Ray Edwards Show

Chris Ducker's book Virtual Freedom is a best seller, he has employed over 450 full-time employees, and he has built multi seven-figure businesses. Chris is frequently featured in INC., Entrepreneur, Success, and Huffington Post.

He's the founder of youpreneur.com (a term he coined in 2014). Youpreneur.com is an entrepreneurial mastermind community that helps experts become the go-to leader in their market.

"Whether there's a transaction involved immediately, or whether it's further down the line, they're doing business with me because of the relationship they have with me first."

By serving youpreneurs, Chris transcends the old rules of business and helps people build a sustainable business based on their experience, interests, wisdom, personality, and personal brand.

Today Chris shares his insights on personal branding and we discuss his recently released book, The Rise of the Youpreneur.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

My tip of the week is simply, buy Chris Ducker's book The Rise of the Youpreneur.  Along with his book he has included hundreds of dollars of bonus material that you'll want to check out. 

Michael Hyatt said, "I've done pretty well as a personal brand. If I'd had this book I could have done it twice as fast." Check it out at a bookstore near you.

Today's spiritual foundation is based on Proverbs 11:26 from the ancient book of wisdom. "The people will curse him who withholds grain during a famine, but blessings will be on the head of him who sells it."  So, I encourage you to think about that. God blesses the man for selling grain during a famine.

• In reality, as soon as you start coasting, you start dying – Why it's critical to face the fact you're either growing or you're dying. (1:12)
• Want to be the definitive guide in your industry? – How to shorten your path to success by reading The Rise of the Youpreneur. (5:39)
• "People do business with me personally way before they do business with any of my companies or businesses." Chris Ducker (6:00)
• Burnout – How it led me to recreate my business with virtual employees and write the book Virtual Freedom. (7:02)
• People do business with me because of the relationship they have with me first –  How to build, market, and monetize your personal brand. (7:38)
• Regardless of your niche, there is enough noise out there – What the world needs is YOU, they need someone like you to show them the way. (8:38)
• Your goal as a personal brand – Why becoming someone's favorite is crucial to your success in a personal branding business. (9:22)
• There are people who will only respond to your voice on this subject – Why realizing you've been called to serve will help you build a future-proof business. (9:58)
• When you build the business of YOU there are no real competitors, regardless of the industry or market – How being YOU is the unique factor for your profits and success. (10:31)
• How you are 100% in control of your future – Overcoming being tied to or enslaved by your personal brand business. (11:12)
• Build a business based on you – How to create a business that's not reliant only on you. (11:20)
• Michael Hyatt is the personal brand entrepreneur personified – Why creating a legacy that will live on past your time on earth is possible as a personal brand. (12:02)
• The most unexpected, amazing Zig Ziglar impersonation – Why I still consume some Zig every month. (12:50)
• Build a business based on you, your messaging, your philosophy, the impact you want to make on the world and the people you want to serve. (14:00)
• How to create a smart personal brand without it being totally build on you. (14:15)
• Why listening to the feedback from your audience and community is key – How filling the gaps helps you serve your community. (14:47)
• Why I saw the need to create The Youpreneur Roadmap – How to build, market and monetize a personal brand. (15:15)
• The genius of giving your community what they need rather than what you want to give them – How to serve by "on-ramping" your customer wherever he may be at the time. (18:00)
• How to help your person-to-person businesses thrive – Why sharing behind the scenes with Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter (any social media) helps you connect with your community. (19:00)
• The Personal Brand Building Manual – How to use this resource to rise up and embrace your calling. (19:41)
• Why you help people – When you know you've been put on this earth to create this message you realize it's your calling and it's your duty.  (20:19)
• The Youpreneur Summit – How Chris Ducker discovered his life's work and created a movement that's calling people to rise up and serve. (20:30)
• "All the world's a stage" – How to position yourself as an expert through coaching, speaking, being a podcast guest, and being featured in the press. (22:10)
• No one can tell your story and get your point across the way you do. (23:10)
• How you're spearheading a movement when you take the gifts you've been given, and you share them – How to serve others with your expertise, wisdom, and experience.  (23:40)
• "Let me serve you" or "Look at me" – How your motivation impacts your personal brand business (24:00)
• Relationships should be treasured not used – How to avoid the spammy, wrong way of pitching yourself (in essence, how to honor relationships).  (24:40)

The Rise of the Youpreneur by Chris Ducker

Youpreneur.com

Jim Rohn Home » Jim Rohn Blog

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Outsourcing is so hot right now. I blame Tim Ferriss' book, The 4 Hour Workweek and Chris Ducker's book, Virtual Freedom for starting the outsourcing phenomenon. In Tim's book he tells you why you should do it and Chris tells you how to do it. In fact, Chris Ducker has a new book for entrepreneurs entitled, The Rise of the Youpreneur.

