If there is a point in any of these stories that it seems like I'm sounding like a saint – or someone who goes out of his way to do good for the world – trust me - _while I'd love to believe that was true – it's not. (or even remotely close)_

The first story happened when I was 18.

A freshman in college.

I was leaving a party with 3 close friends.

It was midnight and each of had far too much too drink.

We had a long stumble home.....as the party was on the opposite end of campus from where we lived.

As we made our way...laughing and being loud and obnoxious and doing silly stupid things that 18 year olds do when they've only been away from home for a few months.......I spotted something unusual in one of the bushes.

At first I thought it looked like a small animal was trapped.

So I stopped and looked again.

It was dark....but I could see something moving.

So I walked closer.

And as I got closer, I realized it was a person.

**A teenager, who looked about my age** – was lying in a heap behind the bush.

I looked up and could see an open window in the dorm 3 floors high.

He was wildly shaking and quaking and trembling and bloody I had absolutely no idea what to do.

So I yelled for my friends to get help.

And I got down on the ground with him and tried to hold him and tell him it would be okay...and that help was coming.

He was bloody and contorted and convulsing and not responding to my touch.

I was scared....and thought he may be dying....and had no idea what to do.

As I tried to keep him from violently shaking I realized he was far stronger than I was.....and I kept losing my grip.

So I just sat there and talked to him.

And told him it was going to be okay.

And I don't know why......but as bad as it looked, all of a sudden......I knew he was going to be okay.

I felt a weird peace. As if we were momentarily sharing some strange space together where everything was fine.

And the shaking and quaking seemed to slow down until he became totally still.

The next thing I knew.......the paramedics arrived, pushed me out of the way and yelled for us to go home.

I watched as they tried to get him on the stretcher....and then, as we were being pushed back, I could see no more.

The next day, the dorm director for my part of campus paid me a visit.

She told me he was a high school junior.

And had fallen out of poorly secured window after drinking with friends.

He was badly injured. But going to live.

She thanked me....and told me that when he was up to it, he and his family wanted to say thanks, too.

It was a great feeling, and I felt a "high" very different than the one I was used to at the time, for a few weeks thereafter.

And then.....as the moving parade of life continues, – I forgot about it, we never spoke......and the experience became buried in the avalanche of experiences that comes with college life.

I had my next existential crisis at 22.

My goals were no longer to play in the NBA – but instead, just to figure out what I was going to do with my life.

I had become the poster boy of underachievement.

I was perpetually disinterested.....and barely passing my classes.

I was now in my 5th year of college, lying to family and friends as to why I hadn't graduated yet and regularly sleeping until noon.

Rather than thinking about getting a job after college...I would think up wild entrepreneurial ideas that I lifted from the back of some supermarket "get rich quick" magazine while eating free bulk food aisle candy....... and pitch anyone who would listen to me on one wild idea after the next. (at this point – mostly my Mom and my roommates)

I started to lapse into a depression.

And even though I was only 22.....I had this weird sense that I was destined to become a failure. That I would perpetually under-achieve and disappoint. I began to feel intense regret, and started to obsess over many of what I thought at the time were disastrous life choices. (most neurotically – about even choosing the very school I was now in my 5th year of attending)

One day, as I sat in local pizza place with my girlfriend....I had the very strange sensation of being stared at.

I looked up and saw this very muscular, very tattooed and very intense guy looking my way.

At first I assumed he was checking out my girlfriend – and then sizing me up next.

And that he would stop when that grew old.

But apparently it didn't.

Because he didn't.

And every time I looked up, his intense and increasingly uncomfortable gaze was fixed on my face.

I decided, if I was going to get beat up, my pride would prefer it happen far enough away from my significant other that I could lie about what happened.

So I got up and walked to the counter of the pizza place, out of her view.

And he got up....and followed me.

As he walked over.......I thought about trying a sneaky head butt move that I learned from watching "The Roadhouse" with Patrick Swayze one time too many - but it felt too risky, so I just stood there like the easy to hit pacifist that I am.

Is your name Ian, he asked?

I noticed he was trembling.

Surprised....and now preparing for an even worse ass kicking, I nodded in the affirmative.

"You saved my life....and I never got a chance to thank you"

As we sat down.....that night came flooding back.

While we were roughly the same height – he was much bigger and stronger than I....and standing in front of me now, I could see why I had such trouble trying to hold him so many years earlier.

He told me his parents sued the school.

That he had been messed up pretty badly for a while.

But that he had gotten a ton of money and a fully paid college tuition wherever he wanted to go to school.

He told me he had thought about visiting me many times....and had seen me at my Fraternity house with friends, but was too bashful to come over.

He asked if we could keep in touch.

I said yes.

We hugged and his eyes were misty and thankful and full of love.

And the fog lifted.

And for the first time in a long time, I could see myself in the world.

Being good.

Doing good.

And making good.

A week later I moved out of the 4 bedroom house I shared with 5 of my fraternity brothers and moved 20 miles, but a city and a world away.

I started a new job on the VERY ground floor. (a phone operator)

A year later, with the help and investment of one of the friends who still listened to my wild entrepreneurial pitches, **I owned the business.**

When I was 30 I had my broken heart, broken open.

I was successful. And running the business I described above.

I had bought out my partner years earlier and worked like a demon.

My fiancee at the time wanted to live at the beach.

My office was in the city. So we rented a house at the beach and I promoted a well deserving employee to manage the business while I was away.

Life was going to be good.

But it wasn't.

Because I hated my work.

And work was my life.

So I hated my life.

One day, I found out that my fiancee had grown to hate her life too.

I had begun to spend my weeks in a hotel room near my office.....2 hours from our home at the sea, thinking I was "taking one for the team"

One day she called me and said – _"you don't love me. I'm leaving"_

I said – " _Okay...sure. I'll be home in a few hours_."

I did the speed limit and stopped twice for coffee.

When I got there, she was gone.

Most of her important stuff gone.

1 dog went with her.

The other waited patiently for me to arrive.

I sat down and waited.

A day passed. And then a week.

Our house no longer felt like a home.

I was empty.

So – so too was the home.

With a suitcase in one hand and a boston terrier in the other, I locked the door behind me and didn't look back.

I arrived in Key West by accident.

The plan was Mexico.

A long, much needed week and a half away from work.....in the warm, welcoming waters a world away.

But my life was falling apart.

I had missed my flight by a day.

I literally was so cognitively discombobulated that I set for the airport a day after everyone else on my flight arrived at our destination.

Once again....I found myself unable to think, or see myself clearly.

Knowing I had to go somewhere – and being only a few days Christmas, I got in my car in New Jersey and pointed it for Cuba.

And arrived in Key West a day and a half later.

(Where thankfully, my friend and business partner who once trusted in my wild ideas lived)

Only this time – I didn't have any ideas or inspiration to impart.

I just needed to rest my throbbing head.

On my 5th day I met "Mama".

Mama was a big and beautiful woman of Jamaican ancestry who lived on the street.

Her smile was big and warm and she pushed a "Publix" shopping cart around the island where she stored her most treasured belongings.

Mama and I became casual friends.

I would give her a few dollars and she would smile at me and **we'd each get something we desperately needed without having to say much.**

It was New Year's Eve and I bumped into Mama while meandering around the island.

I asked her what New Years was like in key west.

She told me she loved living here......but the holidays were difficult.

This week, she told me in her quiet voice.......made her feel like she didn't belong.

So many strangers. So much celebration.

And that it was hard to get something to eat.

And I thought about that for a second.

I asked her where she would eat if she could pick one restaurant on the familiar path she walked every day.

She laughed and said she doesn't' like to go inside anywhere because she can't bring her stuff.

I said – what about if I brought it to you?

She seemed to consider that for a moment.....and told me about the French restaurant that smells so good every time she walked by.

So I took her order.

And told her I'd be back at 10.

My friend, previously supportive of my wild and wacky and weird ideas.....considered this one to be a bit too much.

"Dude, just get her a cheeseburger or something. She'll be super happy and won't know the difference C'mon – you're going to screw up the whole night."

But I desperately wanted to believe in something big.

And ironically, if you've seen "SUPERSIZE ME" you already know a big mac isn't it.

But watching Mama eat that meal, huddled together in silence on the ground in a small cramped corner while fireworks went off in the street and new years eve debauchery exploded around us was magic for me.

And when she showed me her half eaten big mac....and apologized for starting it because she didn't think I was really going to show up, I knew this was more of a gift for me, than for her.

And the fog began to lift once again.

And hours later.......I began to plan again.

And thoughts of a home once again feeling like home seemed possible once again.

And with a suitcase in one hand and a boston terrier in the other, as a new year officially had begun, I said my goodbyes, pointed my car north and planned something big.

On my 35th birthday an old man changed my life.

I'm not going to get into all of the details here to avoid hurting anyone unnecessarily.......

But I was in the process of purchasing a new business.

Something that at first......looked really profitable on paper.

But that I knew in my bones was wrong for me.

And yet.....at that point, I was too invested in too many ways with too many other people to turn back.

But I had an ominous feeling about the future....and I couldn't shake it.

On my 35 birthday, over drinks and dinner......papers were to be signed.

I was in a bad neighborhood, sitting at a red light, about to pick up the interstate for my date with destiny.

An old man intervened.

I noticed him standing on a street corner. With his outstretched hand oddly placed on a telephone pole.

From a distance......and from where I sat in my car, he almost looked to be in a tool cool for school "Fonzi" pose.

It was dark. And I was late. The only option was go straight.

