Ray Edwards Show

Sometimes it seems difficult to keep creating content, doesn't it? And for a lot of people it's difficult to even get started. In today's show, I will show you how to D.A.R.E.  to create great content that sells. Also coming up… The app  for recording great audio on your iPhone. Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle […]

One week from today, Social Media Marketing World opens in San Diego. It's the biggest physical event in the Social Media Marketing space, and I am privileged to be one of the speakers.

In today's show, I will share what I expect from the event… and what I expect from any conference I attend. Also coming up…

• The  coach that lives on your iPad.
• Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle Business Report.
• A free video training series for you.
• Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

• Thanks to all who have left a review of the Ray Edwards Show in iTunes. Including Dennis McIntee, Mike Morrell, and Larry Bloomquist!
• For more info about the one-day mastermind with me and 11 other people, where we make radical progress in your business… is on. Click this link to make your deposit and application.

Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking:

• Social Media Marketing World, March 26-28, 2014, San Diego, CA
• SCORRE Conference May 5-8, Orlando, FL

Tip Of The Week 

The Unstuck app for iPad makes it easy to get on-demand coaching whenever you need it.

Lifestyle Business Segment 

With Stu McLaren

Free Video Training Series

This FREE training video has nothing for sale. I just show you how to turn your knowledge and experience into products people buy. This video includes…

• The 7 Levels of Content. Why most people who create Knowledge Products get stuck at Level 5, and how you can become un-duplicatable by moving to levels 6 and 7.
• The Ultimate Content Outline. This simple outline helps you create any piece of content (email, blog post, video, book, etc) and know exactly what to say.
• How to know what your "topic" should be. Decide with clarity what topic you are going to focus on.

Click here to get full access to all three training videos.

Spiritual Foundations

Under the new covenant, God promises to do three things:

• Lead us—"I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts." (Hebrews 8:10)
• Work miracles for us—"I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Hebrews 8:10)
• Help us to know Him—"…all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them." (Hebrews 8:11)

How do we experience this? By remembering…

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

Hebrews 8:12

Feature Segment:  What I Expect From Social Media Marketing World

Every conference I attend has the potential to yield multiples of whatever I invested to be there. This is especially true of Social Media Marketing World, which is coming up next week. Here's what I expect from any conference I attend, and what I expect specifically from Social Media Marketing World.

5 Things I Expect from Any Conference

1. A major disruption in my schedule.
2. The opportunity to reflect, recharge, and refocus.
3. To learn something new, or learn something old from a new perspective.
4. To be challenged in some way.
5. To meet new people, and to reconnect with friends.

5 Things I Expect from Social Media Marketing World

1. To discover the best social media marketing techniques from the world's top experts. Some are my friends, like Mari Smith,  Michael Hyatt, Amy Porterfield, Michael Stelzner, Joel Comm,  and Cliff Ravenscraft.  Some are mentors that I have never met, but hope to at this conference, such as Jay Baer, Chris Brogan, John Jantsch, and many others.
2. To be challenged in my thinking about social media marketing, and online business models.
3. The best networking experience I've ever had.
4. The opportunity to reflect, recharge, and refocus.
5. To contribute to a great panel discussion with my fellow panelists, Erik Fisher, Cliff Ravenscraft and John Lee Dumas.

 

What To Do Now

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:    What do you expect from SMMW (or any conference)? Click here to leave your comments.

One week from today, Social Media Marketing World opens in San Diego. It's the biggest physical event in the Social Media Marketing space, and I am privileged to be one of the speakers. In today's show, I will share what I expect from the event… and what I expect from any conference I attend. Also […]

Two years ago this week, I did the very first episode of this podcast. I didn't realize I was making a commitment to cranking out show every week, but that's what happened. It hasn't always been easy.

I took this photo with my new Nikon D5200.

In this episode, I  am taking some time to review the lessons I've learned after doing 104 episodes, week after week. I will also talk about a very important decision I've made-whether to continue doing the show or not. Also coming up…

• The best way to get clean audio recordings of your speeches on your iPhone.
• Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle Business Report.
• A free video training series for you.
• Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

• Thanks to all who have left a review of the Ray Edwards Show in iTunes. Including Noble Crawford, Kim Tester, and "Chef52"!
• For more info about the one-day mastermind with me and 11 other people, where we make radical progress in your business… is on. Click this link to make your deposit and application.

Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking:

• Social Media Marketing World, March 26-28, 2014, San Diego, CA
• SCORRE Conference May 5-8, Orlando, FL

Tip Of The Week 

The Rode Smartlav Lavalier Microphone for iPhone and Smartphones is a professional-grade wearable microphone designed for use in a wide range of film, television and broadcast scenarios, or wherever professional quality audio is required in a discreet, portable format without the complication and expense of additional wireless equipment.

