Sunday, October 12, 2008

Survey's the first step to commitment

From time to time I get asked how to use products like magnetic sponsoring or the renegade networker. If you don't know what these are simply put they are little services I use to generate quality leads for my business.

Problem most people have with these types of tools is how to use them.

Here is the simplest way to tell you.

1. Call people who purchase the product
2. Ask if they would like a free 30 minute consultation
3. Have them fill out a survey so we can maximize their consultation

This allows me and my customer to plan a concise discussion which will benefit them more than just a random consultation.

Here is a tutorial video on how to set up a survey using Survey Monkey
Enjoy.



Ken

Friday, October 10, 2008

How to make google video autoplay

This was a burning question I had...And no one seemed to have the answer. Yes, I found various auto play codes that worked with Fire Fox, but IE just refused to play ball.

Finally I found the code that worked.

Here it is

embed id="VideoPlayback" FlashVars="autoPlay=true"
src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=insert doc id here&hl=en&fs=true" style="width:400px;height:326px" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always"
type="application/x-shockwave-flash">

Just copy and past the code above and BE SURE to put your docid with no spaces where it says insert doc id here.

Hope this helps

Ken

Friday, October 3, 2008

Good Bye WinZip

Here’s a cool little tool that will unzip your compressed files easily and free. I wish I found this before I paid for WinZip on my new laptop.

No Fee
No Folders
No Problems

http://7-zip.org

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Secret Science of PPC

Ever wonder what works and what doesn't work with PPC? Guru A says it's all about clicks, Guru B says its about continuity and Guru C says its all in the ad copy. The fact of the matter is it all comes down to testing.

If you are determined to figure out PPC then you need to understand one simple thing. No guru can tell you everything you need to know about your market in a simple book or course. Will they shed light or help your learning curve...ABSOLUTELY. But in the end you have to get out there and see what works.

Here is a simple exercise to identify where you need to invest your time or scrap the concept all together.

Before you launch a huge marketing campaign the absolute first thing you need to know is "Does my page convert?"

The days of tossing a bunch of traffic to a web page with hundreds or thousands of keywords are gone. So if you really want to know if your site is working the way you expect here is what you do.

1. Go to Google's Keyword tool and search your website for keyword recommendations.

2. Identify keywords, preferably long tail keywords, and pick one or two that you believe will be most relevant to prospects (Side note make sure you understand what action you want people to take. Will they subscribe to your list, make a purchase or download free information)

3. From the keyword you selected come up with 5 to 10 keywords that are very similar to the root keyword.

For example if you are selling a wheat grass kit then your keywords might be:

wheat grass kit
wheat grass kits
easy wheat grass kits
easy wheat grass kit

4. Create a campaign wheat grass kits with the ad group wheat grass kits and a daily budget of around $30.

5. Set your campaign to show ads evenly...Don't let Google pick the best ad this is your campaign not theirs.

6. Be sure to set your ads to show accelerated

7. Run your campaign for 3 to 5 days and check your results.

What most people never take the time to learn with PPC is this is the best testing platform available. No matter how great you think your web page is the buying public will tell you faster than your mother or your best friend if you need to go back to the drawing board.

Before you spend a fortune marketing with Pay Per Click do yourself a favor and start small to see if your time and money will pay off promoting your new web site.

If your really serious about learning Pay Per Click then let me give you a tip.

No affiliate link...I wish...
but if your serious this is the best of MANY, MANY books I have read on the topic

http://www.37adwordssecrets.com/

Monday, September 29, 2008

Stumble Upon Update

Just wanted to share a quick link to a cool service I had heard about but never really tapped into.

As much as I hate to admit it from time to time I get a little bogged down with all the internet marketing overload. Write articles, send press releases, blog, PPC, post to forums. What is an internet marketer to do with only 24 hours in a day.

Well if you don't know how to create great content or more importantly how to discover what is actually working in your business then this little video I found on the warriors forum may help.

All the best

Ken
http://ken-abraham.com/

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Coming Soon

It's no joke we will be anouncing a new web site full of content dedicated to the network marketer. From low cost marketing to duplicateble systems we are going to dive into the myths lies and deciet that are pervasive throughout this industry.

Teaser - have you been a part of one of those programs where in your heart you couldn't share it with your friends. Think about this for a minute. I know you've heard of the NFL No Friends Left club. Well have you ever sat back and thought about this for a moment.

Have you ever really been honest with yourself long enough to stop justifing your purchase into a business to ask the simple question. Would I share this with my parents.

Anyway I know you wont like everything I have to say...but that's not the point. My only wish for you is it doesn't take to many hurt people below you before you figure out the truth.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Link Trading

You don't hear much about link trading these days. Some say it helps while others say Google has caught on to the game. Either way if you want to see an effective way to trade links just check out this email I recently received.

It's professional, complementary and a good way to appeal to other marketers that just may be willing to allow you to swap links.