So I did.

And as the interstate approached........a little voice inside of my head said – "Go back. Now."

So I made a quick unfamiliar left....and circled back......not quite sure why I was doing what I was doing.

And when I got back he was gone.

For a minute I was relieved.

But before I could get my bearings.......I saw him on the ground. At the base of the telephone pole.

And not moving.

I ran to where he was. It was dark.....and he was lying there, a bag of leaking milk soaking his clothes.

He told me he had snuck out for groceries.......gotten lost.......and couldn't remember the name of the place he called home.

We gathered up his bags......got him in the car, and drove around the city looking for home.

He had no ID on him.

But he told me he was almost 90.

And that he missed being able to drive.

And that he enjoyed taking late night walks for food and cigarettes....even though he sometimes struggled to remember how to get home.

But he had never fallen before.

And he had never gotten this lost before.

He was worried about getting in trouble.

And as we drove in seeming circles....he started to tell me about his life.

How he lived, what he loved and what he would do differently today.

He talked about things he loved as a boy.....and as a young man.....and things he had forgotten to love enough as a man......until he was too old to love them the same way.

At some point, it slowly sunk in....that whether he tried to or not, his meandering message was meant for me.

And maybe it was dumb luck and strange serendipity that on my way to a date with destiny that felt dubious, dangerous and oddly ominous that I would feel the need to go back for an old man who seemed to be reliving his losses to remind me reconnect with the things I loved and lost myself.....before it was too late.

Because too late arrives too soon for all of us.

And most of us never know will the beauty and bliss of doing what we're truly called to do.

And so I did.

And that's why this is what I do now.

The funny thing is........

When we finally found his home, and pulled up the long circular driveway, he just got up and walked out.

He didn't even say goodbye.

And as the nurses and staff flooded outside to hug and squeeze and reprimand him.......

The usual insatiable impulse to attract attention to my good deeds vanished.

I just drove away without a word.

Feeling immense gratitude for being reminded to believe in something big.

I've passed over more moments to do great things for others than most, so the stories above are not meant to make me sound super duper gracious or charitable or really nice.

No matter how many times I've been broken, (and it's been far more than 3) it's service and a sense of personal purpose and contribution that has made me whole.

Reaching out to others and giving what I have at the moment to offer.

No matter how high I've flown....when I've forgotten that fact, the fall has been fast, fierce and far more painful than the previous plunge.

I'm not a religious person, but a connection to something bigger, smarter, stronger, wiser and tougher and **has defined every major success I've had in my life.**

My failures are always all about me.

We're all a bit broken.

But yet so perfectly put together as well.

Connecting to that perfection sometimes is merely a matter of where you fix your focus.

I know that some of you think the whole "Passion, Purpose and Profit" thing is a bit gimmicky and trite.

I don't.

I believe that everyone reading this has unique gifts.

And that your obligation is to put those gifts out into the world to help others who are weak where you are strong.

And that each of us who wants to succeed in business has THAT as our primary challenge.

And that whether you believe those gifts are **hardwired into your DNA by a loving creator** or _breathed into being by a compassionate and awakened universe_ or simply are yours due to the **magical and miraculous work of mother nature,** believing in something BIG will make your marketing much more meaningful.

That's what this is about for me.

And hopefully, if you're still reading this far, you still feel the same way.

Free HUGS!

I want to tell you a quick story.

It's a small story.

Nothing earth shattering happened.

But it was very meaningful to me.

But in some ways, in a time of need......it helped me really clarify what I'm trying to do with my work, my art and my life.

It started with a simple question -

" _what are you eating, I asked"_

It was 2 am, this past July 1st.

It was also my birthday.

I was spending it alone.

And I was standing in a short line in the only all night supermarket in Key West,

Florida........buying a weird late night snack of one mango, one peppermint Christmas Cane way out of season, a bottle of wine (or 2) and some sort of cheese and cracker spread that seemed like as good of a way as any other to celebrate another year on Planet Earth.

" _My dinner", she replied._

The girl behind the counter, someone I had seen plenty of times before, was digging her free hand into an endless brown paper bag and seemed to be really enjoying whatever it was she called dinner.

I took a quick look at her......she looked to be anywhere between 30 and 40, with home made tattoos all up and down her arms, her hair pulled back in a tight bun that was fraying with the hour, her eyes tired.......her face worn, her supermarket provided attire hung loosely to her large frame.

In short – she looked, as always......to be a bit of a frumpy, frazzled mess.

But, this woman.....who i had seen many times, in similar late night food runs......always had something endearing about her, a combination of vulnerable yet VITAL, sad......yet strong,.......and a survivor without a shadow of a doubt.

And just when i thought the short conversation had run it's course.......

She said -

" _they're made of tofu, and their terrible. I've got to start taking care of myself. My blood pressure is way too high and i've got diabetes. My doctor told me I have to quit smoking.......and lose 100 pounds or I'll be dead in 5 years"_

She gave me a long, sad, forlorn look.......and for a moment, I didn't know what to say, so I said, sort of awkwardly.....

" _you definitely don't need to lose 100 pounds"_

(i ALMOST reassuringly said – 50 at MOST – but thankfully the angel of tact landed on my right shoulder right before my mouth could open again)

By now.....her laser like gaze, and bright blue eyes were fixed on my face -

" _you know she said, had my husband not left me with 2 kids to raise on my own, and having to work 3 jobs to stay alive, maybe i wouldn't have gotten so goddamn fat. you know what it's like trying to raise teenage boys on my income?"_

I didn't. So I just stood there continuing to look stupid while she continued.

" _would you believe i was the homecoming queen in college? I still have the pictures. I was really, really pretty. Who would have thought that 20 years would pass so quick and I'd get up one day and be the Ugly Duckling?"_

People had started to fill in the line behind me....and her eyes remain laser locked on mine.

I tried to think of something to say.

You're not an ugly duckling came to mind.

Cursing myself for asking what she was eating in the first place came to mind.

A witty, or warm retort eluded me.

And yet, our eyes were locked in gaze of expectancy – and in the conversational "Q", the ball was definitely in my court.

So in the moment....knowing I had to say something, and yet suffering from a lead tongue, I did something a bit unusual for me.

I said nothing.

Instead -

I took a big step through the opening and gave her a HUG.

At first she looked surprised.

And then she started to giggle.

And the drunk tourists and townies in line behind me – alternated catcalls of "awwww....." and "get a room!"

And what started as a silly tongue tied gesture of not having anything to witty to say, turned into something much more meaningful, if only for 30 seconds, for both of us.

Because as we parted the hug....and I quickly packed my 5 items in a bag, her smile could have lit the supermarket on it's own.

Her blue eyes a bit more bright.

And while I couldn't see my own.........i knew i looked the same way.

Goofy, yet giddy.

I sat out in the parking lot, in my car for a few minutes...and really thought about it.

Hug a stranger.

Who knew it would feel this good?

I _t was a great late night birthday gift – from Me, to Me._

Life feels best when it's a contact sport.

The truth is, unless you're Angelina Jolie, you can't go around hugging strangers and get away with it.

So most of us don't.

And we miss out.

On feeling connected. First to others.

And then, ultimately to ourselves.

About 3 weeks ago, having just returned to town after 4 away, I made my first late supermarket stop of the season.

My new friend, looking better and brighter than I remembered, was in her usual spot.

She was busy chatting with a young couple, and I was tempted to pick another line, not to push my luck, or risk a blank stare of no recollection.

As I got closer and closer to the front of line, I was certain she didn't remember.....and that it was silly of me to think that there was sort of magic in that moment, that it had made a difference at all.

I **'m a silly, sensitive, overly sentimental sap.**

And then it happened.........

" _THERE he is", she bellowed loud enough for all 12 lines to hear._

" _My FAVORITE customer."_

" _Come HERE, Sweetie!"_

And the HUG \- Part Duex.....officially was underway...:-)

If you want to build a business around one simple concept that you won't find in any online marketing manual, or best selling ebook on kindle or some rock star blog post, it's this.

When you write that next blog post - or think about that next inspiring piece of content to create....make it for someone you'll never know.

Who will never pay you a penny. Or shop at your store.

Make your best effort about hugging a stranger.

Someone in need - who you'll never meet - or touch in the flesh.

Make your WORK about hugging as many people as possible......EVEN if you rarely leave the house like me.

The beauty of a blog, for example...... is that it you can shape, shift, touch, tweak, inspire and awaken so much energy and emotion.....and purely through the poetry of your own authentic gifts.

If your passion is PURE, the more bodies you bump up against, the better you'll do.

And from that warm fuzzy feeling......from that chaos, that connection and that collective Kumbaya..........you'll find YOUR community, your customers and clients, and ultimately, the real richness and reward we all seek underneath.

And if feels really good, too :-)

Radicals Rebels and Revolutionaries

We don't make boxes. Our core value is – what we're about is – We believe that people of Passion can change the world for the better. That's what we believe. And we've had the opportunity to work with some of those people. And those people who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world.....are the ones that actually do.

Steve Jobs 1997

I've been thinking a lot lately about what's most meaningful to me in this business.

What I enjoy doing most – and what makes ME "come alive" – and makes all of this stuff feel the LEAST like "work" and the MOST like perpetual playtime in the idea-o-sphere of fun and freedom.

I love working with people.

I really do.

Seeing other people get excited about the power and the potential of what is truly possible when they discover their "bliss" and do what they love MOST........is a huge rush, and incredibly rewarding.