This outsourcing topic started during a recent consultation I had with Mike Kim. We discussed the theme of each of my recent years. 2015 was the year my fitness journey began, and I lost 70 lbs. In 2016 I lost an additional 15 lbs.

So, four years after my diagnosis, I realized the one proven weapon I had against Parkinson's disease was exercise and fitness. Drugs and surgery only affect the symptoms of the disease.  Scientific evidence has proven that exercise slows down the progression of Parkinson's disease and may even reverse the damage already done in the brain. I cannot outsource physical exercise. No one can do the pushups or road work for me.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Today's Tip of the Week is a toy, an iPhone app called the 8mm Movie Camera App. It will spice up your videos and make cool movies for Instagram and Facebook. Don't overdo it, but use it when you want to create that special 8mm movie feel.

I've been having lots of conversations lately about grace and Christianity.

No, I'm not talking about the judging and protesting brand of Christianity. I'm talking about the grace-offered-by-Jesus-over-2000-years-ago Christianity.

Grace is "favor you get without earning it." It's possible to earn forgiveness, but it's not possible to earn grace.

When Paul discusses grace in 1 Corinthians 6:12, he states, "All things are lawful for me but not all are helpful."  When this was written, the Corinthian Church had gone wacko. They were engaging in outrageous sin such as the practice of sleeping with their mother in law and having sex with temple prostitutes.

Paul was stating that grace means all things are lawful, but all things are not going to grow you or develop you. Grace is not a license to sin. Although many people believe this concept of grace, they shy away from teaching it out of fear of appearing to give people permission to sin.

Outsource things you're not good at and don't like – Why there's one common denominator running through the one thing we can't outsource. (11:18)

No one can do this for you – Why the power of habits requires self-discipline. (11:28)

We always have time for what we prioritize as important – How we make excuses for not doing the things we don't value. (11:30)

You always have time for what's important – How self-discipline is the key characteristic in each zone of progress. (11:32)

Paul struggled with self-discipline – Why the thing I want to do, I don't do. The thing I hate, I do.  (13:10)

You aren't born with a finite amount of self-discipline – How to increase your capacity for self-discipline with a 3-step plan. (13:43)

We are wired for our survival to avoid pain – Why human nature places chasing after pleasure as secondary. (15:40)

Why we allow momentary, fleeting pleasure to sidetrack our long-term gain – Learn how anyone can increase capacity for self-discipline. (16:19)

How expanding self-discipline is like building a muscle – Why the pain and discomfort of pushing against resistance are part of self-discipline. (18:00)

Practice polarity – How the pain/pleasure paradigm undergirds our motivations and actions. (19:32)

Why it's not enough to know Tony Robbins' pain/pleasure paradigm – Pushing yourself to do something uncomfortable increases your self-discipline muscle. (20:25)

Most people are not happy, yet they're not unhappy enough to do something about it. (20:40)

Living in no-man's land – How no attraction and no repulsion keeps you stuck in the pain zone. (21:02)

Do your actions make God want to vomit? Why being like lukewarm water makes God sick. (22:00)

Jim Edwards' principle applies to all areas of life – "Love me or hate me, but there's no money in the middle."  (22:39)

The power of transformation hinges on changing your view of pain and pleasure. (23:09)

The practice of practice – How increasing capacity for self-discipline is rooted in just doing it…the power of habits and situational awareness. (24:15)

What we can all learn from Cliff Ravenscraft – How to stick to your commitments and change your life (even if that means running the stairs). (26:08)

The practice of perseverance – Why starting with momentum is never enough. (26:58)

Why steadfastness is the key to success – How to resume as quickly as possible (and avoid wasting time repenting).  (27:25)

The 3 practices to increase your capacity for self-discipline – How you can't outsource polarity, practice, and perseverance. (29:05)

Examine your goals – Why you will not persist in goals that aren't worthy of you. (29:40)

The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

The Rise of the Youpreneur by Chris Drucker

Virtual Freedom by Chris Drucker

The Power of Leverage by Tony Robbins

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Today we discuss a unique method by which you can guarantee your business will always have a profit (even from day 1). You'll never miss having a profit because you take your profit first.

My guest is Mike Michalowicz. Mike is the successful entrepreneur behind three multimillion dollar companies. He is the author of The Pumpkin Plan, Surge, and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, which BusinessWeek deemed "the entrepreneur's cult classic." He is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and a former MSNBC business makeover expert. An advocate for entrepreneurs, Mike says his purpose in life is to eradicate entrepreneurial poverty.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

I'm a little late to the Instagram party, but my tip of the week is an Instagram tool I find to be a big help, it's called InShort Video Editor.