Dear Webmaster,

My name is William Stewart, and I run the web site 1A+ Home Business: Web
Success 4You.biz : Make Money Online:

http://www.websuccess4you.biz/

The other day I wrote you to let you know I'm very interested in
exchanging links. I'm sending this reminder in case you didn't receive my
first letter. I've gone ahead and posted a link to your site, on this
page:

http://www.websuccess4you.biz/LinkMachine/resources/resources_home_business_7.html

As you know, reciprocal linking benefits both of us by raising our search
rankings and generating more traffic to both of our sites. Please post a
link to my site as follows:

Title: 1A+ Home Business: Web Success 4You.biz : Make Money Online
URL: http://www.websuccess4you.biz/
Description: Earn $10K a Month with Your Home Web Business,: 27+ Income
Prgrams, 85+ Traffic Exchanges,Health-Nutrition,Travel,Computer
Security,Webmaster ,Link & Search Directories,: FREE eBooks, training
videos ,Newsletters & Music Downloads linking with high PR ranked web
sites.

Once you've posted the link, let me know the URL of the page that it's on,
by entering it in this form:

http://www.websuccess4you.biz/LinkMachine/resources/link_exchange.php?ua=_ua9&site_index=NzA2MzA3Ng%3D%3D

You can also use that form to make changes to the text of the link to your
site, if you'd like.

Thank you very much,

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Creating Great Copy a Case Study

Let me start with a warning.

If you have read any of my post then no doubt you have discovered I can be a little long winded at times. Especially if I feel the topic deserves a thorough discussion. Well this just may be the longest post of all time.

That’s the bad news. At the same time reading this post only once will be a waste of your time.

Truly what we are going to discuss today is very important for those of you who are trying to understand how to effectively create web pages which convert high traffic. If you are serious about taking you business to the next level go ahead and make a commitment to yourself to study this post very carefully.

If you take the time to do this you will dramatically increase your learning curve and begin to fully comprehend the nature of quality copywriting. And here is a tip if you haven’t figured it out yet the people who are successful online dedicate themselves to studing what others do.

The people who are scammed as you will soon see and the 97%’s you are hearing so much about these days are the ones who refuse to invest in their education. Today and hopefully over the next few days your education will only cost you time, but it will be time well spent if you break this down and really digest everything below

Alright lets get started.

To begin with lets step back and reveal the reasons for writing this post. Plus the reason why I have put so much of my time into this report. Just like everyone else out their running a successful online business I receive emails from legitimate people searching for help.

Today I received an email from someone I have been working with for a week or so now. Below is the email he sent, pay close attention. While you read this examine the words he uses.

  • What do you think his experience has been so far related to internet marketing?
  • What does he fear?
  • What is he hoping to find?

If you pay attention and really study what he says you will know more about my friend than he knows about himself. You will also see why he sent me the link to a website he was destined to find.

Read that last sentence again. It is imperative you understand the intent of this paragraph because people spend 4 years in college for a degree in marketing and still don’t understand the most fundamental element. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.

HI, Ken

As always I'm searching the Web, and here is a site that Jackie Holden

put some time and effort into. For what ever it worth, check it out. it could yield

some very good information. http://www.the-guru-enforcer.com/

note; this is of a different nature! go to (google search) and type in T.J. Rohleder

He is CEO of M.O.R.E. Incorporation, and listed under SCAM and RIPOFF files.

this is quite shocking.

E.R.S Sr

So what do you think? What is it my friend looking for? What do you think he is likely to find on the internet?

If you understand that like attracts like then you also understand people looking for scams will find them. If you understand people looking for scams also want a solution you have a very targeted market. This is also why so many people fail. They refuse to ask the questions and find the answer to “Who is my target audience?”

Now I want you to read the following analysis of the web site my friend asked me to take a look at. Don’t go there now. Lets preview what you are going to see. That way when you get there you will understand how a carefully crafted web site works.

(Note: I do not endorse or dismiss the content or product of this site. The purpose here is to educate you on the fundamentals of copy writing. I don’t know the owner of this site and any complements I give are solely because the author KNOW”S HER AUDIENCE.)

For starters as soon as you get to this site you find a header speaking directly to the audience

“Warning – If you do not read this page you will get scammed!!”

We are off to a good start. Read the email from my friend again if you don’t believe me. Pay attention to the colors here. Every thing is red. Also make a mental note to watch the colors change through out the page.

After the warning and the high call to action the author takes a bold move and puts a capture form right at the very top of the page. Pay attention to the form. There is more effort put into this form than most are willing to put into an entire web page. Note the Microsoft logo on the box. Pay close attention to the words used:

  • Free
  • Limited Time Only
  • Instant Approval
  • Simply
  • Secret Tool

You should also notice this will be removed the next time you come back. Check out the little no spam police man at the bottom.

Here you have a form with no downside, free stuff with the creditability of Microsoft and the danger of losing out if you don’t get this $497 product now. Did you catch that last sentence?

If you have studied anything by Joe Vitale (http://mrfire.com) then you will certainly understand the significance of the price.

Perhaps you are unaware that odd numbers especially ones with 9 and 7 are hypnotic. They have an alluring effect on readers keep this in mind as you read down the page. Numbers add significance to people especially ones that appear random. Even numbers like 2, 4, 6, and 8 do not have the same effect. Why? I don’t know, but study after study shows this is the case.

Moving along you will see a picture of our messenger. Like they say a picture is worth a thousand words and I don’t think I could say anything about this picture you wouldn’t come up with yourself. She defiantly knows her audience, enough said.

Notice also everything is still in red and pay attention to all the NOT’s and Warnings. Remember my friend again and see if she is speaking directly to him when she says “If you ignore my advice you’re a sucker that deserves to be scammed!!!” Pretty harsh, but it gets the point across don’t you think?

By now you will begin to see how important it is to understand who you are speaking too?