There is an energy - **an exhilaration and an excitement that comes from contribution,** and brainstorming, and sharing ideas with OTHER passionate people _that can't be measured by any other success scale there is._

To me – being knee deep in the entrepreneurial trenches of IDEAS and inspiration and being elbow to elbow with passionate people who have invested their own own blood and sweat in SUCCESS is like a drug.

It makes me feel AWAKE.

Aware.

And ALIVE.

One of the reasons I sorta kinda started hated the affiliate marketing business is that it always felt so empty – shallow – hollow – absent anything other than the gentle upward nudge of the needle that measures a day in dollars.

But yet, as I've found myself focusing more and more on the "people" part of this business over the last few months, I've secretly been having some reservations.

Because sometimes, as they don't tell you in the online marketing handbook – people suck.

And anyone who is being open and honest and who has invited people from one side of the world to the other into their lives on a daily basis will attest this to be true.

Do I REALLY want to be emailing back and forth with inconsiderate folks who want to suck, sap and seep every ounce of free information out of me.........before satiating their need for new ideas, and disappearing without a simple thank you, or kind word of appreciation?

Do I really want to be **pushy, persistent and perpetually in your inbox.**.....telling you to read this, try that, and buy now?

**Are the unsubscribes** \- the insults – and weird emails and t _he strange silliness and new age nonsense that arrives in MY inbox EACH and every day_ in this business worth it......or do I

just retreat BACK to my cave, and go back to creating copious amounts of killer content that converts like crazy and worry JUST about me?

I've struggled with this a bit for the last few days.

And in a strange sort of odd and unexpected moment a few hours ago.......it came to me loud and clear.

The answer is YES.

It's all worth it. (although I needed a nudge to remind me)

Because the WORLD around us is changing in ways that are amazing to witness.

People investing their very LIVES in the ideas of their fathers......their futures....and their very FREEDOM.

Fighting for the right to express themselves through the poetry of PASSION, of progress, and the art of ideas, inspiration and IMAGINATION.

Contribution is a contact sport.

And passion can be painful.

**And yet – so many of** US **are sleepwalking through our lives.**

So many of YOU reading this right now have amazing, illuminating and inspiring gifts that you'll never use – and that the world around you will never know.

You'll never do anything with it.

You'll stay afraid....and asleep.

And that is truly heartbreaking.

Because it's so easy to step UP and be brave and say – I want to share.

I'm HERE to share.

"I have passion.....and PURPOSE and I want everyone to know what I believe, and why."

Because if you BELIEVE in that – and you buy into the magic and the mystery of meaning that underlies each of our lives, you'll realize that it's the only true choice you have.

It's strange....with all of the weird, wacky, wild and WONDERFUL stuff going on in the world today.....

Steve Jobs is stepping down from Apple.

Probably because of a really bad turn for the worse in his health.

And strangely – symbolically and serendipitously – as the world is changing around us – as lawyers, guns and money affect yet another changing of the guard on the Shakespearean international stage of PASSION and progress.......

I'm reminded how **much the world needs radicals, rebels and revolutionaries**.

**People who see a better, bigger and brighter world.**..and have the guts to go for it.

Be that person.

It's a simple shift – _and there is no guru – no gimmick – no gadget – or no shortcut to that sort of success._

It's NOT about marketing.

It's about meaning.

Don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise.

I don't know you – and probably never will.

But I believe in you.

And if you have PASSION – and PURPOSE – and GUTS, and inspired ideas for making the world around you a wee bit brighter......the world around you WILL believe right back.

All that's left is for you to believe in yourself.

****

**This is called Breaking the Rules.**

I wrote this about doing things that are a bit out of the ordinary - taking chances - expressing yourself - not being afraid to step up and stand out and rock the boat a bit....even if it's unconventional, eclectic or downright unexpected. In this case the example was, commenting on one of my own blog posts, after really putting my heart and soul into something, and noticing that after almost 1000 "views" , not one simple comment was left on the post.

So I left one myself. (something I thought was funny, lighthearted and entertaining.....and would compel other people to get involved)

Guess what?

They did = but not ALL for the right reasons. (or at least the reasons I expected. After a few folks unsubscribed and a particular insulting comment was left on my Aweber email account, I wrote this post about breaking the rules.

Being bold, irreverent and a bit off the wall is still one of my favorite ways to amp up my OWN creative energy - and the best news is, it's a great way to building BUZZ for your brand to boot!)

I hope you enjoy!

Breaking the Rules for Fun, Fame and Fortune

" _Well-behaved women seldom make history."_

— _Laurel Thatcher Ulrich_

What rules are you breaking?

What boundaries are you pushing?

Which group of people are you pestering?

What twitch, switch or tremor do you seek to tweak in YOUR niche, marketplace or online playground?

If you're not doing that a little bit at least.....

You need to break some rules.

Have some more fun.

Become a provocateur.....if ONLY to step up, stand out and **unleash your own creative marketing muse.**

I am SO sick of the rules that everyone thinks they've got to follow to get ahead.

The only people who want you to believe there are rules are those making them....... and have something invested in you following along.

The middle is not where the magic is.

It's in the margins – the outer edges – and the places that most people won't go.

Push the envelope.

**Dance dangerously on the edges of your audiences expectations**.......and you'll often be amazed at what happens.

When it comes to being creative with your CONTENT and your character.......and make NO mistake – regardless of what those stuffy, fluffy and good for nothing gurus want you to believe.......this IS a business driven by creativity, the only TRUTH is this:

Rules CRUSH your creative energy.

**They blow your flow**.

And sap your spirit.

And rob you of the JOY and the juice of doing this work.

I read about 10 different "popular" online marketing blogs this morning......

It felt like a colonoscopy, only without the small talk and the awkward handshake at the end.

All the cool kids wants you to believe is that there are RULES.

The cool kids are clueless.

And they ain't so cool.

Here is my ONLY rule:

Sticking to the rules is what keeps everyone lumped in the middle

If you want to stand out – you've got to be memorable.

And if you want to be memorable – you've got to say something different.

Outside of the lines.

And on top of the box.

Let me give you an example from my own business – just this week.

I wrote this  blog post here:

After a bit I noticed no one had left a comment.

I thought the blog post deserved a comment.

Apparently, no one else did.

So I decided to leave my own:

It said: (or I said, about my own blog post)

Note to Self: Okay – I'd like to be the first one to comment on yet another magnificent post. I'd also like to say BRAVO, for doing such great work, and raising the bar for the rest of us, it's truly inspiring.

So – keep up the excellent work. And don't forget tomorrow morning is garbage day. (you got to get that milk out this week.....no way that can sit in the fridge until next tuesday)

_Try to get out of the house tomorrow, too – all of this computer time is starting to mess with your head. And no more Boyz in the Hood re-runs tonight on HBO classic either – if it comes on again – get up and change the channel – it's a short walk, and you already know the dialog for the last 15 minutes by heart. (spoiler alert – Ice Cube gets capped)_

I actually giggled like a 12 year old immediately thereafter.

I thought it was funny.

I read it a few times, and it made me smile.

And HAPPY.

And as a rule, that's a good thing.

But.......

I think we can all agree there is a pretty firm unwritten rule that you a **re not supposed to comment on your own blog posts in this business.**

It sort of looks odd.

People don't expect it.....it looks weird, and makes people wonder about the mental state of the blog owner.

Which I was acutely aware.....was me.

And i tried to stifle the urge.......

I really did.

I just really, really had something else to say.

I couldn't help myself.

So I said – screw it.

Why not?

Who cares?

It's my blog and I wanted to give myself a little enthusiastic thumbs up for all my hard work.

So I did.

An hour later........

Some guy who had recently signed up for my list in just the past 3 days..... **suddenly unsubscribes** and fills out the little _Aweber "reason why" form_ with a note about _how "lame" it is that "this pathetic joker" comments on his own blog._

Now – my first instinct was to do the obvious:

(Pay someone over-seas 2 dollars an hour to do nothing but post male enhancement questions on yahoo answers in this guy's real name while screaming "you want a piece of this" and refreshing my screen while cackling like a loon until i fall asleep in my chair)

But the truth is, when you break rules......some people don't like it.

They shake their heads and go away.

But interestingly...... a lot MORE people often DO.

If for no other reason other than you are different.

And odd.

And interesting.

Even inspiring.

(even if they still think you are a bit weird)

Your challenge is this:

Look at your niche, or your marketplace or your industry and figure out **which rules you can break, bend or budge to step up and stand out**

Who can you **tweak, poke or tickle to get attention?**

Find some interesting way to say something your audience DOESN'T expect.

Change your game.

Confront an injustice and point it out.

Name names.

Be controversial.....if ONLY to experiment with how it feels. (it feels pretty good)

The only sin is to be boring.

**Be someone different**.....if only for a moment and change the way you play the game.

And stop getting small minded marketing advice from people who want you to follow rules.

PASSION, The Poetry of Progress and my A-HA moment

ASK YOURSELF WHAT MAKES YOU COME ALIVE...AND THEN GO DO THAT.

\- Howard Thurman

I want to share a quick story with you.

I'm going to make it quick....and I'm going to leave out a lot of the smaller details that were personally significant for me......but maybe won't be so much for you.

But I'm going to leave you with a lesson that has been transformational in my own life and business, and one that **I truly believe can do the same for you as well,** if you have the courage, and the cojones.....to risk REINVENTING yourself, and your online aspirations, if they're not getting you where you want to be.