This app is great for editing videos on your iPhone and turning them into smooth, seamless Instagram stories. 

Check out InShort Video Editor in the app store today.

An indicator of someone's character and integrity is how they handle their possessions. Paul stated in Philippians 4, "I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Paul was actually talking about wealth in this circumstance. He was saying, "I've had a lot and I've had very little, and I've learned to be content in both circumstances. I can handle either situation through Christ who strengthens me." Powerful advice! (3:00)

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• The book Profit First revolutionized my thinking about my business. – How to change your CPA's thinking about business and pocket profits like never before. (4:00)

• Profit First is a new approach to cash management. – Discover how an old approach to cash management brought to business for the first time will increase your profits. (5:00)

• Sales – expenses = profit. – Why this flawed definition has negatively impacted so many businesses. (5:25)

• Accounting says profits come last. – How to change one simple formula and start making a profit immediately.

• 83% of small businesses are not profitable. – Uncovering why entrepreneurs get so many things right but continue to make no profit. (5:40)

• Is there a flaw in the formula? – How the Profit First principle will change your business (and your life). (6:01)

• Sales – profit = expenses. – What to do every time you make a sale (truth is, practically no one does this). (6:45)

• Sell, hide, pay. – Why this sequence works every time and guarantees you profits. (No, I'm not advocating illegal activity.) (7:09)

• The 20/80 rule you've never heard. – How logic, emotions, and habits impact your business profits. (7:35)

• Business says, "The more I grow, the more I spend." – How to break this popular no profit system. (8:00)

• Profit First leaves you less money for your expenses. – Why this forces you to make harder choices that lead to the appropriate decisions. (8:52)

• Reverse engineer profits. – Discovering the secret for overcoming negative inertia and creating the habit of making a profit. (9:02)

• Tony Robbins, "The definition of an entrepreneur is someone who knows how to make enough money to cover their mistakes."  (9:10)

• The mindset of just making more money. – What entrepreneurs do when they're not profitable and why it's such a bad idea. (9:29)

• Too much month at the end of the money. – Why continuing with a flawed money management system is insane.  (9:37)

• How Profit First forces you to define the path to profitability. – Why revealing outcome-based thinking is powerful. (10:30)

• If you can't pay your bills you never could afford your bills. – How we fall into the trap of stealing (and think it's OK). (10:54)

• How to run your business in a disciplined and appropriate fashion. – Why Profit First is required reading for every entrepreneur. (11:06)

• Is Parkinson's Law impacting your profits? – What naturally happens when your resources increase, and how to break this unprofitable habit.  (11:36)

Philippians 4

InShot app

The Pumpkin Plan

Profit First

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Mike Michalowicz.com

Mikemotorbike.com

At Mike's site you'll have access to free chapter downloads, his Wall Street Journal articles, blogs, and podcasts.

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Out of a hundred people who hear this, one of you will do this and you're the one who will succeed.

I have a question that I would seriously like you to think about. Are you important? Are you? This is a vital question and it speaks to something we call self-image. It's popular to believe that your self-image, having a good self-image, a strong self-image, a positive image of yourself is wrong. It's popular to say that. This is the first line of attack of the enemy, trying to deceive your mind by convincing you that you're not important.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

The Book of Mark, chapter 12, "Then, one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, asked Jesus, "Which is the first commandment of all?"

Jesus answered him,

1. "The first of all the commandments is, 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment."

2. "The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

According to Jesus, if you want to love your neighbor, what do you have to do first?

• If we adopt the mindset, "I'm a worm and everyone else is awesome," and then, we're told to love our neighbor as ourselves, we must first love ourselves. Not in the sense, "Oh, I guess I'm okay." God is not contradictory.

• If you worship God as the all-sufficient Creator and Father, then, you're doing no service to the Artist by condemning His art. Now, think about this: you're doing no service to yourself by calling something beautiful (you), ugly.

• "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," and then, he said, "There is no other commandment greater than these." That's strong language. No other commandment, not even your favorite one, whatever that might be.

Are you important?

In Romans 12:3, Paul says to the church of Rome, "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."

Now, this verse is often quoted to communicate, "Think poorly of yourself." But it says, "Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."  He's saying, "Take an honest assessment of yourself and think that."

Just before that verse, Jesus gives you a plan of self-improvement. Paul says, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world (the system of thinking that is present in the world today), but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." His will for you is for you to be good and pleasing and perfect, a plan for self-improvement.

I'm about ready to abandon Evernote. Evernote, of course, is a note-taking application.

Here's the thing that's been bugging me lately. Evernote has its own proprietary way of storing your stuff.

You're locked in and I think of it as a "roach motel." Your documents go in, but they never come out.

