In the past, I have scoffed at the idea of affirmations. You know, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me.” That sort of thing.

I don’t feel that way anymore, because I have realized every human being on the planet practices affirmations. It’s simply that most of us do it unconsciously. Most of us didn’t even take the affirmations we use.

Here’s what I mean: it seems to me that most of us have certain phrases, thoughts, and thinking patterns that we inherited from our nurturing environment as we were growing up. From our parents. From our peers. From our teachers. And those phrases ring in our minds no matter how old we might be today. Some common examples:

• “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
• “Look before you leap.”
• “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
• “Haste makes waste.”
• “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

I’m not here to debate the truth of any of those statements, I’m just illustrating that we all have phrases we repeat to ourselves over and over throughout our lives. There are, I believe, many other such phrases (and unconscious patterns of thought) that we repeat on a daily basis. We are unaware of these patterns, for the most part. They may be subtle, or they may be quite obvious (like the examples I’ve already given).

The spooky part, at least as far as I’m concerned, is the fact that most of us didn’t choose these affirmations. We are not even aware of them. We simply accepted them without critical evaluation. You might want to let that sink in.

As a business owner or entrepreneur, you’re automatically thrust into a leadership position. Others look to you for example. Don’t you agree it’s valuable to be aware of what you are thinking, day in and day out?

Suggested exercise: pay attention to repetitive patterns in your speech and thinking today-and ask yourself whether those patterns are helpful, or perhaps not so helpful.

Comments or observations? Leave them here on this page, please!

As much as I have used the word “secrets” in my own marketing, I guess I should be embarrassed to tell you this.

But…

…there are no real secrets.

Just information you don’t have.

The big PILLARS of success in any business are simple and clear:
1. Find that group of passionate people
2. Find out what they want
3. Make what they want
4. Sell it to them

And as long as you do that, you’ll make money.

Now, are there refinements?

Are there little tricks, tweaks, and tactics that can get you where you want to go… FASTER?

Yes.

But those aren’t secrets. You can get access to the information – either free (sometimes time-consuming) or for pay (sometimes the best way to go FASTER).

Still, no matter  how you get the needed information, it’s not “secret”… it’s just information you don’t yet have.

I needed to know how to do a certain task for my business recently, and I realized I had a home study course on how to do it.

I dragged my course out and surveyed the material. Hours of video, poorly indexed. A word-for-word transcript, capturing all the stream of consciousness rambling of the presenter. A mass of material. Worthless to me.

Especially since the system claimed to allow you to manage this particular marketing method in “as little as 15 minutes a day”.

I wanted to say to this particular product’s purveyor, “Surely you could just take 15 minutes and show me. Maybe an hour, if you explained every step?”

He wanted to sell me 30 pounds of DVDs and manuals, bulking up the course, so I’d pay more for it.

All I wanted: show me how to do it.

I think there may be a lesson here.

One of the things that kinda gets under my skin is…

“BS Excuses” people use to explain why they can’t do things.

Now I’m not saying we don’t sometimes just have a tough go of it. We all do from time to time.

I’m talking about “loser’s limp”… where you start limping early in the race, just so you can later explain why you lost.

Some language that is a sure tip-off you’ve wandered into the “Land of BS Excuses”…

- “there are just no jobs/clients/opportunities in this market/niche/city …” (that’s funny. what are all those people doing on the freeway every day at 9am if they’re not going to WORK? Or how do so many new businesses start every month if there are no clients?)

- “there’s no room for the little guy in this company/ town/ industry” (people were spouting this SAME BS when Steve Jobs and his pal Woz started a little company named Apple Computer out of a garage… and it’s just as much BS now as it was then…)

- “the government has killed this market / business / country” (the government interfering in business is not NEWS… it’s part of doing business! And plenty of businesses make a profit despite that fact. Get over it!)