_(however you define that....and wherever that place is – it's NOT always about money...and I would argue, for those of us who believe in something bigger – it rarely is)_

But first......the CLIFF notes Confession:

I haven't been happy with my online business for a long time.

As some of you know from our personal interaction – and as others have gleaned from some of the increasingly occasional blog posts over the last year that intimated the same, slowly but surely I've felt the spirit being sapped out of my love for this work.

The magic......and the mystery started to disappear.

And the emptiness...and occasionally, the isolation, started to catch up with me.

Last year, right about now, the day before Thanksgiving, on a whim, I packed my car and headed south, from the frigid shores of the New Jersey coast, to the warm, welcoming, wild and wacky world of Key West, Florida.

I left behind a house I couldn't sell as the market dipped and dripped and tripped further and further into the rabbit hole of ridiculousness... friends and family I knew I would miss seeing a hop and a skip away – a pretty easy life with lots of nice things at my disposal......but very few of the things I thought I truly wanted, and a growing sense of unease that literally, started waking me up at night.

I stayed in sunny south Florida until July, when the sunny skies and NJ beach beckoned me back.

And what I learned about myself in those arbitrary, exciting, bohemian, but symbolic 9 months of re-birth, review, re-rejuvenation and finally, RADICAL reinvention is this:

Wherever you go – there you are..:-)

We each have the ability to CHANGE, whatever it is that we don't truly love about our lives.....and there is no selfishness GREATER than depriving yourself, (or others) of what make you come, truly alive

My -aha moment came in June.....and started LITERALLY in a pool of opulence.....surrounded by beautiful people and things and the sort of movie set magic that would seem to make a sudden sandstorm of SHAME and self consciousness seem sorely out of place.

I was visiting with a great friend who is already fabulously successful......a doctor with a beautiful family, a magnificent home, a small collection of exotic sports cars and the sort of life, that on the outside, looks like something you would order up from Mr. Rourke if you were lucky enough to land on Fantasy Island.

And he and I, in this lap pool of luxury, on this beautiful South Florida day, were discussing some of the details, and strategy tweaks for a product launch he has been building for the last 2 years, and NOT one of these silly IM related make money from home launches, but a real life, real product, REAL world, inspired idea that you will hopefully see in stores around the world, sometime later this year.

And as old friends are prone to do......we were playing "what if" What if this REALLY hits?

What if this 2am lightbulb moment....this silly but inspired idea.......becomes the MUST HAVE little gadget that every 6 year old kid in the free world wants, needs and mommy.....I WANT ONE now?

What if?

What would you do?

What do you sell......or buy......or exchange out and TRADE UP for.....FIRST?

And what he said.....next......in those simple, but hushed conspiratorial tones that those that plan universal domination so know well.........made my OWN lightbulb come back alive....dimly at first, but now, today with the wattage that I've waited on for far too long.

He said – I'd do nothing.

" _I'd enjoy the success.....and I'd probably close my medical practice one extra day a week._

_And then I'd probably, if I could and money were not an object, change our billing practice to a just "pay what you can afford" style model and try to see as many under served people as possible.......but overall – I love what I'm doing, and truly believe it was what I was born to do and wouldn't be happy sailing around the world in some yacht counting my cash_ "

And in that moment.....I felt shame.

Because, I was thinking....if it was me, I'd probably want to be on Dancing with the Stars where I'd bribe the judges to hopefully make it to the final 4 and show how gracious I could be in defeat.

Then, I'd probably do Larry King once or twice to discuss my childhood, my uncommon genius, and my scandalous affair with Jessica Alba.

Eventually I'd move to Monaco where I'd count my cash and say it's good to be the king while being showered in rose petals and compliments.....AND eventually, replace that old bugger in the Dos Equis commercials and become the most interesting man in the world myself.

Because deep down - what I was missing was a purpose.

Something that drives me, inspires me and makes me want to reach out and touch the world through my work.

WHAT exactly is it that I do? Does it add value to the world around me?

And most importantly, am I using my natural gifts, those ineffable qualities that we ALL have, those personal qualities that make up the unique fabric......the fingerprint....that which we are all BORN to poke into the canvas of the cosmos to let it know we were once ALIVE and AWAKE to our calling....am I doing that to the best of my abilities?

And if I believe that there is something paying attention to all of this.....and keeping score.......and that it DOES matter, how fast can I get off my ass and start to do something that makes me come back alive, no matter how many steps back I've got to take to get there?

I drove home from that night after saying goodbye to my friend....and his family.....with all sorts of conflicting thoughts in my head.

I was alternately excited at the idea of embracing the mystery of what was next, because I knew that the itch of incompleteness in my professional life would NOT stop to scratch itself.....and yet, not quite sure what that was going to be.

And for someone with significant financial responsibilities, and bills to pay, and overhead to manage, I found those thoughts becoming harder to answer, than they were to ask.

Do I just quit working online and try something else?

What would I really love to do next? Can I afford to quit?

What do I love MOST about what I'm doing right now?

What feels the most empty.....the most hollow.....and the most meaninglessness no matter HOW much money it makes...and how can I excise that from my business...and my life?

I'm not a very religious person...or one, to be totally honest, who pays a lot of attention to signs, or synchronicity or happenstance coincidences that COLLIDE into your consciousness with life changing ramifications..:-)

But, what happened next, over the next few days and weeks – sort of suggested to me in that moment that someone...or something WAS in fact paying attention to my early mid life crisis angst and existential cry for help.

I came across, and serendipitously stumbled upon amazing, inspiring and illuminating examples of radical REINVENTION, and people from all stages, and phases and strata of life consciously seeking to re-write their stories....and rediscovering themselves in the process.

From the magical...to the mundane....from the famous, to the faceless, I met, interacted with or read about the process of RE-WRITING one's story, and how amazing insight – and incredible adventure – were the byproducts of being open to being uncomfortable....and going with your gut when it told you it was time.

So I literally spent a few weeks looking over my entire business – my business model – thousands of articles – millions of readers in close to a hundred different niches over the last 3 or 4 years – in partnerships and projects both new and old...and I realized that, while affiliate marketing has been very good to me....it wasn't what I wanted to be remembered for.

And it wasn't what I'd want to talk about on Larry King.

And it wasn't what I'd want to do one extra day if the Universe dumped an avalanche of cash in my outstretched arms...and said take it, you never have to work another day again.

I made a LIST of everything I was doing that was I working on.....and broke them down into two categories.

MERCENARY MARKETING

MEANINGFUL MARKETING

The mercenary stuff was almost exclusively the affiliate marketing projects, either by myself....or with partners, and was responsible, unfortunately for 90% of my income.

The meaningful stuff was almost exclusively either the posts on THIS particular blog, or some things I have contributed to some self help and personal development style sites, and my coaching and consulting work with clients.

This was unfortunately, r **esponsible for about 10% of my income** – yet about 90% of the ENJOYMENT, satisfaction and reward I get out of my business.

The CHALLENGE for me was obvious.

How to take the things that are MOST meaningful....and make them MORE profitable.

And how to turn that which was most profitable, into something that could be taught to those who WOULD find them MOST meaningful...in the most powerful and profitable way for everyone.

And so....over the last 3 or 4 months, **since that fateful few weeks of opening and epiphanies and the excitement of a-ha moments** I have done exactly that....totally reworking, reframing and re-calibrating my business...my focus.......my work...and my LIFE, to be aligned with what I TRULY believe are my own unique gifts, and the purpose that I feel underpins it all.

I am, so to speak.......re-writing my own story.

And as yet another Thanksgiving approaches, that re-invention feels like the sort of transformation that is personally rejuvenating, exhilarating and well worth celebrating.

You CAN love what you do, make a lot of money, give back, be good, contribute, participate and feel blessed.....EVEN if you feel miserable, lost, dazed, duped and disappointment right now.

Your story – your authentic story, always remains to be written, and always, as I think I've learned....is a living, breathing and evolving thing – never fixed in one specific time or place.

Some of you reading this, I know are there....and arrived much early on than I..:-)

But others...and I dare say the vast, vast majority, are still struggling, still searching, still suffering in one form or another, and unless you break out a brand new pen, I can already tell you how your story is going to end.

Here is the Invitation.

I INVITE you to re-write your story. I don't care how many chapters are closed......t **he best stories are almost always those that have a twist in the action no one saw coming.**

I invite you to start thinking bigger.

LONGER. 1 year. 3 years. 10 years. 20 years.

**There is VALUE in vision.** And to be a VISIONARY, doesn't require uncommon intelligence, or intuition.

It only requires you to really see where you want to be in the BIG picture, and reverse engineer that back to today.

I had lunch yesterday with another good friend in Atlantic City, a guy who has taken his collegiate love for tinkering with our fraternity house stereo system into a booming, award winning, upscale home entertainment conglomerate that employs upwards of 50 people and does millions of dollars in sales.

He told me, that for years he had struggled with going in a million different directions, trying a thousand different ideas, and trying to hop on and ride the next, best and greatest wave in technology, or otherwise.

But it wasn't until he did 2 things, that he went from a small shop with 3 or 4 employees and a boiler room budget to a big name boutique business with name brand celebrity clients and the community cache that comes with it.

He found the ONE thing he loved to do most, could do BETTER and could SELL because he knew in his heart of hearts that his clients would love the end result if they only gave him the chance.

Surrounded himself with a group of people who shared his vision, his ethos and were equally as committed to their own success. (a small group of entrepreneurs that met once a week to become ACCOUNTABLE, and share ideas)

Those 2 distinctions – PASSION and PARTICIPATION, turned his life, his business and the fortunes of his family......around forever.