I think I'm going to replace it with a new note-taking application called Bear, B-E-A-R. Here's the reason why:

• It uses plain text files to store all your documents.

• It uses markup to do any formatting, so it exports to any other application.

• There's no translation problem getting into virtually any other application.

• They have a special function to help you export all your notes out of Evernote into Bear.

• You can preserve your tags.

• You can get your notes into plain text files so they're portable. So, no matter what happens in the future, you future-proof your documents.

The three reasons to get your self-image healthy and robust:

1. We limit ourselves by the imagery we hold of what we're capable of doing.

2. Our self-image is self-constructed, made of our words, the pictures we hold in our mind and our actions or our physical environment.

3. You grow your life by growing your self-image, not just making it better but making it bigger.

Our self-image is self-constructed. Dr. Denis Waitley says, "Relentless repetitive self-talk is what changes our self-image." What are you saying to yourself all the time?

The most powerful force in the human psyche is people's need for their words and actions to remain consistent with how we define ourselves.

If we have this belief that we suck and that we're bad, then, we will work very hard to make that consistent in our lives. Our brains want consistency. It all starts with how we see ourselves.

Our self-image is self-constructed made of our words, pictures and actions, our physical environment, and our beliefs, which lead to our values, which lead to our rules, which lead to our actions, which lead us to our destiny. Destiny is a big word that people think is grandiose, all it means is destination, where you're headed.

What do you do with all this super philosophical stuff? You should get out a journal and write this stuff down.

A friend of ours, Dave Lakhani, says, "Writing is the doing part of thinking."

If you don't write it down and just think it, you haven't really done the work.

There's something about transferring it from your brain through your hands to the paper that solidifies and crystallizes your thinking and gives you a level of understanding and commitment to the ideas that you wouldn't have otherwise.

JOURNAL the answer to these questions:

1. If you had a bigger vision for your life, what would it look like now? Nobody else is going to read this, so go nuts.

2. Construct the person you want to become. Now, I'm going to offend some of my friends who teach goal setting, but don't worry about specific outcomes. Concern yourself with who you want to become and the values that underpin that image.

3. Grow your self-image intentionally. Write out your plan for how you're going to grow your self-image intentionally.

Perhaps there are things that you want to do, you want to achieve, instead of just thinking about them. This is where people get all screwed up. They think, "Well, I want to travel the world and visit every continent." They start immediately thinking about, how do I do that? When what they really should be thinking about is, who do I have to become in order to make that happen?

Because if you don't become the person who can achieve that thing, you will never achieve it.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Is this desire something that sustains my life?

2. Am I trying to win the approval of someone in my life?

3. Am I trying to prove to the world around me that I am successful?

Well, when you're on your deathbed, are you really going to care whether people thought you were successful?

What other people think of you is none of your business.

No, it doesn't matter. It's what you want in life, not what you think other people want you to want in life.

"Learn to value yourself, which means fight for your happiness," Ayn Rand

Bear note-writing app

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I have a proposal for you in today's episode: You have in your life what you tolerate.

What you tolerate is what you receive in life.

I already know there are a lot of people who are coming up with examples to prove me wrong. There are people saying, "Well I have a genetic disorder that I had no control over. I could not have stopped it. I did not want this." No, but the way you deal with it, the way you process it, and the way that you experience it is up to you.

That's not genetic. That's not something you can blame on your ancestors. That's all you, my friend. If I sound fired up, I am.

I'm not angry but I am advocating for a different view on your behalf. That is, that if you're unhappy in your life, if you're dissatisfied with any part of your life, the thing you most need to do is stop tolerating that!

That's what today's episode is about.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

For Spiritual Foundations, I'm just going to grab a little segment from the Book of Revelation. There's a lot of controversy over this book. There's a part of the Book of Revelation where Jesus is writing letters to seven churches.

Most scholars and early church fathers believe the churches were real churches in the area. But they also represent the church as a whole, over time. There's one letter in particular where Jesus writes to one church and says to them, "You are lukewarm. I wish that you were either hot or cold but you're lukewarm and I want to spit you out of my mouth."  Revelation 3:16

If you translated this more viscerally from the original language, it would say, "You're like lukewarm water. You're not hot or cold, you make me want to vomit."

What does that have to do with today's topic? Everything, because what I think Jesus was saying to this church is, "You guys tolerate everything. You don't get upset on either end of the spectrum. You're not like total libertines just doing whatever you want. You're not crazy legalists who are looking for the smallest, tiniest, little sin you can condemn in people. You're just in the middle. You're not committed to anything. You tolerate everything, you make me want to puke."

Now if Jesus felt that about His church, isn't that a lens through which we might look at our life? I'm not suggesting that you should look at your life and feel bad about yourself, but maybe it's time to question what you tolerate.