Lifestyle Business Segment 

With Stu McLaren

Free Video Training Series

This FREE training video has nothing for sale. I just show you how to turn your knowledge and experience into products people buy. This video includes…

• The 7 Levels of Content. Why most people who create Knowledge Products get stuck at Level 5, and how you can become un-duplicatable by moving to levels 6 and 7.
• The Ultimate Content Outline. This simple outline helps you create any piece of content (email, blog post, video, book, etc) and know exactly what to say.
• How to know what your "topic" should be. Decide with clarity what topic you are going to focus on.

Click here to get full access to all three training videos.

Spiritual Foundations

Whether we like it or not, God provides for all the things that we need. How do we know this? And how do we gain access to it?

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:25-34

Feature Segment:  What I Learned From 2 Years of Doing This Podcast

For two years-24 months-I have been doing this show every single week. I have learned a lot of lessons along the way. Here are 24 of the most important lessons I learned, one for each month that I've been doing the show.

1. Prior preparation prevents poor performance.
2. Perfectionism is the mask procrastination wears to hide fear.
3. The harvest never comes before tilling, planting, and cultivating.
4. It is better to give than to receive, yet giving often results in receiving.
5. The human voice is the most intimate of all communication media.
6. The power of the podcast for business has been greatly undersold.
7. Discipline means doing what needs to be done, even when you don't feel like doing it.
8. Experience is the best teacher, and often the most expensive one; the highest leverage teaching is other people's experience.
9. You have not because you ask not.
10. Every project seems to reach the pinnacle of difficulty right before the point of breakthrough.
11. Your commitment to excellence is reflected in what you ship.
12. Mistakes in business can be setbacks, but are seldom fatal.
13. Every adversity contains within it the seed for an equal or greater benefit.
14. The warrior trains for battle, but the victory is the Lords.
15. It's okay to switch horses, especially if the one you are riding is tired.
16. Successful people see problems as challenges to be overcome; unsuccessful people see problems as an excuse to quit.
17. One of the most valuable things you can learn is how to gracefully say no.
18. You will either pour most of your efforts into building your own dream, or inevitably pour them into building someone else's.
19. If you are not investing in your own education and program of improvement, you have decided to stop growing.
20. Most people are the average of the five people they spend the most time with.
21. You can use the power of the peer group to raise your level of performance and manifestation-you simply choose your peer group intentionally.
22. Your own tongue contains the power of life and death over you, your family, and your business.
23. The reason showing up is 90% of the battle is that most people simply failed to do it.
24. The most powerful skill you can master is the practice of presence.

Will I continue the show?

What To Do Now

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:    What will you get done this week as a result of this podcast? Click here to leave your comments.

Two years ago this week, I did the very first episode of this podcast. I didn't realize I was making a commitment to cranking out show every week, but that's what happened. It hasn't always been easy. In this episode, I  am taking some time to review the lessons I've learned after doing 104 episodes, […]

Ever feel like you just need to get more stuff done? I think we all feel that way at some point.

In this episode, I interview Robert Plank on getting things done. Also coming up…

• The app that prevents long-windedness.
• Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle Business Report.
• The one-word Copywriting shift you can make today
• Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

• Thanks to all who have left a review of the Ray Edwards Show in iTunes. Including Ray Massie, Joshua Rivers, Lisa R, Stever, Robert Pieto!
• For more info about the one-day mastermind with me and 11 other people, where we make radical progress in your business… is on. Click this link to make your deposit and application.

Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking:

• Social Media Marketing World, March 26-28, 2014, San Diego, CA
• The Launch Conference, April 7-10, 2014, Orlando, FL
• SCORRE Conference May 5-8, Orlando, FL

Tip Of The Week 

The pClock app that keeps you from blowing past your time limits when speaking.

Lifestyle Business Segment 

With Stu McLaren

Copywriting Corner

The one word shift that you can make that amps up your persuasion power.

Spiritual Foundations

When you see yourself the way God sees you, you won't be "full of yourself"… you will be your full self.

Feature Segment:  Interview With Robert Plank

In the episode I we hear from Robert Plank on:

• How to stay out of overwhelm.
• How to avoid having a lot if half-finished products and projects.
• The secrets of single-minded focus.
• A simple philosophy of copywriting… or any process!
• The magic of the "3 Day Rule" and the power of having just "4 Daily Tasks".

What To Do Now

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:    What will you get done this week as a result of this podcast? Click here to leave your comments.

Ever feel like you just need to get more stuff done? I think we all feel that way at some point. In this episode, I interview Robert Plank on getting things done. Also coming up… The app that prevents long-windedness. Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle Business Report. The one-word Copywriting shift you can make today […]

My "one word" for this year is: simplify. Why did I choose that word, and what does it mean to you?