I challenge you to stop thinking about making an affiliate sale or two...this week.

I invite you, if you are serious about building a genuinely profitable online business that is PURPOSE and PASSION centered, that is important to you and that resonates with where you see yourself in 5 years, or 10 years or longer.....to start today, no matter how much time, energy or income you've invested in your current business, if it's NOT making you happy....or NOT making you money, or is as unfortunately most common, both.

I recorded a call the other day with a business partner in a project I hope to share with many of you later this year, where one of the key ideas we covered was PROGRESS.

I believe there is poetry....in progress.

And in this business, the art and science of selling online, there are only 5 qualities you need to cultivate to become massively success, in any niche......even the one you are MOST passionate about, but have put off trying for reasons only you know.

You need CONTENT.

You need CHARACTER. (as we covered in the previous post on MAGIC...and mojo)

You need a COMMUNITY (as in – you are part of MY community here)

You need a CURRICULUM (to codify your content into something that can be taught, packaged or sold)

You need CONVERSION (or the ability to turn a % of your community into clients)

That's it.

There is truly nothing else.

I don't care how many ebooks they create, how many DVD's they want you to buy, or how many bonuses they tell you are coming, those 5 things are all you need, and the best part is, you can start creating each of them today.

Fear Loathing and the Magic of Mojo

THE 48 LAWS OF POWER

_Law 25:_ _Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life._

**I'm going to start this off with a confession.........**

I'm not who you think I am. **In many ways......I'm often a complete and utter fake.** And the truth is, if you want to be truly successful in this work, I encourage you to become one too. Why?

**Because every week.....I talk to, work with, coach or consult with people who are FULL of fear.**

**They LOATHE the idea of putting themselves in the firm face of the fire** that comes with taking a chance and stepping UP and out from the _sordid sea of shallow sameness where all the slackers swim._

Of peeking their heads up out the water and saying... **hey you – pay attention to me – I'm talented – I'm terrific and I want to tell you about it.**

INSTEAD?

They'd rather STICK with the comfortable snail like steps that comes with holding back....and hiding.......dumbing DOWN their true worth and potential......and NOT getting a bit closer to that uncomfortable edge from **which all great inspiration waits a hairs breath away** – it wants to blow in, and pick you up.....but you need to have the courage to **get close enough to feel it in the flesh.**

And it frustrates me.

Because I see so many TALENTED people who I really like accomplishing FAR less than they should be.

No list.

No brand.

No guts.

And no real glory

.

**Because.....all the bullshit aside – they're just plain afraid.**

It frustrates me because I'M full of fear, too. And I've been there. And what I've overcome.....so too can you.

For example?

I'm not a big fan of heights.

I'm afraid of growing old without making a meaningful contribution

I'm afraid of disappointing my parents

I'm afraid of women named after small towns in Texas with tattoos in unusual places who can drink more tequila than me.

I'm afraid of Tea Party Rallies (although I guess that's kinda the same thing as #4)

**But when it comes to MARKETING myself – or my business, I'm NOT afraid to be Fearless.**

The CHALLENGE for me is ALWAYS the same.

Forget about keyword research.

Forget about the silly unoriginal, small minded mental midgetry that dominates the discourse .

Forget about all that nefarious nonsense the ninkenpoops and knuckleheads want to tell (or sell) you.

There are 5 Critical things that I do whenever I tackle a new project, a new niche.....or a new business opportunity....either by myself, or with partners. These 5 things are the lynchpin, the key component to deciding whether or not I believe I (or we) can compete meaningfully in a market.

And If I stick to my instincts, and pick ONLY projects where I can sketch out all 5 successfully in advance....I don't believe I will ever fail......period. (unfortunately....when I DON'T.....I Do....just like you..:-)

The MOST important one, and the one I'll share here – is actually the easiest for me....and I'm hoping, I can convince you to try it too, because it's phenomenally FREEING, financially rewarding and a lot of FUN as well.

It's the idea of creating, and then BECOMING a compelling, charismatic character. (even if you're not)

**A passionate, persuasive and PURPOSEFUL personality. (even if you're not)**

**The YOU your mom thinks you are.**......or **the you on your very BEST day, when it seemed the stars themselves conspired to smile on you all at once.**

Simply step outside of yourself and in the small sacred spaces in which you work....where you can be ANYONE you want... **..choose to be the version of yourself you'd love to be if the universe was comfortable telling a few white lies.**

I don't care if you're afraid.

Or afraid to fail.

Or think people won't notice.

Or pay attention once they do. **Because they WILL.**

And when you read this......you're proving it to both of us.

That is the KEY....to truly creating content that converts like crazy.

To creating communities of fans and evangelists who trust, admire and respect you.

And to building a REAL business around what you love most.....while helping as many people as humanly possible. (although it works great for affiliate and more mercenary marketing methods, too)

For everyone....of course......that CHARACTER, and what makes you feel comfortable, is a wee bit different.

**If you've been reading my stuff for any length of time......that's pretty much what you're getting.**

It's NOT in-authentic.

It's just AMPLIFIED.

And yes......I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking that it's probably easy for me – I'm smart, super stylish, devilishly handsome and have an unusually large spirit for someone only a slender shred over 5'10 in his favorite foamy flip flops.

I'm not going to argue with you. It's a good point. And it's nice of you to notice. And I really like you to, and often wished you lived closer.

But the truth is, in REAL life:

I'm my own worst critic

dedicated – yet rarely satisfied

PASSIONATE and paranoid

Fun but flawed

inspired, imaginative and insecure

and quite often......in MY eyes, not anything like the ME you see here

If you have ever been motivated by one of my articles, or blog posts....or one on one interactions......and have simply NOT high stepped the hurdles that are holding you back – I invite you to RE-INVENT YOURSELF

If you are spending your days reading.....learning......and perpetually CHASING the dream........I want to INVITE you reinvent yourself.

If you are **MASSIVELY talented, funny, engaging and entertaining.**.....yet think you are too SHY or not ready to shine..... **.I invite you to RADICALLY reinvent yourself.**

If you have PASSION.....you CAN parlay that into perpetual piles of profit, _simply by tapping into that creative wellspring of CHARISMA_...and **COURAGE** that lives within all of us.

I went to a family wedding last year, where the bride's family had some pretty famous guests.

Amongst them were the ex-wife of infamous Shock Jock Howard Stern....who I've listened to, off and on, for years.

And what I found so amazing, were the stories I heard about how PAINFULLY shy Stern was off the air....often being so uncomfortable in social settings that he'd hide in a corner.....or just disappear completely.

Yet.......in character, he became an extrovert extraordinaire...... **a personality SO larger than life that he literally changed an entire industry on his own.**

Or Beyonce Knowles......so afraid of getting on stage and performing at her TRUE potential that she decided to create an alter ego – an identity – a CHARACTER she calls "sasha fierce" for becoming the person – and the PERFORMER that millions of people pay to see.

I challenge to go out on that ledge.

**I invite you to whisper and wait for that warm breeze to scoop you up.**.....and help you straddle the stars. Find people you like and respect....and then study their rhythm...and emulate their style.

Forget about learning HOW to make money online. If you can write an article, put up a squeeze page, you know more than enough already.

The secret......is NOT in the sauce.

It's in the sass.

The truth is, people often ask me about creating compelling content for their articles......their blog posts..and conversion rates, and copywriting tips......and for me, it all boils down to this.

Entertain people.

Inspire people.

make them think.... **make them BETTER at what you know best.**.....but if you can make them laugh and feel good, you'll never go hungry.

That is really the secret.

Everything else comes from there. I'm going to be talking a lot about that from now on.....because it can be taught, begged and borrowed, and I've got a little bit extra to spare.

It is never too late to become what you might have been" -George Eliot

***********

Here was a short blog post I had written for coaches and consultants, and people in the service style industries who often feel it's necessary to undercharge to get clients, especially in the beginning. After years of experimenting with different pricing models – I vehemently disagree with the approach of using cost as a commodity. I find it not only denigrates what you do, devalues your offer and ultimately makes you appear like a commodity that is predicated (and picked) by price - not passion - or the fact that your client or ideal audience really BELIEVES they are going to make powerful progress by choosing YOU over your niche neighbors or market competitors.

I believe that when you LOVE what you do – and you radiate and reflect that with your words and your work – charging what you feel you truly deserve..... is the best way of telling people you're worth it.

The POWER of Priceless

**Are you a coach, consultant, expert author, service professional, or niche advisor who is NOT earning what you're truly worth?**

Imagine being able to charge **2 or 3 or even 5 times more than you do right now.**..without doing an extra lick of work.

Imagine being perceived as the _PREMIER provider of elite level services in your niche,_ or industry or area of expertise....and **PRICING** yourself accordingly. (and having people line UP to pay you for the privilege..:-)

Imagine truly being able to parlay the **POWER of your authentic life's purpose, your PASSION......into perpetual piles of profit.**

**If you understand the power of priceless......which I'm going to share with you below, you won't have to imagine for long.**

But first....Let's look at some super simple definitions, and distinctions:

**What Do I MEAN by the power of Priceless in the first place?**

In my parlance, It's the REAL value that your passion, purpose and expertise......your BEST efforts, your greatest protection and unique advantage are worth to a prospective client.

And it's the limitless and unending value that your prospect PERCEIVES availing themselves of your offer is really worth!