My tip of the week is another geeky, techno tip.

It's a piece of gear that I'm using these days. We're shooting some video for a big product launch that we're doing soon. I was going to hire a video crew and I just decided, "You know what? I enjoy this stuff so much. I'm just going to do it myself."

You've heard us talk about it before in the show, it is the Panasonic GH5.

It's like having a million-dollar studio in your camera bag (yet you only paid a couple of thousand dollars for it).

It has the capability of shooting 4K video at 60 frames per second. There are very few consumer level cameras able to do that. That means you get this fantastic resolution with crisp, sharp pictures and video. Even more exciting to me, I've just discovered that I'm able to shoot 180 frames per second slow-motion video, which means it is crystal clear and buttery smooth.

This camera is really a technological marvel. For some baffling reason, with the GH5S, Panasonic degraded the in-camera stabilization, which is one of the greatest advantages of the GH5 other than the 4K and the super slo-mo. My opinion is: don't get the GH5S, get the GH5.

Here are some snippets from the podcast:

• Zero-in on the Real Question – How to respond when you're dealt a bad situation.  9:08
• Called according to God's purposes –  Discovering the hidden truth about how all things work together… I said all things. 9:20
• Create a new model for your life – Shifting your viewpoint on THIS transforms your view of life (yes, it really is that powerful)! 10:25
• You get what you tolerate in life – How feeling like you'll puke can be the catalyst for creating your best life. 11:15
• When is enough, enough? –  How to face the fact there are things in your life that you don't like… but you don't dislike them enough to change them. 13:00
• Make an "intolerables" list – How drawing a line in the sand is the first step toward taking control of your life. 15:20
• Sick and tired of not living up to the potential for your life? – How to uncover what you're put here to do (even if you've reached the second or third act in your life).  18:55
• "Well, what do I do about that?" – Why looking at all your intolerables and asking Tim Ferris' powerful question (in his book Tribe of Mentors) will change your life. 19:18
• What it means to no longer tolerate – How to improve your self-image, feel stronger, more empowered, and more capable. 21:17
• Stop constantly criticizing yourself – Why you're not complimenting the Artist when you're criticizing His artwork (if you believe in a Creator …this is transformational).  21:40
• Cultivate gratitude – How to have a good day, every day (it's easier than you think). 23:40
• What if there's a way out – Why deciding to stop tolerating will cause you to make a change in your life. 25:52
• "What would life look like if this were easy?" – How to move forward to eliminate your intolerables by asking this Tim Ferris question. 26:45
• In life you get what you tolerate – Imagine your life when you stop tolerating ________.  29:15

• Revelation 3:16, The Bible
• Panasonic GH5
• Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferris

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Today's podcast is a lesson in the history of marketing online. I believe there is great value in knowing the history of our industry.

Most of you in direct response internet marketing may not know we owe our careers to Ken McCarthy. Time Magazine credits Ken McCarthy with originating the idea of using click-through rates as the key metric of website performance. 

In the early 1990s, as the owner of a direct response company, Ken saw the potential of direct marketing on the internet even as software CEOs, internet enthusiasts, and advertising executives all failed to grasp the power of commercializing the internet.

In 1994, Ken organized and sponsored the first conference ever held on the commercial applications of the World Wide Web. Marc Andreessen, co-author of Mosaic and co-founder of Netscape was one of the twelve attendees of this world changing conference.

Ken's early internet marketing experiments included email advertising, contributions to development of the banner ad, pay-per-click advertising and internet video.

Ken's success was built on anticipating changes in the internet during the Golden Age of Innovation. A true visionary, he shares his fascinating insider's stories from the early years of the World Wide Web.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• 1994-2011 Systemseminar.com – How learning from cutting-edge direct response pioneers will benefit your business. 42:00
• The internet turned content on its head – Understanding the difference between print and the internet and how it shaped the world. 43:00
• An early discovery that still impacts direct response marketing today –  How Ken McCarthy realized the unexpected power in giving.  44:00
• Give away foundational material for free – How pre-system lessons shaped our industry. 45:00
• Split testing – Embracing this one practice changed an early web designer's approach. 46:20
• So many System Seminar firsts – Why we owe homage to Ken (the first to use email for marketing, create sequential autoresponders, develop push-button audio, and integrate video advertising on the web). 48:00
• Being cutting edge – How anticipating what was coming on the Internet was foundational to Ken's career. 51:00
• "You can only work binge for so long." – Understanding John Reed's insight and why systematizing your business is essential. 53:00
• Apple almost closed its doors until Jobs proclaimed it, "The Education Computer" – How to follow Steve Jobs' one simple action and revolutionize your business. 59:00
• One foundational job of every entrepreneur – Why you can't afford to miss this opportunity (it's like pouring gas on a fire). 1:01
• Ken McCarthy's success principle – How new opportunities appear when you're listening, looking, paying attention, talking, and reading. 1:04:25
• Being prolific – Why doing lots of stuff leads to success (even though not much happens with 90-95% of what you produce). 1:01:45
• The ONE thing writers must do every day – Embracing the Irving Berlin Principle will change your writing and transform your life. 1:02:09
• Follow your passion + Have commercial instincts – How to grow your business, avoid a bland life, and optimize the fire within. 1:05:30
• Claude Hopkins and David Olgilvy – You're not born with it…you can develop it. (This one skill separates the successful from the struggling.) 1:06:00
• No one has this instinct – Learning how to sell, persuade, and package from the giants in the industry will set you apart.1:06:45
• Enjoy the process of learning – How learning from your predecessors and being prolific is key to your success. 1:07:46
• Behind the scenes of work and success – Keeping the engine running requires this. 1:08:45