Now lets look at the story. Pay close attention to questions she asks and the statements she makes. Any quality copy writer will anticipate the questions, concerns or in this case past failure of their audience. You must demonstrate quickly you have been in their shoes. You know their pain. You are just like them. Basically tell them what they already know or believe to be true. This way you can begin to subtly indicate a solution is coming.

Notice how the ad copy paints a picture of doom “…every time has its opportunities – but every time always comes to an end”. Do you understand what is happening here? Think about this when your reading. Pretend you’re my friend hoping to find something soon. Pretend you’re in his shoes. How would this sentence affect your emotional well being?

This one sentence is very clever and is a subtle foreshadowing of a solution to come. Plus it is building the momentum for action. Just stop for a moment and think about the American culture and the things you have heard growing up.

  • The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Why because the rich have the insider information.

Sentences like this are so powerful because people draw their own conclusions. If you know what people think and understand the psychology behind phrases you can ad hypnotic statements which will lead your reader to conclusions favorable to your desired outcome.

Then when your reader has arrived at these conclusions themselves you can insert her next powerful line “…an individual like you and me really can make a fortune on the internet with very little effort.” Ah that’s what my friend wants to hear. “You and me…” and more important “Very Little Effort”

Enter a heart felt “don’t quit your job” for added credibility throw a few programs under the bus and now the hook is set for the rest of the page.

Continue with a little embarrassing story about yourself and hit them with the “Truth”. At least the truth that the reader already believes to be true.

Notice how several internet programs are discussed and put down.

Why so many? What is the likelihood my friend has bought or is considered buying one of these programs? If he has he probably has the same feelings. If he hasn’t he will be grateful for the heads up.

So why did we take so much time discussing the fundamentals of this web site. Was it to discourage you? Was it to end all hope of ever making money on the internet? Was is so you would decide this stuff is too hard and pack it up and keep your day job?

No to all three. Hopefully, the effort put into creating this post will shed some light on what’s ahead and what is possible. Warning J my opinion is coming.

This report exposes something many people never understand. It truly exposes why so many people fail. The internet has opened up the floodgates for everything and I mean EVERYTHING. Good, Bad, Spiritual and Evil.

But the reason people fail in my opinion is they want something easy. Did you notice all the build up to this one fix all solution? Perhaps you did and your patting yourself on the back about now.

But did you miss the ultimate key the unspoken mystery? Jackie even told you if you were paying attention. This business takes time. So give yourself a break and decide once and for all you will or will not invest in yourself.

I believe you have what it takes to make it. No that’s not smoke being blown up your skirt. Just by making it to the end of this you have shown more will and determination than the 97% we hear so much about these days.


God Bless you and your journey to success.

Ken

Thursday, September 13, 2007

The Dirty Little Keyword Secrets No One Would Reveal, Until Now.

Have you ever wondered how it is that so many people are advertising on the nternet using PPC. Even more if you have ever tried Adwords yourself then no doubt you are well aware that developing a solid keyword rich campaign can be time consuming. Even worse if you don’t put in the time in the beginning you will definitely be billed for the lack of education.

Personally, I make no secret that my passion is direct sales and internet marketing. The problem is it seems to be a very secretive society of individuals scared of sharing with the world their great success secrets. Trust me before the end of this article you will be enlightened beyond the powers of the great gods of PPC, and even Perry Marshall himself.

But first let me share with you what I found out there because I was stubborn and unwilling to look for the real answers. Personally, I am almost ashamed to say, I have paid people to set up ineffective keyword accounts. Sad part is, it was when I was one of the “Newbie Direct Sales Suckers”.

I didn’t know how some of these less regulated communities work. One evening I was excitedly listening to this guy on a conference call talking about how he has 20,000 keywords. Wow, I thought that must be amazing “20 thousand keywords”, I remember thinking. “I have to talk to this guy” and at that moment, as though a gift of all gifts, he accidentally gave out his instant message (IM) id, at least it seemed accidental?

Looking back, he was clever and I was just the fish to bite. Hungry and desperate with little help from anyone else I whipped out an IM to this keyword god, “HELP PLEASE”? Three Hundred Bucks later I had eight Google campaigns joyfully stuffed with 20,000 keywords.

“Here we go I am gonna be rich now”

WRONG, with clicks flying out like a soft pitch to Barry Bond’s, my 20,000 keywords where costing me a fortune. Petrified I shut it down and realized I was going to have to do some research to figure this stuff out.

Now here is the good new, better yet this is the great news. There is a way to cut your learning curve not only in half, but quite literally to the absolute bare bone. Truth be told you can just about steal effective keywords from the best place, your competitors.

You could take the path I did and pay for a bunch of keywords. A better idea would be to just use tools you can easily find with a quick Google search on terms like “find keywords”.

However there is a better way in fact it is the fastest and best way. I couldn’t even believe it was legal, but it is. You can actually use spy programs which will not only tell you what keywords your competitors use, but more importantly the 20,000 keywords they don’t use. These tools will even give you the Ads, bid amounts, bid popularity, other competitors and much much more.

It sounds to good to be true and the reason you don’t hear about this is most marketers are;
  • Failing
  • They only know one way to attract traffic and are scared to give away the farm
  • They don’t know what they are doing
-Or-
  • They have figured it all out and don’t care if you win or not
Because they have already won your success really isn’t a concern.