**How do you decide what is the perception of PRICELESS in your marketplace.....or inherent in your audience – or your offer, and how do you MINE that......market it, and then ILLUSTRATE it to boot?**

**Let's do a Very Simple Exercise to illuminate the PERCEPTION of Pricelessness:**

Write down the top 3 or 5 or 7 life changing, amazing transformations that will actualize in your clients life, once your highest and best promised results are achieved.

BUT....Be liberal, be engaged and be GENEROUS with yourself.

Imagine YOURSELF at YOUR best. Doing what you love most. On your very best day.....when you are in a zone and everything falls....and feels just right.

And then.....

Translate your BEST service on your very best day into benefits that have enormous value to your prospect. Write them down. Touch them – describe them and feel their power.

BUT don't stop there.......

LAYER them.

Give them detail and dimension.

Give each benefit depth and meaning.

KEEP building this out until the benefit of the benefit.....OF the benefit is truly beyond the pale of price.

And Don't stop writing. KEEP going until it starts to get silly...or sappy.....or sounds SO over the top, or stops being believable, or relevant. (EVENTUALLY IT WILL)

If you've done this exercise properly.....what you have when you're done is a pretty PRETTY picture.

And that picture of your highest and best – actualized and implemented in the life of your perfect prospect – is the power of priceless.

Ready to look a bit closer?

Want to know the BIGGEST mistake I see most coaches, consultants and service providers make?

In my humble experience....LIFE coaches who sell their services for example, many of whom are on my list, BADLY miss the mark when it comes to adding dimension – vibrancy – and ultimately VALUE to the service they sell.

People don't buy life coaching to have more free time...even though they may feel like they do.

They buy coaching to have the free time to travel the globe, to explore, to grow, to see sights you've only seen in magazines, to spend quality time with their children and grandchildren, to be happy, fun and free..... and to embrace life like only a lucky few ever will.

You have to sell the ULTIMATE benefit – the one that we each feel at our core...to be priceless.

Do you think the difference between a 100,000 a year life coach....and a 97 dollar a month mentor is 1000% BETTER results?

Of course it's not.

**That's SILLY.......and really not even REALISTIC. At some point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in....and probably A LOT lower down on the totem pole of ROI than 1000 fold.**

**The power of priceless is about posture.**

It's positioning.

And psychology....and YOUR ability to ignite the imagination of your prospect with the full kaleidoscopic effect of your offer in action.

Because HERE is the Truth.....

Any coach, consultant, or expert advisor who is truly PASSIONATE about what they do, has a strong sense of PURPOSE and meaning about what they offer and is worth being PRICELESS to their prospect, genuinely wants to RADICALLY change peoples' lives.

You really have to love people to be priceless....and truly believe in making your message...and your mantra meaningful.

An easy example I see all the time?

An average raw food coach may THINK they are selling a healthier lifestyle, or lower body fat or clearer skin and more energy....and they'll sell some of that for sure.

They'll put out an ebook, or a blog, or a low priced series of audios, and eek out a modest living doing something they truly love and settle for a smaller life and only a SLIVER of the impact, contribution and service that they are capable of.

But the PRICELESS raw food coach sells a radical re-invention. A re-birth. A renewal.

In your body, your mind and your spirit.

She sells me A world that wakes up looking wonderfully different once she's in it because I've INVITED her in.

And the truth is....the 2 types of coaches?

They are often selling the same stuff..:-)

They share the same **passion.**

They feel the same purpose.

YET one moves mountains, and makes an enduring and meaningful difference in the lives of many......while the other builds sand castles in the summer sand that ebb away when the tide comes in....and need to be built anew after each season disappears with the setting sun.

Which one are you?

I say....you CAN be the one you choose, and you can start right now.

Simply get hyper clear about what you truly believe you can do for people.

And Stop settling.

You may have to take a SMALL step backward and re-craft, re-calibrate and re-frame your offer, but it will be well worth it, I promise.

Strive at being the absolute BEST at what your craft......and in the meantime, simply CARE more about your client until you are.

(because that alone is worth it's weight in gold)

And then Future Pace your PERFECT prospect to the point in their lives where your greatest benefits are beginning to bear fruit in their lives.

Picture their smiling faces.

Picture their supreme satisfaction – their elation, enthusiasm and good fortune to have found you.

And work BACKWARDS from that point to **position your PRICE to be representative of who you are** now.

Not only will you MAKE much more money......you will naturally have greater impact on the lives of those you touch. (people who PAY more for a priceless change are FAR more likely to act on, and be engaged in making the EFFORT to implement your expertise and authentic advice)

And of course....ultimately you will constantly be challenging yourself to improve to meet the expectations you've set – which means that by positioning and PRICING yourself as the best, you'll ultimately continue to strive and rise and improvise and IMPROVE who you are and what you do...until you are.

3 Critical Components to Priceless Positioning:

Belief:

You have to feel it in your bones.

You have to KNOW that what you have is worth what you're asking for it.

You have to feel it's what you're here to do. If you don't believe you can deliver that which you promise.....you've got to double back, double dip and dive back in until you can! (important!)

To offer services that truly have a value **beyond the pale of price,** you've got to be willing to BELIEVE you are the very BEST, otherwise you'll never convince anyone else you're worth being paid like it.

Imagination:

You have to be able to inspire, illuminate and ENGAGE the imagination of your audience.

If they can't imagine a better, brighter and more beautiful world with you in it, you'll never have an offer much better than mediocre.

Empathy:

If you can't authentically empathize with your audience, you are in the wrong niche. (and business)

Empathizing with others is the one thing you can do BETTER than anyone else....it requires no training, no special skill, and as a coach, consultant or expert advisor, i know of NO other attribute that will get your FARTHER, faster than this. (and it feels pretty good, too)

A Quick Footnote On Empathy and creating KILLER content that converts like CRAZY

In my view, it's the MOST overlooked aspect of creating compelling copy...and the #1 thing MOST people miss, when building relationships with their list

When I was 20 or 21 and in college, I screwed my credit up really badly. I constantly bought stuff I couldn't afford....and figured as long as I charged them, I was smart....and I could figure it all out later. (not so smart)

Suffice it to say, my credit was so bad....I couldn't even open a bank account.

And when I got a really good freelance marketing job a year or two later...and a 5,000 retainer to start working.

I literally couldn't open a bank account at the time to deposit the check. (not great)

I eventually had to sign the check over to my girlfriend, and we went to HER bank to open a mutual bank account to deposit it.

I remember the kid at the bank looking at me funny while we sat as his desk and he ran our information...and suddenly, without warning......he gave me a stern lecture about credit....and responsibility and being smart....and then, he turned his attention to HER....and whether SHE wanted to risk being responsible if my history were to repeat itself.

And he was my age.

And I felt humiliated.

And I literally shrank in the seat...hoping that no one else around us could hear what he was saying.

And I felt undeserving of the check. Of the job.

And of my girlfriend.

I truly felt like a degenerate disappointment of a human being.

I was ashamed.

Later that day, I beat him to death with a foam FICO wiffle ball bat as he walked to his car and made it look like an accident.

Okay....that part's not really true..:-)

But what DID happen, is when later in life, in the life I NOW know as my own, when I had to write a credit repair sales letter for an affiliate campaign, my copy, i humbly submit – outperformed the actual VENDOR'S by a margin of 2 or 3 or even 4 to 1.

Why?

Empathy.

I understood what it felt like to be ashamed of my credit report.

Of cringing when I heard the insurance agent – or the apartment manager – or the department store clerk say – let me just run a quick credit report and we'll get you signed up.

I also understood – later – what new beginnings felt like – and that redemption – and how a second chance could feel so phenomenally free that NO cost would be too great to bear.

For me.....the feeling was PRICELESS.

Today? Every time I fall - **every time I fail, slip, screw up or strike out,** I look at it as one more opportunity to empathize, to identify and to relate to people just like me who can learn from my mistakes...and somehow, by sharing it all – by connecting, it makes be a better marketer to boot..:-)

And from THAT place, I can literally write copy, and craft offers.....that sell themselves. And if you are a human BEING like me...with failures and frailties and plenty of faux pas to draw on - so too can you..:-) *****

This is called - **Wide Awake** \- and is about the importance, at least in MY life, of creating a manifesto of MEANING for your work. (and what happens when you wake up one day and realize that you've strayed from a path of PASSION and into the blind pursuit of profit as a means to an end.)

It's easy to get sucked in the wrong direction if you aren't paying attention to the big picture - and for me, what always appealed to be about this work was contribution more than cash - passion and purpose over profit - and striving to do really WELL, but while doing good.

I wrote this a few years ago and a point of my life when I needed to be reminded of that - to keep the fog of forgotten focus at bay - and I try to re-read it anew every time I feel those same wobbly wheels starting to follow their own path off the track.

************

**Wide Awake**

"I FIND YOU GUILTY OF THE CRIME OF SLEEPING AT A TIME....WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN WIDE AWAKE"

What are you **MOST passionate about?**

What do you TRULY believe you are here to accomplish?

I can remember the night I really heard the lyric above for the first time. It was about 3am in the morning this past November, and I was listening to a bootleg live performance of the song 'WIDE AWAKE' by the rock band Audioslave.

I was tired...and worn down......burnt out and BORED from working on yet another affiliate marketing campaign that i fundamentally had absolutely NO interest in other than the benjamins.

The payout. The dollars and the dough.

I had heard the song 100 times before....but I had never really heard the words.