• Systemsseminar.com/lessons
• Kenmccarthy.com
• The System Club
• Jazzonthetube.com
• System Secrets (Maximum Money in Minimum Time Online): Ken …

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Today I talk with the genius, the master, the go-to-guy, the king of all things LinkedIn…John Nemo.

As one of the top promoters of Copywriting Academy, John Nemo joined me at my Joint Venture Mastermind at The Coeur d'Alene Resort in Alene, Idaho.

No one knows the subject of LinkedIn like John Nemo. John transformed my LinkedIn profile, he's the real deal when it comes to LinkedIn and he's here to teach us all how to cash in on LinkedIn.

The 3 core components of his LinkedIn Riches training program:

• Profile
• Prospecting
• Profiting                                      

John's free LinkedIn training is available at rayedwards.com/nemo.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Proverbs 16:3, "Commit to the LORD whatever you do and your plans will succeed."

It doesn't mean you have to be a believer, but you see your work as holy and sacred and you commit that to God, then I think you'll find, more often than not, you'll:

• Do better work
• Perform at a more excellent standard
• Succeed

Something to try, just see what happens.

The tip of the week is the Behmor Connected Customizable brewer, a coffee brewer that simulates the results you get with a specialty coffee pour-over. It simulates the pour-over without having to do the pour-over. You can control it with your iPhone.

Uncover Why LinkedIn Is the Biggest Underused Secret Weapon in Your Online Marketing Arsenal

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• Frustrated, not getting anywhere online? – How changing this one common mistake will skyrocket your success.  5:17
• The ONE thing almost no one understands – How to go viral on LinkedIn. 6:40
• People Pleasing – Why repelling people is a good idea (and being all things to all people kills your business). 9:50
• The shocking secret to LinkedIn success – How much personal sharing is too much? 10:33
• The surprising tip to leveraging LinkedIn – How to draw people into your story with one simple tweak to your posts. 11:16
• LinkedIn's image problem – How proactive entrepreneurs can use it to your advantage.  13:45
• The world's biggest professional coffee shop – Why most people misunderstand LinkedIn (and how you can cash in from this podcast).  14:52
• 500 million users in 200 countries – How to tap into LinkedIn and use it as your infinite lead generator. 14:25
• 99% do this wrong – Why flipping your profile upside down changes everything. 15:10
• 4 simple questions – How transforming your LinkedIn profile will multiply your lead generation by making it client-facing 15:58
• Where all the money is made on LinkedIn – How to find and engage your ideal prospects (it's easier that you think). 17:35
• Scaling up and bypassing the gatekeepers – How to quickly harness the power of LinkedIn. 20:03
• Don't freak them out – Why communicating with prospects in a non-spamy way is the only way to make LinkedIn work for you. 20:45
• The world's biggest professional search engine – How to personalize and automate your engagement on LinkedIn so you can maximize your relationships.  21:23
• Courtship & Dating – Why asking for time or money on your first interaction is guaranteed to backfire. 23:14
• The Power of the ASK – How stepping back and asking permission builds trust and like-ability (and sets you apart).  24:40
• Should you send an ebook? – Why understanding what your prospects value is the key to lead generation.  26:43
• You don't see cat videos – The business mindset of LinkedIn users and how professionals are searching for your content, direction, tips, and advice. 33:00
• The Biggest Underused Secret Weapon in your Online Marketing Arsenal – What I really think about the power of LinkedIn and why you must act today. 33:59
• Rayedwards.com/nemo – How to get more business and more profit for yourself.  34:15
• A Powerful Online success tip – Why LinkedIn helps you scale up faster and more effectively. (It's all about relationship building.) 35:47
• Writing LinkedIn profiles for high profile clients – How to implement the same system used by Ray Edwards, Chris Brogan, and John Lee Dumas. 35:15

• LinkedIn Riches by John Nemo
• LinkedIn Riches online course by John Nemo
• Behmor.com

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We're talking about prosperity. That's the word of the year with my company and with me.