Nonetheless here is a contradictory fact. When you can drive traffic regularly to your site you will be more than willing to give away every secret you learn. After all when you can spy on your competition and they can spy on you there really is no secret to hide.

To find spy programs just search for phrases like “keyword spy” or “google spy”. You will find plenty.

-----

Step by step where to find spytools and how they work.

Recommended Keyword Spy Tools

http://goodkeywords.com it's free

http://KeywordSpy.com They provide a free trial

http://googspy.com It's Free

http://SpyFu.com Not free, but almost and so easy to use, Brilliant

Watch this video

Monday, August 6, 2007

Do you know how to build a powerful customer base?

Surprisingly there are countless want to be entrepreneurs out there who have no clue what they are doing. Truly amazing is how many people are following the guidance of people who have no clue what they are doing either.

This is the sad reality within the home business industry. Simply put the blind are leading the blind. Spending money and creating massive debt loads with reckless abandon. People are out there passing on the same misinformation they are taught from their upline with no understanding of why or how to make their home business take off. If you are new to the network marketing industry or you have been around a while you need to stay glued to this information. It could very well keep you from going back to that job with your tail between your legs.

First lets start with a few basic concepts and then we will go over some valuable resources to demonstrate how to finally build a thriving business with people flowing to you like a cool spring breeze.

You must understand and dedicate yourself to learn marketing. For the purpose of this brief article here is a sample of a few types of marketing. Active, Passive, and Automated marketing.

Active marketing

This is where most beginners should start. This involves using list builder services, posting to groups and definitely ezines. Simply put you have to take action daily posting ads drawing people to your business.

List builders are typically free or low cost services which help you market your site with low cost income producing products. These services provide a wealth of knowledge on marketing because they are developed by expert marketers. Most of all these services create multiple streams of income which pay for your marketing budget and allow you to cultivate a fan base of loyal customers.

Posting ads to groups and forums requires daily posting. Yes it’s time consuming but if you use a list builder service the training on how to do this effectively is provided. By learning how to post ads that actually work your learning curve will explode.

Then there is Ezine advertising. This alone is my personal favorite way for a beginning marketer to learn this business. By placing a simple ad in an ezine the beginning marketer can advertise to very specialized groups for a very low cost. Two points to consider when posting to an Ezine.

  1. Make sure your costs are effective. As Charlie Page, owner of The Directory of Ezine’s, says “…If your ad costs you more than $4 per 1,000 viewers you should post in a different ezine.”
  2. Make sure your ads are going to an audience which wants your products. You don’t want to publish an ad for “Miracle Potting Soil” in a ezine directed towards auto repair.

Passive Marketing

With passive marketing you have to sit back a think long term. Where do you want to be in six months to a year. Passive marketing will not provide instant gratification, but with persistence the long term effects will pay off. Passive marketing consists of writing articles, creating a blog where you share your beliefs, creating educational videos for others to see, writing reviews on books that provide value for people. The list is endless so get creative.

Here’s a tip. Did you know you can write a review on books at Amazon.com? If you write a quality review of books you have read people will search you out and see what else you have to offer.

Passive marketing will not happen over night, but if you commit yourself to adding content that provides value people will begin to gravitate to you. Try it and see for yourself.

Automated Marketing

Now this is where the experts win and the newbies get CRUSHED. Let me tell you if you are considering advertising using PPC you better get an education first. I promise you will be better served reading a book by Perry Marshall or anything else you can find on the subject before you consider opening an account with Google, Yahoo, MSN, Miva, Mamma or any other PPC provider. We unfortunately don’t have time to cover this topic in detail, but let me tell you this type of marketing is very powerful and very effective. Once you set it up and get it running your marketing will be set and running on auto pilot.

Let me repeat, do yourself a favor and educate yourself on this before you open an account. PPC is powerful but in the hands of an inexperience marketer it will eat your advertising budget alive and your upline won’t be able to save you.

On a final note:

Network Marketing in my personal opinion is where people discover their greatness. It takes a personal commitment to educate yourself and follow the examples of trusted leaders. If you can do this the rewards will pay off long term and your financial security will be a certainty.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Dear Network Marketer

You worry to much. I know you’re out there searching for all the latest things to market, and all the perfect scripts, auto responders and services. The problem is not any of those things. Truthfully the market is so wide open the only thing lacking is your belief in yourself. Do you want to know the real secret of becoming a millionaire? Do you truthfully want the answer?

You have to stop caring so much. I know that sounds odd, but hear me out. You care so much about saying it perfect that you don’t speak. You care so much about sending or writing the perfect ad you don't post one. You care so much about finding the best sponsor for your company that you let immobility stand in your way. Indecision becomes your best friend and your worst enemy all in one. Basically the only obstacle is you. I’ve been there and I know you have heard this before. You really have to look at this from a new perspective. Any perspective will do just find something that is an example for you to latch on to. You’re smart I know you will figure this out with the following examples.

Now ask yourself, “does Donald Trump give a damn about what people think about him?” NO, NO, NO, period. So what if you fail or make a mistake or your neighbors find out your secret desire to be rich. IF you can’t scream it from the roof tops then you are never going to make it. To put it simply if you care what others think it will hold you back and it will reflect in the prospects you are attracting. They will smell your fear and your shame. If you aren’t proud of what you are doing you are in the wrong profession or the wrong company end of story.