In this episode, I will share five good reasons why you should consider simplifying, too. Also coming up…

• How to write like Hemingway.
• Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle Business Report.
• The One Copywriting Rule That You Must Follow.
• Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

• Thanks to all who have left a review of the Ray Edwards Show in iTunes.
• For more info about the one-day mastermind with me and 11 other people, where we make radical progress in your business… is on. Click this link to make your deposit and application.

Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking:

• Social Media Marketing World, March 26-28, 2014, San Diego, CA
• The Launch Conference, April 7-10, 2014, Orlando, FL
• SCORRE Conference May 5-8, Orlando, FL

Tip Of The Week 

The app that helps you write like Hemingway.

Lifestyle Business Segment 

With Stu McLaren

Copywriting Corner

This week I share  "The One Copywriting Rule You Must Follow". I explain how to use the Rule on today's show.

Spiritual Foundations

It's not necessary to debate people into the Kingdom.

"Christ is all in all."— Colossians 3:11

In the end, a debate about salvation, the existence of God, or who Jesus is, will be fruitless. Only a direct revelation, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, brings people into the Kingdom.

And inside the church, all our focus on leadership programs, small groups, building programs, social justice, church growth initiatives, etc. miss the mark. We have,  when we focus on these things, abandon our first love. A good test: simply count the number of times a pastor (or a book, or teaching series) references the name Jesus.

"Christ is all I need. You can strip away everything else from me, and I would still be left with Christ. Take away my gifts and my ministry; take away signs and wonders; take away the sense of His presence; take away my ability to read; take away every spiritual and religious pursuit I have, and I will still have Christ. And having Him, I have everything."
~  Jesus Manifesto by Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet

Feature Segment:  5 Good Reasons To Simplify

The word I chose to guide 2014 was simplify. In this episode, I explain why I chose it, and five reasons why you should consider simplifying too.

1. Simplifying your possessions and give you clarity, energy, and peace.
2. Complexity in any area of your life weighs you down.
3. Simplicity is the best preparation for the future.
4. Simplicity gives you the broadest range of choices in any decision.
5. Simplicity creates margin.

In the episode I talk about my  journey toward simplification, where it will lead, and how you can benefit.

What To Do Now

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:    Do you feel you would benefit from simplifying? How will you start? Click here to leave your comments.

My “one word” for this year is: simplify. Why did I choose that word, and what does it mean to you? In this episode, I will share five good reasons why you should consider simplifying, too. Also coming up… How to write like Hemingway. Stu McLaren with the Lifestyle Business Report. The One Copywriting Rule […]

I believe the way you start your day determines how it will end; productive and happy, or frustrated and fruitless.  That's why I put so much focus on my morning routine,  which is the foundation of my personal "Productivity Protocol".  My morning routine is an intentional set of activities designed to set me up for the best possible day. With the right routine in place, I believe we can make our best days better, and perhaps even salvage what might have been a "bad day."

If you are familiar with my work, I have written about this before. But my routine has changed , and I have refined my process. On today's show, I will pull back the curtain on my newly re-engineered morning routine. Also coming up…

• The Post-It Note ToDo System.
• Stu McLaren returns.
• A super-simple copy outline.
• Now let's get on with it…

Announcements:

• Thanks to all who have left a review of the Ray Edwards Show in iTunes.
• For more info about the one-day mastermind with me and 11 other people, where we make radical progress in your business… is on. Click this link to make your deposit and application.

Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking:

• Social Media Marketing World, March 26-28, 2014, San Diego, CA
• The Launch Conference, April 7-10, 2014, Orlando, FL
• SCORRE Conference May 5-8, Orlando, FL

Tip Of The Week 

The Post-It Note Planning System.

Lifestyle Business Segment 

With Stu McLaren

Copywriting Corner

This week I share a "super simple copywriting outline". It goes like this:

1. Headline: How to Get the Thing You Want, In Three Easy Steps
2. Here's the problem, and what happens if you don't solve it…
3. I solved the problem, and here's how…
4. Who the heck am I, and why should you believe me?
5. Introducing my Fancy New Problem-Solving System
6. It's worked for me, for my other customers, and it will work for you…
7. Here's exactly what you get
8. How much it costs, and why it's worth 10 times more
9. I will take all the risk
10. Here's exactly what to do now

Sure, there are lots of nuances to writing great copy. But this basic outline will help you quickly write a sales message. I flesh out the process and explain how to use the outline on today's show.

Spiritual Foundations

I have been accused of being a "hyper grace teacher". According to this accusation, I have overemphasized the importance of the grace of Jesus Christ at the expense of his Lordship. Of course, I vehemently disagree with this criticism.