What does it mean to prosper? We know that it means to do well financially, but it's so much more than that. It's your health, your relationships, it's the ways you are fulfilled in life (such as growing as a person and contributing in a meaningful way to other people).

Prosperity is a fullness of life and a fulfilling way of living in every way possible.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

This week, I'm reading from Psalm 1 (the New Living Translation).

"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on in day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do."

One of my goals this year is to read through the Bible again in a year. My tip of the week is the Daily Audio Bible Mobile app. I used the Daily Audio Bible app last year. The new mobile app is a very pleasant and nearly effortless way to read through the Bible in a year. Brian, the guy who does the reading, is an excellent reader, that makes all the difference. He reads different translations throughout the year. The Daily Audio Bible Mobile app is available for android or iOS.

As I've been writing my book, Permission to Prosper, I've been thinking about how one can be more intentionally prosperous. For instance, let's take Psalm one at face value, and recognize that if we're in the group that God refers to as the righteous, then we are like trees planted by the river and everything we do prospers. That's what He wants for us. The world is not perfect, of course, but what He wants for us is for us to prosper in all that we do.

How do we do that?

I've developed a 7 Step Prosperity Practice you can engage in every day as part of your morning routine. This practice will move you in the direction of your goals and dreams.

This is an amalgam of wisdom that I've learned from other people (great passages of Scripture and books by people like Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy).

I practice these seven steps everyday.

They are constructed in a way that is meant to mirror the actual needs of your psychological self. If you're familiar with Tony Robbins' Six Human Needs psychology, then you know his hypothesis is that we have six psychological needs that are wired into our nervous system. So, the steps I've chosen are not arbitrary.

7 Step Prosperity Practice

1. Calibrate Your State      The three components for putting yourself into peak state are:
   • Physical – what you do with your body (get moving and breathing)
   • Mental – what you do with your mind (practice gratitude)
   • Verbal – what you speak out of your mouth (declare truths over your life)
2. Experience Gratitude
   Close your eyes and let gratitude flood your body and your mind.
3. Match Your Desire with Clarity
   Review your goals and visualize experiencing the outcome of those goals.
4.  Address Problems as QuestionsTransform the problem in your mind from a problem to a question and ask …
   • What's great about this problem?
   • What can I learn from this?
   • What's not perfect yet?
   • What am I willing to do to make it the way I want it?
   • What am I not willing to do to make it the way I want it?
   • What does this make possible?
   • How can I enjoy the process of dealing with this situation?
5. Contribute in Some Way
   Contribute in some way to the joy, peace, and prosperity of another human being.
6. Make a Connection with Other People by Being Present with Them
   Look them in the eyes, listen to them, value their presence and be present.
7. Learn Something New Every Day
   Learn a new word, a Bible verse, a scientific fact or tidbit.

Each morning, in my journal I write down the answers to the seven questions based on my 10 Minute Prosperity Practice Journal Template.

It only takes me about 10 to 15 minutes to write all of this down, but writing it down is where the value is. As Dave McCullough says, "Writing is the doing part of thinking." You haven't done it until you write it down. It's not real until you write it down.

If you want my 10 Minute Prosperity Practice Journal Template, then simply text the word "prosper" to 33444.

(You'll also receive an invitation to join our Facebook community for Permission to Prosper. I'll be sharing more about the upcoming book. If you join our community, you may get an early glimpse of the book.)

Remember the word this year is PROSPERITY.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

The relationship between goals and prosperity – Why you are focusing on prosperity whether you have any money goals or not. 1:12

A seismic shift in thinking – Uncovering the catalyst that's guaranteed to change your attitude about goals, intentions and resolutions. 2:11

Getting off your BUT – How thinking life is happening FOR you instead of TO you changes everything. 2:42

Prosperity isn't just about you – Discovering why your prosperity benefits everyone, not just you and your family. 6:12

Make everyday like New Year's Day – Unlocking your power to decide, "Today is the day everything changes!" 7:10

Prosperity is a choice – How to be intentionally prosperous in the new year. 7:21

The power of our six psychological needs – Discovering how meeting them in a low-class way makes you unhappy. 7:57

The 7 Step Prosperity Practice – Creating this morning routine will move you toward your goals and desires. 8:52

Change your physical state in order to change your mental state – Unlocking how to put yourself at peak state with the "triad." 10:00

The power of daily declarations – How speaking the truth out loud over your life changes your thought patterns. 11:44

Tools to get you through the tough spots – Overcoming habit patterns that are not getting you what you want. 16:20

The power of cultivating presence – How to instantly feel more connected and more loved. 26:00

Next week's episode: Business, Money, Prosperity, and the Gospel

• The Prosperity Academy rayedwards.com/tpa
• 10 Minute Prosperity Practice Journal Template (Text the word "prosper" to 33444)
• The Daily Audio Bible Mobile App
• Awaken the Giant Within Tony Robbins

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This week is a special edition of the podcast.