It’s time to make a decision for yourself and take responsibility for your own life. You have been playing this game for too long to keep getting the results you are getting. It is time to learn about marketing, there are millions of books on the subject. Maybe it’s time to learn how to prospect, same holds true here. Maybe you just need to get out of your own way for once in your life and give yourself a break. There is that final option, give up.

I hope that doesn’t happen to you, but if you decide to quit do it now and do it quick. Don’t look back or you will die wondering “What if”

I wish you luck and great success. You must come out of the closet and play with the big boys and girls if you really want to have fun in the network marketing and direct sales business. It’s not easy in the beginning, but it becomes effortless and joyous with persistence.

-----------

Want to know where leaders are born?

Request a free CD explaining the 5 steps to Unstoppable Income

No Hype, No Fluff 100% proven strategies


Thursday, June 21, 2007

Meditation...Rhythmic Breathing

Have you been trying to figure out what all this meditation talk is all about. Yeah it's been around forever but it's not as complicated or whimsical as the youth of the 60's would like you to think.

Let me guess you keep hearing people talk about meditation and you are lost, right? Don’t feel bad I know exactly what your feeling. Not only have I been trying to figure out this magical practice and how to do it, but I have literally scoured the internet, libraries and bookstores trying to find someone or something who could explain meditation in simple English.

Maybe I am a little thick headed on this one, but finally I think I have figured out the basics.

Don’t mistake this for an expert dissertation on how to meditate. On the other hand I promise you will not only understand the objective, but also who finally explained it so well that I actually began seeing results.

So in a nutshell there are a variety of types of meditation ranging from Biblical to Zen. We will not go into all of this today, but you can at least search these terms which will open the flood gates for you in your search on this topic.

I know your thinking enough already “How do I meditate?”

OK here is the simple practice without special oils, incense or Gregorian chants playing in the background. None of that just the simple get down and meditate principles. Ready?

  • Put on some comfortable clothes, it doesn’t matter what kind just what you think is comfortable.
  • Find a quiet place you enjoy, notice I said “Quiet” and “YOU enjoy”. There is no right or wrong if you like it then it’s perfect
  • Now sit or lay down comfortably, If your comfortable then don’t worry about the rest. As you learn more and more about meditation you can modify your posture as you please. For now just get “COMFORTABLE”
  • Here is the tough part Relax and Breath. Pay close attention to your breath in the beginning. In and Out, In and Out
  • Words and thoughts will undoubtedly pop into your mind. “What kind of words you ask?” Well those kind of words.

The trick if there is one is to realize how undisciplined your mind is. You will see how unruly your thoughts are and how you have very little control of them. It is typical to begin meditation and really focus on your breathing simply thinking “In and Out” while you breathe. The amusing thing is in just a matter of seconds your mind will be off to the races.

"What am I doing?"

"Am I doing this right?"

"Did I turn off the iron?"

When these thoughts come up realize you have lost focus on your breath and allow your active thinking mind to quiet down for a moment. With practice you may even discipline your mind enough to experience real silence for a flash in time. One trick that really helped me was subtly counting my inhales. Invariably I would get lost in though and have to start counting again.

Don’t worry about doing it right or wrong just observe how little or how much control you have of your active thoughts.

Now you may have asked yourself at some point during this article “Why”. Why would someone meditate or what is the point? Your not alone, personally I couldn’t figure out the big deal for a while at least until someone helped me understand the basics as we have been discussing. What I have discovered is increased productivity on a scale which I couldn’t have imagined before.

How? Well imagine you have a lot of work on any given day as most of us do. You begin working on a project 10 minutes in you get an email which takes you away from your project for a minute.

Then the next thing you know you have taken 4 or 5 calls researched a few things on the Internet and 3 hours have past. You have been busy no doubt about it.

Problem is your project only has 10 minutes work spent on it and the rest of your day has been a whirl wind of unrelated tasks.

This lack of focus was often the pattern of my day.

Will meditation make you perfect, of course not. However from my personal perspective I get better at staying focused on the task at hand because I have come to recognize much quicker when I am controlling or monitoring my thoughts vs. my thoughts controlling or running me.

The payoff? Well, about a 50% increase in productivity, not bad if you ask me.

To discover this topic in the greatest detail my personal recommendation is anything by Dr. Deepak Chopra. The man is a genius and if you really want to master your life then you could do far worse and waste a lot of time searching other sources.

To Your Success

Ken

P.S. A great Free Recource on meditative breathing can be found here

Saturday, April 14, 2007

The best $50 investment you could ever make

Let’s assume you have been looking for a way to make money to achieve success. You have been searching for someone or something that would make an impact on your life so dramatic that if you used the techniques your life would immediately change course and set you in the direction of the success you have always known you deserve. Lets also assume you are open to follow specific directions if you were given specific detail how to effectively take the actions that millionaires take to achieve the level of success you so desperately are searching for. Because this is what you are looking for, the next few paragraphs will most certainly change you life for the better. In fact the next 60 days of your life are about to change the landscape of your future. The challenge will be to take the actions laid out below.

The title of this article is specific and sincere. After several years searching for success and studying the success patterns of wealthy people there have been a great deal of resources which have fortunately been made available to me. The intent of this article is to share with those seriously wanting to change their financial future in the quickest way possible. The following three recourses if used will give you the specific tools and exercises to immediately set forth the patterns necessary to obtain the life you want.