- “people are just not buying cars/ boats/ books/ airplanes/ swimming pools these days” (ummm…. BS! In fact, DOUBLE BS! They ARE buying all these things and more… and I’ve seen plenty of data showing the sale of LUXURY items are UP lately. Just because they’re not buying from YOU does not mean they are not BUYING…)

- “long sales copy doesn’t work any more” or “I can’t write sales copy” (all you have to do is get a good course on the subject, like my own http://webcopywritingexplained.com , and it’s just “follow the instructions” to copy that will sell your stuff for you)

Today’s take-away: If you suspect that you even occasionally engage in any of this “BS Excuse” nonsense…

I hereby challenge you to Ten Days of Zero BS Excuse-Making.

Here’s how to play: for the next 10 days just don’t make a single BS excuse about anything in your life.

If you mess up on, say, Day 3… re-set the clock and start over at Day 1.

It may take you a while to get all the way to 10 days, I warn you.

But once you have, I can almost guarantee:

1. Your results in whatever it is you do will have improved (because you will have taken away your biggest impediment – your own EXCUSES)… and…

2. You will never want to go back to your old, excuse-making ways.

Are you in?

All the best,

Ray Edwards

I believe you were created to do great things.

I believe every one of us was endowed by our Creator not only with “rights” but also with “potential”.

And I believe part of our mission here on Planet Earth is to unlock that little mystery box and enjoy the potentials that have been embedded inside us.

You may ask, “If we were created with that potential, why does it have to be a mystery?”

Because, sunshine, that’s what makes it fun.

Believe it or not.

So… homework for today?

Start working on your own “mystery box”. What were you sent here to do?

And if you don’t believe all that stuff about being “sent here” to do something… just pretend: what if you WERE sent here to do something? What would it be?

And what on earth could be more important than (a) figuring that out and (b) DOING it?

If you think this has nothing to do with business… well, you’re just not thinkin’ hard enough.

Aloha,

Ray Edwards

PS – If your mission here on this planet involves using the Internet to communicate, you may want to check out my quick & easy guide to success online: http://21Fundamentals.com

There’s not much holding you back other than your own thinking.

Our culture is replete with stories of people who had every disadvantage yet succeeded wildly – and that not through luck but through focused effort.

Submitted as proof: Ray Charles, Stephen Hawking, and Helen Keller.

So what is it about our thinking that so often holds us back – especially when we have no great physical disadvantage? (Note: the aforementioned cases preclude any healthy person from excuse-making… and they also demonstrate that what I’m about to say applies even to those who are blind, deaf, or crippled.)

Here are three lies that hold you back. Escape these lies, and escape the limitations you’ve imposed on your self.

1.    The past equals the future. The perfect lie for convincing you to not even try anything, since it’s “never worked in the past”. Good thing Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, and Abraham Lincoln didn’t buy this lie.

2.    Ready, Aim, Fire. Sounds like good wisdom, until you realize most get stuck on “Aim”. So that it ends up being “Ready, Aim… Aim… Aim… Aim…”

3.    Proven methods are safest. Maybe they are, but if we relied only on “proven methods”, we’d have no space shuttle, no antibiotics, no Apple computer, and no polio vaccine.

There are of course many other lies that hold people back.

For instance, one of the lies of online marketing is that it’s hard to get traffic to your site.

The truth is just the opposite.

In fact, it’s pretty easy to get hundreds of other people promoting your site for you – free – when you know how (see http://MySalesArmy.com for details on how to do it).

What lies are you believing that bar you from greatness?

Believing a lie means you are, in a sense, partnering with a liar. Think about it.

And then do something about it!

The first step to solving a problem is: acknowledge you have one.

Life is full of stuff we don’t like.

Car accidents, business bankruptcies, illness, divorce, war, crime. Being in business carries its own seemingly endless catalog of potential problems (yeah, I call ‘em problems and not “challenges”… because they are problems. Keep reading. All will become clear.)

Pretending that these problems don’t exist – or that they don’t change things – is folly. It’s irresponsible.

In the business world, lots of people like to yammer on about how much they love Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich”. But whenever I hear people praising that book, most of them neglect one of the points Hill made: the importance of accurate thinking.

And accurate thinking involves accepting reality. Whether you like it or not.

Instead of engaging in “positive thinking” and denying the reality of  your situation, start by thinking accurately about what has really happened. As my friend Armand Morin says, “It is what it is.”