It's 100% Spiritual Foundations – so, if you're not into that, you may want to skip this one. During today's episode…

* The one theme found throughout the Bible that applies to your goals, dreams, and desires.

* One of the most familiar verses in Scripture (even most atheists know this one!) … and how it has been woefully mis-translated in most English Bibles. When you find out what Jesus actually, said you may be surprised!

* What we can learn from the "midnight pest" who was really a "privileged guest".

* The simple, biblical, 3-step process for getting your desires, needs, and goals met! (Really!)

* …and so much more!

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

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Conventional wisdom tells us that success takes time…sometimes a long time. Well, I think we've been lied to, and I can prove it.

In this episode I'm going to give you a set of tools that will put you on the pathway to a brand new you in seven short days, but as you'll find out, I believe that success can happen in an instant.

Stay tuned…

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

I've been reading my friend Frank Viola's giant new book called There Must Be More, a Titan's Collectible. If it's still available, you should get it. But reading this book triggered a memory for me of something I learned from Frank about the two trees.

In the beginning there were two trees, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is the serpent's promise. He promised, "You will be like God, and you will decide for yourself what is good." This is what Jesus referred to when He was talking about the "leaven" of the Pharisees.

Jesus is the Tree of Life (see John 15) this is the forgotten tree. This is the one we don't talk about. When we choose the forgotten tree, we take the life of God into ourselves.

The Pharisees, meanwhile, ate from the first tree, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and so do many or most modern churches. These are the people with the protest signs, with the signs about the groups that they hate, with the signs about how America is being punished for its sins, because they are only conscious of the knowledge of good and evil. Better that we eat from the Tree of Life, Jesus.

There's a term that's applied to Christians quite often. People say we are "People of the Book." We are not. We are not a people of the Book. We are a people of the Person. And the Person is He whose birth we celebrate today, on the day this show is being released, Jesus Christ. He is the Tree of Life.

We must begin living under the forgotten tree (the Tree of Life) rather than eating the fruit of the forbidden one.

Merry Christmas!

My Tip of the Week is the HabitShare app. This is an amazing free habit-tracking app that I was turned on to by my friend Cliff Ravenscraft, and I was sold on it immediately.

This is a cool habit-tracking app because it allows you to share habits that you're trying to form with friends, so you get extra motivation and accountability.

It's very simple to use. You can set prompts to help you remember to do your new habits, you can create custom habits that fit your specific goals, and you can make them daily or weekly.

If privacy is a concern, you can control which of your habits your friends see and which ones they can't.

I love this app and I recommend you check it out. They've got it both for the Apple platform and for Android, so anybody can use it.

Any person can change their life and become successful in as little as 7 days by

walking through the 7 Doors of Decision and asking the 3 Crucial Questions.

1. Decide WHAT you want
2. Decide WHY you want it
3. Decide if it's WORTHY of you
4. Decide WHEN you want it
5. Decide with WHOM you want it
6. Decide WHERE you want it
7. Decide HOW you're going to get it (with a big WHY you can overcome any HOW)

Questions to ask:

1. What's the cost?
2. Is it worth it?
3. Am I willing and able to pay the price

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• Break the shackles of justification – Why it's okay to want what you want just because you want it (13:30)
• The Power of Why – Discovering the oft-overlooked fuel that allows you to accelerate toward your dreams (15:09)
• Putting goodness on display – How reaching for your fullest potential is the surest way to reach your fullest satisfaction (18:29)
• Someday isn't on the calendar – Uncovering why a goal without a deadline is just another unfulfilled dream (20:19)
• Success alone is not success – Unlocking the key to picking the right partner who will never leave you nor forsake you (21:10)
• Location, location, location – Success includes the freedom of choosing where to succeed…you possess the power to move at will (24:23)
• "Why" overcomes "how" – Identifying the reason you would choose to put yourself in the place where preparation and opportunity meet (26:59)
• The Golden Key in your pocket – How asking the right questions will help you successfully navigate through the Doors of Decision (31:21)
• Are you delusional or dedicated? – How taking the next logical step is the portal to the success pathway (33:18

• There Must Be More
• HabitShare
• Wanting What You Want

Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show.

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