Before you can obtain any real financial wealth it is imperative that you develop strong understanding of what has been holding you back truthfully it is not your fault that the results you have been so desperately searching for have not come to you. A word of warning, this article is going to change that and change it very quickly. When you purchase and read this book you will begin to unravel the mystery of wealth in ways that you never dreamed possible. No longer will the limiting believes and circumstance of your life hold you back. No longer will other experiences in you past continue to give you justification for failure. No longer will mediocrity be an acceptable pattern to build your life upon. Of all the resources available none will as dramatically increase your understanding of what has been holding you back more than T Harv Eker’s book “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind”. In fact I will personally, buy you a copy and mail it to you. That’s how strongly I believe in this work.

To help root the exercises of this book and cement the understanding of its lessons you must combine this resource with the early works of latest movie “The Secret”. You have probably heard of this movie on Oprah or Larry King. You may have even seen this movie and have begun to seek more understanding of the Laws of Attraction. To fully understand and implement this secret you would be wise to invest in yourself. Of all the information out there on this topic there is none I have found which better explains and encourages you to take action than the The Laws of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks. By reading the Secrets of the Millionaire Mind combined with reinforced learning through listening to this audio series you will quite literally begin to change your life in as little as 60 days. You will begin to see the effects of your life which have been holding you back as well as the actions which you must take to take charge of your life once and for all.

As you begin to develop the new skills of understanding which will most certainly begin to take root with you a necessary step will need to take place. No other reference I have found is more beneficial in motivating you to take the certain action needed to propel you further. Nothing in life can be accomplished without proper motivation. Nothing will stand in your way of success once you begin to recognize the greatest obstacle in your life is the one you are most intimately involved. No resource will give you the passionate kick in the pants you need that the following book by Larry Winget. “Shut up Quit Winning and Get a life”. Yes it’s a harsh title and the truth can sometimes be more painful than the lies we often tell ourselves. But you are reading this for a reason. You want more out of life and you know you deserve nothing less than to reach your greatest potential. This resource will help you build the foundation of action necessary to achieve your life’s greatest desire.

Now you have some decisions to make. Are you truly dedicated to taking control of your life. I caution you that the material you have just been given will be life changing. Are you up to the challenge? Will you forget you read this or will you make the greatest investment in your life today.

Should you be bold enough to purchase these three simple resources are you truly prepared for the consequences which come from leaving mediocrity. If you answer yes and you really want a better life my suggestion is you use and abuse these tools. Don’t simply read the books and passively listen to the audios. Immerse yourself into these products follow the exercises for no less than 60 days. If you do I guarantee your future will change course so dramatically you will reflect on the day you found this article as the one which changed your financial future for ever.


Friday, March 30, 2007

Does this stuff really work? continued

Well hopefully you have pondered the posts from the past few days. If not you can review them below.

So we left off with a hint and a reference to a movie. Well big suspense is better left to masters like Stephen King so I will just go ahead and lay it on you.



Today let's meet Dan Millman. I was first given his book by my mom about 15 years ago. Vaguely I recall reading the book and thinking that it was a nice story. With little thought about the book over the years I am stil intrequed as to why I was digging around my old books a few months ago and found this book. I pulled it out dusted it off and skimmed through a few pages. Then life called and I set the book down.

Funny thing the way life works though is when you have something on the brain it just seems to keep coming back to you in odd ways. Remember I said it was nearly 15 years since I read this book and even after finding this book again it seemed to escape me for a week or two.

Now you know how when you buy a new car it suddenly seems everyone else is driving your car. It's almost as though there was a sale and no one told you. If you do any research on this subject you will find many say this is due to the reticular activator. We won't discuss this today, but it is interesting to note that much like your new car this book began to show up everywhere.

I heard Tony Robbins mention it. I received a call from a friend asking if I knew the movie was coming out, which I didn't even know one was being made. One day visiting a friend I looked at his book shelf and just guess which book jumped off the shelf to catch my eye. Yes, Dan Mailman's "Way of the Peaceful Warrior".

Funny thing looking back is we are beginning to hear so much about the laws of attraction it seems a bit funny how this book suddenly came back into my life. The best reason I can think of for reading this book agian is this. It's pure, no nonsense and will make an impact on anyone who reads it.

Now we got of track and didn't really discuss this book, but whether you know it or not we skirted around it's essence. Do yourself a favor and introduce yourself to Dan Mailman's work. I promise his audios and books reveal more about the art of life, meditation, and companionship than most have pondered.

Here is a preview of one of the most respected educators in the business of personal development. Enjoy

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Does this stuff really work, Continued

Recently we discussed my opinions on self help products and services. Since writing that entry my mind has been racing. It occurs to me that this topic is bigger than can be expressed with a few words in a blog or the few moments it will take you to read this entry. However, it has also inspired me to share over the next few days a couple insights I would like to share as well as quality resources to pursue. I will allude to my definition of "quality" in a moment.

Have you ever noticed these days that virtually any self help publication or product leaves you feeling incomplete, or that you need more of the "___________". You may or may not be aware that this is a clever and well devised marketing strategy used by many of the most effective marketers out there. Personally I like these publications for odd reasons, but quite honestly they fascinate me with how effectivly they draw people in.

You see I am no different than many and have purchased stuff before because the marketing was so compelling. I just knew that this product would help me lose weight. My Bowflex is a testament to the brilliance of marketing and after two years sitting nearly idle I finally began taking action to use it, but that was 25 pounds ago a LOT of walking and a story for another day.