_I FIND YOU GUILTY OF THE CRIME....OF SLEEPING AT A TIME, WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN WIDE AWAKE._

In that frozen moment in time, as I looped the track back over and over and over again, it truly felt like those words were being burned into my brain with a sense of universal urgency and awakening I simply couldn't ignore.

I know that some people find it silly....but I TRULY believe that each of us has certain innate gifts. Special qualities. Unique advantages that often go ignored and overlooked until far too late in life.

Whatever those gifts are for you, I genuinely and truly believe you are HERE to share them generously with others.

To serve something greater than yourself. To give back....and lift others up, because really...there is NOTHING that truly feels better than that.

Let me share something that you may find hard to believe.

When I write these blog posts....or emails – i picture you in my minds eye.

I picture your struggles – your obstacles – your frustrations, and your failures.

I imagine your ambition. And your effort.

Your desire to succeed....and often, the desperation that lies a slender shred underneath it all.

I don't know what you look like, but i imagine you – and i start from that place.

If you've followed the advice in this blog for any length of time you probably already know a few simple truths:

I like to be a smart ass.

I enjoy pushing people's buttons...and aggravating the envelope a bit, to boot.

I like firing up your imagination...and trying to keep you on your toes....with my prose..;-)

But the truth is, where it really matters, where it counts most – I really only want to inspire you to succeed.

Because for most of you reading this right now, I'll never know you any better than this.

This moment – right here.

In this little space where we connect, you may not believe it – but i only want to see you succeed.

And SUCCESS doesn't mean making lots of money...even though there is nothing wrong with that as a goal.

To me – it's about contribution. And taking a stand. And being sure. And believing in something so strongly....that you want to shout it, and share with the world.

And ultimately, leaving an imprint that reminds the universe that you were here, and cared enough to contribute.

Honestly?

I've always been a searcher.

I still don't know what I believe about god, religion, philosophy or otherwise.

I'M a very hopeful agnostic.

A seeker, a stumbler, a fumbler and ultimately, an optimist.

So while I wonder if there is truly a grand plan for my life....I do know what makes me happiest.

It's not money. It's not sex, drugs or rock and roll, although I tried pretty hard to see if it was.

It's not even the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies world series win, although that's pretty damn close.

It's connection. And contribution. and the idea that I can in some way touch YOUR life and inspire you to touch the lives of others.

Because I know that is worthwhile.

And it feels good.

And you don't need to really believe in anything else at all to know that it's right.

And to believe, that with some sort of quantum soup, serendipitous touchy feely fun, I have touched those who you will touch as well.

And that's about the most valuable "viral" marketing I'll ever do.

What am I telling you all of this for?

I have spent much of my professional career, asleep.

I AM guilty of the crime, of a sleeping at a time, when i should have been wide awake.

For me....in many respects, my affiliate marketing career has been a waste of time.

And of talent.

And most importantly, of what i love to do most...which is this, what you are reading right now.

Only because I've never loved it. It's ALWAYS felt like work. And it always has felt like a means to an end, rather than a labor of love.

Don't sell yourself equally as short.

What you are best at, **what you are MOST passionate about,** what makes you feel MOST alive is a **gift**.

But it's a gift meant to be shared with the world.

And every day that you waste bringing that to bear....is a day you'll never be able to recoup.

I TRULY appreciate you being on my list, and reading my thoughts from time to time.

I hope many of the strategies I've shared have helped you...and i plan on sharing many more.

But You don't need my input or advice to be successful.

You just need to be awake.

There is unequaled POWER in PASSION.

In loving what you do. In feeling inspired, energetic and grateful for the opportunity to get paid for doing what you love.

In finding your purpose and offering that up to the world.....joyfully, in humility and service.

And it can be in anything. Feel it...and live it....and then make it yours. And when you are willing to share it with the world, the profits will follow in waves, I promise.

That's the secret.

**That's what they don't tell you....because so few of them know.**

***** This is called The Paradox of Price.....and the Fallacy of Free. *****

It emanated from an experience I had with trying to sell premium services to a segment of my readership who had grown accustomed to "free".

And that as soon as I needed to take care of my own needs......and tend to the "business" part of running a blog or a small brand, many of my subscribers surprised me in ways I didn't expect.

It was specifically written for coaches, consultants, teachers, trainers, or people of PASSION who struggle to step up and stand out in the sea of sameness where everyone else tends to swim.

(but applies equally as well to all of us who struggle to get noticed in our niche, build trust, camaraderie and loyalty, while earning an income at the very same time)

To illustrate this a bit - I used a few examples from my own coaching business - and blog - where after long stretches to time of NOT charging anything or selling anything or asking for anything in return for what I thought was pretty generous help - people "turned" on me when I announced an upcoming premium project - or private membership site - or higher dollar offer that was out of the reach of most of my readership.

Healthy relationships are about mutual respect - and reciprocity - and a sense of equitable fairness for all. Unfortunately, for many in the coaching space.......learning to love ourselves, when it comes to asking to be paid what we're worth \- is the hardest lesson, and the last we learn.

If you have ever found yourself in that space \- I hope this post challenges you to look at what you offer a wee bit differently and hopefully raise your game - and the rewards you reap - as a result.

I hope you find it helpful.

The Paradox of Price.....and the Fallacy of Free

In this short post......, I'm going to dispel one of the MAJOR marketing myths that keeps MANY people in the perpetual poorhouse...and in MY view, one of the chief obstacles that keeps many people NOT BELIEVING they can truly succeed marketing themselves ONLINE.....or off.

The idea that you've got to have LOTS of free stuff to give away......to make money.

Or to attract attention, build rapport or offer genuine value you've got to trip all over yourself to be cheaper, more accessible and **offer MORE stuff for LESS money than your nearest niche neighbor.**

Or – that selling LOW priced products is a good way of getting people into your "funnel"...and by simply pricing your stuff LOW enough.......you are opening up a universe of potential buyers that would NOT be available to you if you charge what you really BELIEVE you are worth.

That the law of large numbers is the KEY to success....and that a large list ONLY emanates from the philosophy of FREE.

LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION..........

What's the difference between a $100 an hour lawyer....and a $400 dollar an hour lawyer?

I guess it depends on who you ask........and SOME would take exception to this, but I'm going to tell you what it's NOT, right now:

It's NOT a 400% better understanding of the law.

It's NOT a 4X better Grade Point Average in Law School.....or a 400% better Bar Exam to Boot.

It's not a 400% better closing argument, either. (because $400 an hour lawyers TEND to Settle..:-)

Or a 400% better looking receptionist. Or Hugo Boss suit.

It's CONFIDENCE.

And courage. **And the HONEST hubris that says I'm worth more.**

And MOST importantly MARKETING mojo.

And PROPER positioning.

And a CRYSTAL clear picture of who his (or her) prospects are.......with a price point (and bank account) to match.

Let me give you an example......about the FALLACY of free (and the paradox of price)

A while back I ran a very special promotion on my blog.....where, on my "THANK YOU" page after signing up, I had a "free" coaching offer.

What WAS It?

If you signed up for Lunarpages hosting, using the link provided... **..I was offering a free assessment or critique,** via email only, of anything you would want me to assess, or evaluate, or look at – landing pages, blog strategy......the time was yours.

Many of you reading this right now probably remember it....as I don't offer that sort of stuff too often.

Why did I do it?

Honestly?

I can churn those sorts of written "content consultations" out very quickly.......and the hosting offer was a really good deal for my subscribers....AND, the affiliate company was paying me an exceptional rate, through CJ – DOUBLE in commission, what the cost was to YOU for signing up.

(the hosting might have been 60 for the year or something....and my commission, if I remember correctly, was 120 or thereabouts)

(NOTE – clearly they KNEW most people would "re-up" after the year was up...and because they understood the lifetime VALUE of every new client, they could afford to pay such generous commissions to affiliates like me on the front side of the transaction)

Well......guess what?

I ASSUMED (which we all know is a dangerous dance) that I would be FLOODED with emails.

After all......for a 60 dollar investment in HOSTING, you would be getting, from my vantage point, an elite level overview of your strategy, your system, your blog, your copy, or whatever it was that people were going to ask for.

A WIN/WIN across the board, right?

WRONG!!

Or at least.....it wasn't a win for me..:-)

Why?

Because almost NO ONE signed up!

Yes, I got a few right away from my regular readers........but after those folks, who obviously had a bit better of a handle on the kind of value I "may" be able to provide.......NEW subscribers, in seeing that offer on the THANKYOU page, pretty much ignored it completely.

Want to know the FUGLY Truth?

After the initial "rush" from my regular readers...I went like a WEEK....without a sign up.

So one day.....I decided to make a little change.....JUST for fun and giggles.

I changed the Thank You page to my ordinary coaching and copywriting rates -which were posted at $1500 per day for a full day copy critique.....and what I called, at the time, a "maniac marketing makeover". (super duper cheesy, but 100% true :-)

I had a whole sales page up for that...with all sorts of flattering testimonials, comments made by other people, other bloggers, marketers, copywriters........even older offline clients whose copy I had written in what seemed like a previous life....all endeavoring to evangelize our marketing mojo to mythical, magical and ultimately exaggerated and embellished proportions..:-)

(but hey....who was I to argue..;-)

So immediately....after opt in in......THAT was the page that people started to see instead.

Want to know what happened.

No one bought.

At all.

Not a new shiny dime went through my poor Paypal pay me now button made ESPECIALLY for this premium priced offer...........BUT, this time I wasn't' expecting them to.

Because they had JUST opted in....and didn't know me from Adam.

But you want to know what DID happen IMMEDIATELY?

