Just like you, Marie Forleo started her business with nothing more than a laptop and a dream. Now she commands a socially-conscious digital empire that touches millions of people, and makes millions of dollars.

In this episode we’re going to talk with Marie and get some little-known insight into how she created such a remarkable business, a business that has allowed her to design the life she always wanted to live.

Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

Recently I did a podcast on the truth about Parkinson's. I've received lots of responses, which has been a real blessing because I think it has helped a lot of people. I think there's an opportunity for us to use our circumstances, whether good or bad, to advance the gospel…the Good News.

In Philippians 1:12 the Apostle Paul says, “Now, I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

It would serve us well to remember that Paul was a businessman…he was a tent maker. As far as I can tell, this was not something that he did just because it was an easy way to make money. It required skill, and he did it because he didn't want to rely on the church for his income. He took it seriously. He had an overall ministry objective for his business, and that meant that sometimes he was thrown in prison, he was persecuted, he was beaten.

It’s easy to be a shining example of God’s grace when everything is rosy, but when things get tough most people want to give up and quit. When things get stormy and rough we go through periods where maybe we're tempted to say, “I don't even know why I’m doing this, it just seems pointless.”

First off, remember that God didn’t cause these things to happen to you. There is an enemy that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy…but a loving Father that wants you to have an abundant life (John 10:10).

Your temporary negative circumstances can be used to advance the Kingdom, to bring more of the reality of God to the world around you, to transcend your circumstances and transform them into something that is in your favor and to your advantage. I think our friend Paul serves as a good example of that.

Selah. (Think about it.)

Tip of the Week

It's time for me to convince you to spend money on an app, and I’m playing no favorites this week. The app is called PORTRA and it’s available for both iOS users and Android people. There are a lot of apps out there that will put your photos through an art filter, but I've never seen anything that does as a good job as PORTRA. They really do look like paintings, it’s pretty amazing.

I also have a little secret tip for you. If you use a high-resolution photo to do this, you could take that resulting artwork and send it off to fractureme.com. These people will print your photos on glass, which just amplifies the cool factor.

You could use PORTRA to make a very unique photo into something that looks like a work of art, and then have it printed on glass and it would be a very groovy gift. Check it out, I think you're going to like it.

Feature Presentation: “The One With Marie Forleo”

Marie Forleo has an award-winning show called Marie TV, which when it first started up, I thought, “Oh, come on. Really?” And now she's like Oprah on the Internet. She's got a world-class online training program called B-School. She also has a book that's in 16 languages, and an audience in 195 countries.

Marie helps people dream big and then back it up with meaningful action to get results, and she's also an extraordinary copywriter. Up until very recently, she wrote every word of copy that you saw come out of her business, which I think is just amazing. So, let's get into it.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• Persuade with Purpose – Marie reveals the absolutely vital skill you must learn to authentically communicate with your audience (10:58)
• Achieving copy consciousness – The surprising way that your everyday world can become a copywriting classroom (12:55)
• Fail in public – Why allowing your tribe to watch your progression serves as both inspiration and education (14:34)
• Look spontaneous and brilliant – Marie talks about the importance of taking the time to really understand your audience and craft complete comprehensive answers to their questions (16:23)
• The fine line of web design – Marie discusses the value of intertwining copy and simple, clean design that causes your audience to become emotionally engaged with your brand (17:25)
• Sales doesn’t have to be slimy – Why modern marketing, which includes generosity, compassion, and value is the key to overcoming the fear of sales (21:11)
• The virus that’s killing your business – Why learning the art of writing copy is the single most powerful tool you have to grow a healthy, robust enterprise (24:22)
• Your voice matters – Should you write your own copy, or should you hire someone to do it for you? Marie tackles this question and provides a unique and wise perspective (26:46)
• The Steven Spielberg Test – Marie shares a way to check whether your copy is too ambiguous…is your copy so specific and clear that if Steven Spielberg read it he could make a scene from it that comes to life? (31:39)
• Get out of your head – Marie reminds us that when people buy they make emotional decisions, not logical ones, and that our copy not only needs to make sense, it needs to touch their heart (33:55)
• Manipulation vs Persuasion – Why the way you craft your offer makes the difference between adding value and taking advantage (35:02)
• Are you Luke Skywalker or Yoda? – There can only be one hero in a story. The key to writing copy that gets acted upon is to remember that your customer is the hero. They are Luke Skywalker, you are Yoda. (37:08)

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• PORTRA (iOS)
• PORTRA (Android)
• com
• Marie Forleo’s B-School
• Marie TV
• The Copy Cure

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