The point we are getting to is two fold. One, I really am fascinated by the art of marketing and how the human mind works, which is why so many of the books, courses and seminars that appeal to me are centered around how we work. The second point here is simply that nothing frustrates me more than to succumb to marketing only to find out I have purchased a great marketing piece with little substance. Even worse one that gives only enough information to convince you of the producers ability to teach you what you want just by coming to the exclusive and much more expensive seminar or "ULTRA EXCLUSIVE SECRET ADMISSOIN ONLY BEHIND THE SCENE yada yada yada" you get the point.

Personally this type of marketing obviously works but most often leaves the purchaser feeling duped or conned. You see when someone doesn't deliver what I believe I am paying for the first time, what is there to prevent them from falling short when I get to the big seminar. Doesn't it only make sense that the big seminar will be just another propaganda explosion to get you to spend more on the even BIGGER BOOTCAMP where all the exclusive SECRETS will be exposed.

So with that said I will be sharing with you a few key pieces of work which I have found very effective in opening your eyes to what is truly available out there. No, it wont cost you any money and I will not use affiliate links to get you there. Infact most of what I will share will be challenging to find. You see I will be sharing development products before they relized you could make more money by "Always leave them wanting MORE".

Yes this is going to be hipocritical, but you get what you pay for and Yes you will have to come back tomorrow to see the first installment, but here is a hint. Nick is a key character of his latest movie.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Do you really believe this stuff works?

This is a question I was asked by a close fried of mine recently. We were discussing a few books I had read and the insights received from them. When out of the blue we switched to a discussion of does this stuff really work. In a moment a flood of thoughts emotions and questions ran through the morass of my mind. At the same time I began to recognize the symptoms of self doubt, anxiety and confusion just before going into a defensive posture. It was in this realization that my answer came to me.

In that brief flash of time I went from a friendly conversation to self doubt, does this stuff really work, to an answer that surprised even me as the response rolled off my tongue.

No I don't think this stuff really works. Just look around at all the self help books, courses and movies out there and people still ask questions like does this stuff work. I even recommend and have laid many of the books I have read and feel to have been beneficial in my life on my my blog, but the answer is still the same. No this stuff doesn't work or everyone who ever picked up a book would be "cured".

The problem is people often take a seminar, read a book or listen to a new audio and HOPE this is going to be the one to fix everything. Everyone is so excited about this one. Even the latest sensation "The Secret" has millions of people clamoring to see what its all about. Some want to debunk the message while others watch hoping this will be the one that answers all the questions of why they don't enjoy their current situation.

What people tend to forget is we have free will and have the ability to chose what ever we want. This is the beauty of being human and the curse at the same time. When you use one of these personal development tools my suggestion is you use it as a tool and go in asking yourself "what will I learn from this experience". My personal experience has been much more beneficial when approaching development as one of my personal responsibly vs looking for how "IT" will work. Ultimately I believe a few things need to take place to gain the most value from personal development materials.

1. Repetition
2. Variety - libraries are packed full of books, movies and audios. Check them all out and find a few authors that have a stile you connect with
3. multiple formats - books, audio books, ebooks, seminars, online courses
4. discard what doesn't FEEL right, accept what does
5. relax and know you are always in control of your beliefs, good, bad or indifferent.

The point that is trying to be expressed here is yes personal development products are great, insightful and provide millions of people tools for taking control of their life. What people often forget in life is you get out what you put in. Ultimately the question of "Does this stuff work" falls in the hands of the user.

If you look for why something will fail you will find failure. If you look for why something will succeed you will find success. With a news media geared towards sensationalizing misery, doom and gloom, and the horrors of life its easy to see why we are programed to look for the why not's vs the why not (think about that one a moment).

Churchill said "Never give up, Never give up, Never give UP" and I would agree.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Lessons from Dad

If you know me then you also know how highly I think of my father. At our earliest of ages he instilled some of the core beliefs I hold dear especially now that I have three beautiful children of my own. One of these qualities, which was such a struggle for me, was absolute honesty. You have no idea how many times we heard that one lie breeds a thousand and life has enough going on without wasting time trying keep track of all your lies. I found out from experience and through his lessons that life is easier and requires much less work to simply tell the truth. Have I lied in life absolutely, with cost outweighing the benefit every time.

Problem is we are trained that subtle mis truths are necessary for success. "Sure I got that report done" "I was stuck in traffic" "It's easy, anyone can do it". You even see it on TV and Internet "...he made $97,000 his first month in this business" but he was in anther businesses just like it for 3 years learning his craft before that 97k. New investor has $1,000,000 net worth using this no risk system, Yeah his net worth is paper showing the bank as the true owner. Don't get me wrong I know there are plenty of ways to make money. The problem I have is when so many of these advertisers seek out the lottery ticket hopefuls of the world.

If the guru's marketed their products to people who really what a change and prepared them for the challenges ahead. If they did this I am absolutely convinced more people would see true results in their lives. Companies that sell wealth creation products seldom set the buyer up for real success and only peddle hope.