I recently had a discussion about this for a topic with my friend Frank Viola, and I asked him if he would be willing to join us on the show so we could talk about the controversy over so-called "greasy grace". To hear this fascinating interview, you'll need to listen to the audio of this week's show.

You can find the course Frank mentioned by clicking here.

Feature Segment: Create A Morning Routine That Sets You Up For Success

The purpose of creating an intentional morning routine is to develop an habitual set of activities to start each day. The way you start the day sets the tone for the way you will finish out the rest of the day. A good routine in the morning will give you momentum for the rest the day, that increases the likelihood for productivity and success.

My own routine has gone through considerable evolution over the last few years. Recently, I found my previous routine had become stale and somewhat out of alignment with my current priorities. So I've decided to reengineer it. This new routine will also undoubtedly evolve over time, but this is what I'm doing now, and what seems to be working for me.

1. Get up early. I don't use an alarm clock, but I tend to naturally awaken between 4 and 5 AM. Most days, my day starts at 5 AM.
2. Drink 24 ounces of water. Most of us live in a constant state of mild dehydration. This is bad for your body, and bad for your brain. I intentionally hydrate first thing in the morning. Especially considering the next part of my routine…
3. Drink a cup of Bulletproof Coffee.  This is a blend of organic coffee, high quality MCT oil, and butter, blended into a delightful, flavorful, and creamy beverage. It tastes better than a latte, and  supports the healthy functioning of your brain.  there is a great deal of research about the benefits of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT), especially for preventing or alleviating the symptoms of conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The best part, though, is that drinking Bulletproof Coffee gives me a great jolt of energy and mental clarity and focus.
4. Prayer and mindfulness. This is where, in the words of Brother Lawrence, I "practice the presence" of Jesus. I'm listening for what he has to say to me today.
5. Execute the Morning Reading Process. I'm currently reading nine books simultaneously, and I have written about this process recently. If you'd like to know more about how I managed to read as many as 40 books in a week, refer to this post. Quickly, though, I start by reading the Bible, then a devotional, and follow that up with some kind of theological work. Then I read a chapter in each of the other books I'm currently working through.
6.  Write in my journal. I use the journaling app Day One, a template for each station journal entry that I adapted from one Michael Hyatt wrote about his blog, and usually spend only about 15 minutes journaling. The template is key. Before, whenever I attempted to Journal, I felt as though it was some sort of "artsy crafty" thing and really couldn't get into it. Having a template gives me an intentional set of data and/or thoughts that I want to record each day, and makes the journaling process as easy as filling in the blanks. It also means that later in life, when I refer back to this journal, it will have context and meaning.
7. Plan my day. I still plan my day the night before. Planning tomorrow is the last activity I will do today. However, I have found it is extremely useful to review that plan at this step in my morning routine. I often end up changing the plan, because I have a fresh perspective on the day. While I am a big proponent of David Allen's GTD methodology, I'm afraid I still use a daily task list. I know GTD devotees will be disappointed to hear this, but this is what works for me. Years ago, I learned the "6 Most Important Things" to-do list method from Earl Nightingale (if memory serves correctly.) Robert Plank and Lance Tamashiro teach a system they call "4 Daily Tasks", which I think is a better refinement of Nightingale's original idea. I simply make a list of "5 Things". Each day, I have 5 things I want to accomplish, no matter what else happens. I start with number 1 and don't work on anything else until that is done. Then I move to number 2, and so on until I get to number 5. Once I've completed number 5, I am free to do whatever I want for the rest of the day. The key to making the system work is to make sure that they really are 5 "things", and not 5 "projects".
8. Exercise.  By this time it is around 8 AM. At least four days out of the week, but ideally seven, I either go to the gym or hit the road for 40 minutes of physical exercise. It's good for your body,  it's good for your brain, and it's good for your emotional well-being. If I don't do it at this point in my day, it becomes much less likely that I will do it at all.
9. Start working on my "5 Things." Once upon a time, I wrote my 5 Things on a whiteboard, and at the end of the day would take a photo with my iPhone of the 5 Things crossed out. These days I use the Post-it note system I described in the Tip of the Week. I admit that I still cross off the items… but I don't take a picture. I just throw the Post-Its away.
10.  Stop working at 3 PM. This is more of a goal than it is a reality as of this writing. This represents a big change in my modus operandi. But having a hard stop at the end of the day, and making it this early, give me the freedom to engage in other activities that are important to me that otherwise get shortchanged by work.

That's my morning routine, and how transitions into the rest of my productivity protocol for the day. It's a new revision, I just started working this routine, and I will update you let you know how it's going somewhere down the line (if you're interested.)

What To Do Now

If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the show. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher.

Question:   What is your morning routine, and is it time to reengineer it? Click here to leave your comments.