The page "stickiness" tripled.

People started READING the page....and reading the copy....and hanging around for a long while to see what could possibly be worth $1500 per day on this very strange dude's site they had never heard of before......BUT with the somewhat eccentric, odd and unusual approach to self aggrandizement and writing online copy.

So that was a GOOD thing, right.....curiosity may have killed the cat, but in my experience, it's also the very FIRST step in getting ready to count your cash as well.

Then........within 24 hours, (sometimes sooner) I would send THOSE people to the very same lunarpages hosting offer everyone else opting in ignored.

Want to know what happened?

I think you can probably guess.

The sign up percentage went THROUGH the roof.

Nothing else had changed.

But CONTRAST kicked in. And the appearance of incredible value. And scarcity. **And the IMPULSE to seize opportunity.**

And all of a sudden....without any real extra information, just positioned a bit differently because I said I'm WORTH $1500 A DAY....and you can get me for signing up for a $60 dollar service you MAY just need anyway.....that was the match that stoked the ferocious fire of I've gotta to have you.....NOW.

From ZERO to hero without changing ANYTHING at all......other than a simple shift in show and tell.

Very similar to buying my first pair of black roller skating skates in 8th grade specifically for couples skate with Penny Kramer, the girl of my dreams at the age of 13.

(NOTE: I ended up turning away MOST people who inquired from this point forward....and as many of you probably saw – X'd out the entire offer – simply because it would have taken up too much time)

Interestingly, by the way.........later in life, I turned Penny down too.

But that's another story for another time.

So back to the copy.........what did I learn?

What people see FIRST....is often very, very instructive as to what they'll do next.

Positioning is powerful. And you CAN (and should) control your own.

And FREE is often a fallacious strategy for imparting the authentic value of what you had to offer.

My older sister, who before becoming a full time Mom was a pretty successful reality TV producer AND someone who watched WAY too much Oprah...always used to say

" _You give people PERMISSION in how they are going to treat you. "_

And it's true.

In real life, we train people – through how we see OURSELVES......in how they will invariably see us, and then act accordingly.

Its' the very same thing here.

We DICTATE to other people what we're worth.

Rarely do they need to decide on their own.

You can control it – you can own it – and if you're SMARTER than me, you'll make it count for FAR more than your competition who is begging for bucks and slowly starving his (or her) offers dry out of fear of looking foolish.

Or too confident.

Or too expensive.

All unfounded fears that WILL leave you underpaid and making yourself SMALLER than you were intended to become.

Not convinced?

Let me give a more recent example.....

I sent out a broadcast last month, in late April........that said, mas o menos, I'm going to be releasing some PAID IM related products – courses, ebooks, et al, in the near future.

Many of you may recall reading it, as I asked those who were interested to join a secondary, "sub-list" if you wanted to learn more.

I had a NUMBER of unsubscribes after this....which I expected....and attributed more to the fact that I hadn't mailed portions of this list in a while, and they weren't the people who were regular readers, or a good match for my marketing methods, anyway.

But a few that I didn't expect opted out as well....and this stung...and surprised me.

Several people wrote me somewhat "scathing" emails about the fac/t that I would release PREMIUM products, after giving away so much stuff for FREE over the years.

Several of these people were long time commenter's on my blog....and always quick to compliment, praise and celebrate my content.

Some of these people I felt a true "KINSHIP" with....as I recognized their names, and their comments from several years worth of posts.

Yet....... **.at the mention that I would CHARGE for something going forward**.......several of these eggheads decided not only to opt OUT, but to let me know how a fee based offer would denigrate all of the good will I had earned with them thus far.

Guess what?

GOOD RIDDANCE!!

**Because the moment people demand FREE.**.......and expect FREE.... **and will not TOLERATE anything that is NOT FREE**.....is the moment you have a business model that's DOOMED to fail.

(not to mention subscribers, readers and "friends" who have no genuine interest in YOUR well being......but rather, ONLY what you can offer them, instead. You don't need to be Oprah, or my big sis – to realize that AIN'T a healthy, 2 way relationship that you want to nurture)

Which brings us BACK to the PARADOX of price.

People tend to erroneously believe that if you charge more, you'll sell LESS.

It's really not true.

There are an EQUAL number of willing buyers for a $97 dollar product in YOUR niche, as there are for a $27 product.....PERIOD.

But if you position yourself as the purveyor of 27 dollar products......you'll have a hellacious time selling stuff for $97.

The key is, to identify the RIGHT prospects for your price point BEFORE you begin acquiring your names, building your list and creating your product funnel.

Like everything else in life.....you do this by asking the RIGHT questions first.

What is your income goal per month? 3,000? 5,000?

Begin with the end in mind.

How do you REVERSE ENGINEER that number BACK down to a grass roots level of simple sales?

How many 27 dollar ebooks do you have to sell to make $5,000 this month?

A little less than 200, right?

That AIN'T gonna be easy in most markets, especially if you are just getting started.

But how many $97 dollar products do you need to sell to make that same 5 large?

Only about 50, right?

That feels MUCH more manageable....and NOT a whole lot different from an effort, exercise or input standpoint as the $27 dollar product you created initially.

(remember....it doesn't have to be 4 times better, it simply needs to be POSITIONED properly, and geared to a much more specific audience)

BUT WAIT.........If you could be really, REALLY audacious....bold, and brazen about the whole enchilada, how many $197 e-courses would you have to sell to make that very same

$5,000?

Only about 25, right?

That's NOT going to be too tough....especially if you structure your offer in such a way as it emanates SUCH intense value that at a price so low....it feels like a steal.

What if you went off the deep end completely?

What if you went ZANY, zooted, LOL's to the wall crazily over optimistic about yourself and decided to codify your content in such a way...that your basic $27 ebook was re-framed, repositioned and re-created it in such a way that it now is a $497 product you are PROUD to attach your name, your reputation and your livelihood to with GLEE?

How many of THOSE would you need to sell to make that very same 5,000.

Only about 10.

And the ONLY thing that stops you from doing just that is the BELIEF that you can't.

That you don't have the content....or the contribution......or the creativity to make it happen.

I'm telling you that you do.

And that if you have the chutzpah to create a 27 dollar ebook......you ALSO have the cojones to create a 497 power packed product that will sell EQUALLY as well.

(but of course....you need to START by attracting a much different audience...and re framing your "funnel" in such a way as to position yourself as WORTHY that of which you ask..:-)

That's the paradox of price........

You CAN charge more than your competition.....and make MORE money, selling LESS, while contributing FAR more and enjoying yourself in ways you NEVER will while selling yourself SHORT in the shallow end of the pool.

Your homework assignment?

Start asking yourself better questions.

Empowering questions that make you want to come ALIVE and do work that you truly LOVE and wakes up the world along the way.

Am I offering great value?

If not....why not?

Am I charging what I'm TRULY worth?

If not....why not?

Am I changing lives and making people better for having invited me in?

If not.....why not and what can I do to make SURE that I am? (I've often found that the simple proposition of going out on that ledge and ASKING people to pay you what you truly want, deserve and NEED to do what you love for a living FULL TIME.....is often enough, in of itself, to inspire you to make sure that you ARE doing the best work of your life......simply because you know you must measure up to the power of your promise - and the price of admission as well)

Lastly -

Are other people charging...and GETTING far more than I for similar offers?

If so.......why?

What are THEY doing different than I?

Identify the HOLES in your product pricing model...and start with what you believe you are worth.

(this is often the biggest enemy of achievement....and if I can overcome getting picked last in kickball for 2 years running in 3rd and 4th grade to develop a healthy dose of self worth, value and esteem a few decades later,...... .so TOO can you!)

These 3 Words

3 wonderful words.

The simplest marketing "mandate" in the world.

It's an easy sentence to say........And it will imbue your ideas, and your imagination with power and potential and possibility that no ebook, or gimmick, or guru can ever give you.

It has to be real.

And sincere.

And from the heart.

You have to be able to deliver.

And then demand that you do.

But it doesn't have to live on an island of selfless suffering and idealistic altruism.

It can be wrapped and trapped and mixed and matched with your own wants and wishes, your goals and greed.

It can be selfish and strategic and yet be the greatest gift you have to give.

It makes your marketing memorable.

And meaningful.

It can't be a passing concern.

Or an accidental byproduct of doing what you do.

It has to be in your blood.

And in the bones of your business.

3 words.

Make People Better.

Not make people believe you.

Or make them like you.

Or make them listen to you.

Those things come.

And those things go.

Making people better stays.

It sticks.

First with them.

And then with you.

So what do YOU do best?

What makes you come alive?

How can your enthusiasm – your energy and excitement – elevate the ideas and ethos of the community you care about most and make them BETTER?

Better prepared?

Better informed?

Better qualified?

Better able to become fuller, richer, happier, healthier, more POWERFUL, more purposeful and more passionate people?

Everyone reading this has that gift.

You may think you don't......

But you do.

Somewhere and in some way – no matter how hard you've struggled – no matter how often you've fumbled – no matter how many times you've tried and found yourself face down and flattened far from the finish line – in this moment, as you read this......if you look within, there are people waiting for you to arrive.

Make your gifts matter.

And meaningful.

In whatever you do best -

Make people better.

And if you have CONFIDENCE in your ability to contribute......

Be relentless – be persistent and be passionate about pursuing the people who will benefit.......and become better.

And as they do.....

So too will you.

The End :-)

###

**For a whole bunch of free gifts,** visit my blog here:

Thanks for reading -

Ian