People understandably what to get rich quick and are never really taught the fundamentals of obtaining wealth. Stay with me now and trust me I know, this is beginning to sound like bad news. I remember sitting in seminars and hearing the speaker say "...this is a get rich SLLOOWWW game". I'm telling you a bullet would have been less painful upon hearing these words. DIEING inside every nerve and impulse screaming NO! that guy on TV said I would get rich quick. PLEASE GOD isn't there any way to make money quicker than a paycheck. Can't you see I am a good person I work hard I have dreams and children and a wife to take care of. I don't have time to get rich slow. I need money now.

You see I was like so many others out there who know there is a better way and would do what ever it took as long as I felt I could win. Embarrassed to say I have been up late at night finding myself captivated by the sales techniques of the real estate guru's. The what they tell and sell is exactly what you get, but they as Paul Harvey would say "Now the rest of the story". They don't tell you that you are going to have to learn to get out of your comfort zone. You have to commit to learning new skills that entrepreneurs have. You will have to spend money. Yes you can buy a house with nothing down, but you have to find the house correctly.

My point here is no business endeavor I have found is free. Some cost less than others, but ultimately building a business cost's money. Ideally you will make enough so you can spend more which ultimately will pay you back with increased time and money, this is a fundamental element of leverage.

The truth shall set you free

Which brings me to his second great life lesson. Dad would always tell me, "Kenny the key to making money is to do what you love". WHAT? that's your great advice. I don't have a clue what I love or really even like for that matter... It took me years to figure this out and exasperated me to no end. "Do what you love, what is he talking about?" I don't love to work, I don't love to sell, I don't love being away from my family.

You see what I did know was what I didn't love and underneath it all my secret love was something I was unwilling to be honest with myself about for so many years. Even in my earliest of years I have always enjoyed selfless generosity. Sounds funny, but its true. I have always loved to help people grow and become better people by knowing me. Don't get me wrong I am far from perfect and if you worked with me in any of my eight years in Corporate America you would probably stand a few feet away, while watching for lightning upon reading this.

Fact is though my greatest love in life is showing people what has helped me and allowing them to share what has helped them in life. These articles are ultimately written because I have occasional impulses to share my life. My hope is that you will take a nugget here and there which ultimately leads you to your dreams.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Believe

As a kid I always wanted to believe that there was a better way of life and that anything was possible. The problem was that other people always tell you its hard or its not easy or yeah it would be great only if. And even though these statements aren’t outright negative comments, they diminish the dream life can be if you will let them.

Belief is something I can see and visualize how great it would be if I could just let myself go and have complete total faith in myself and god. Wouldn’t it be great if I could just relax into a state of confidence and move forward. Success helps to reinforce belief, but it is funny how many people even ones open to the discussion of developing faith and belief in themselves will allow negative or “Show me the money” skepticism to invade their psychology.

During these moments, when I have found myself in great struggle and internal conflict. It is during these times that it becomes imperative you push forward. Giving up and just staying in that job you hate will only temporarily make it go away or numb you to the dream that life is meant to be.

If you have a deep belief in yourself and get determined to push through you will develop and grow through the pain. Just like exercise we get stronger with practices and continuous effort. No, losing weight isn’t easy and requires real work. The same is true with faith and belief we must work at it especially in times when if feels so much like quitting or changing course is what makes the most sense. In these moments I have found that it helps to have one or all of the following tools available;
  • Exercise
  • Affirmations
  • Mentors
  • Clear vision of your goals
  • Breathing and Meditation skills
  • Perseverance

And if all else fails relax and step away for an hour or the rest of the day. Read a book or take a walk recharge yourself and examine your goals.

Then Get Back to Work. Nothing beats ACTION when building a belief system in yourself.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Are you a Shortcut King

It’s ok if you are because it’s just a path some of us take. A few of us have evolved to the point that we can look to those which have succeeded and trust that if we simply duplicate what they did we will succeed as well. These people are the ones that if you give them direction to a destination they will simply follow directions and arrive at the restaurant or city on time and with little effort, provided of course that the directions where good.

The Shortcut KING on the other hand is typically that individual who looks at the directions and can see that “Yes this does appear to be a feasible course to take”, HOWEVER (with a touch of haughtiness in their voice) if you turned here it might shave a little off the trip.

Sometimes the Shortcut King is the hero and indeed does improve or reduce the effort required to get to the destination and sometimes there are roadblocks which were unintended and set the trip back significantly.

Either way the Shortcut King will reach their destination, sometimes the victor and sometimes licking a few wounds. The points to walk away with are;

  • You can follow those before you to reach the destination and look back on the journey to see if it could be refined or improved.
  • You can follow the directions of those before you and be grateful the trip was so pleasant.
  • Finally, you can be the Shortcut King and do it your own way.

As long as you CONTINUE toward the destination it really doesn’t matter how you get there

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Money or Service?

Let's keep it short a sweet today.

Here is a question to ponder. Which would make you feel better making $5,000 per week, or teaching someone else to make $5,000 per week?

Which would you feel more proud of? Telling others you earn $5,000 per week or telling people I teach people to make $5,000 per week?

The answer to these questions may be very telling of the results you are getting out of life. If you have ever read any books on success then you will have surely come across Zig Ziglar and his one primary philosophy. "You can have what ever you want if you help enough other people get what they what".

That’s it for today. You would be wise to consider the quote above. Ask yourself what could you enjoy doing with your life? How could I use that to help others? What is a service I could give that would provide more to others than I expect to get in return?

Believe it or not, anyone who makes significant money and has a life they are proud of provides a service to others.