Too many times we try to put a “positive spin” on  things, thinking we will somehow make things better if we simply don’t admit things are what they are.

Now, I am not saying you should dwell on the problem. I’m not suggesting your live in the Land of Pessimism (I am an Optimist, through and through).

No, the trick is to spend about 10% of your time accurately assessing and appreciating the scope of whatever problem you are facing – whether it be business trouble, relationship problems, illness, or what have you – and spend 90% of your time focusing on how to make it better.

Living in denial will not make things better; and neither will living in the Land of Eternal Pessimism.

Only accurate thinking equips you to really deal with whatever life throws your way.

It’s not always comfortable. But it is always the best wisdom.

So the next time life throws you a problem, please don’t put on the Helmet of Denial. Instead, put on your big-boy face, look at that problem with your eyes wide open, and say, “It is what it is.”

And then ask, “So what am I going to do about it?”

What good is a “mastermind group”?

Ask Darth Vader.

I mean, for almost a DECADE we all thought Darth was the villain of Star Wars.

And after more than 20 years in the making, the series of movies in the Star Wars saga tells the whole story.

Darth Vader started out as a good guy.

He got off track. WAY off track.

Then, in the end, he did the right thing.

And turns out he was STILL a good guy.

Why? Because people in his Mastermind Group – the Jedi – got him back on the right path.

Even if it WAS at the last possible moment.

Between the training that Darth got from Obi-Wan…

…and the example his former master set for him…

…and the direct appeals of his son Luke…

Darth did the right thing, and killed the Emperor.

He saved his son… the Rebellion… and his own soul.

That’s what a Mastermind Group – a good one – will do for you.

They will tell you what you’re doing wrong, even when you’re completely full of your own crap.

Even when you think you’re about to Rule The Universe.

Because the moment you start believing your own bull is usually the moment when you’re about to take a big fall.

QUESTION: who do you have in YOUR life who’s willing to tell you that you’re about to “blow it”?

If you don’t have somebody who’s willing and committed to doing that, you need to find them. Pronto.

There’s several ways to do it.

For instance, you can set up your own Mastermind Group. Find the members, recruit them, and set up the meetings, etc.

It’ll take some legwork, but it’s worth the effort.

You could also join an existing small group, but good ones are hard to find and harder to get into. Just make sure you’re not getting yourself into a negative gossip-group that is PRETENDING to be a true “Mastermind”. You’ll know pretty quick.

You can also pay to join a Mastermind.

This is often a good option, because the fact that there are “membership dues” helps weed out the people who are not such a good fit.

Whatever you do, make sure you get yourself involved in some kind of “Mastermind group”.

If it can save Darth Vader… what can it do for you?

Funny story.

Back in my radio days, one of the shows I was in charge of was a morning radio team.

And this particular morning team had a regular feature where a couple of psychotherapists woud come on each week.

When I say a “couple”, I mean it. They were actually a COUPLE, and they were both actually THERAPISTS (can you imagine the dinner table conversations?).

Anyhow, I knew this couple only as characters on this particular morning show. “Judith and Jim” was how I knew them. And I knew only their voices.

Fast forward a few years later.

I had left the radio business, and was at an Internet Marketing seminar.

During one of the presentations, I noticed this couple sitting near the front, and I noticed  they were asking lots of questions. And their voices sounded familiar. And their names were… Judith and Jim.

We connected for the first time in person, and we’ve been friends ever since. (Okay, so it was “funny” as in “coincidence” and not funny as in “LOL”).

To continue my story…

I discovered that Jim and Judith ventured into online marketing just four years ago. Along the way, they had to overcome their technical deficiencies and learn to make friends with their computer. Even more so, they had to, in their own words, “open our minds to an entirely new way of being in the world, a whole new and very different mindset-a marketing/business mindset”.

But there was a problem. As they attended lots of marketing conferences, they felt something was wrong.

According to Judith and Jim, “We always felt a sense of displacement, a feeling of not belonging, of somehow being outsiders.”

As they connected with people at those same  conferences they learned that others had the same complaint. And they noticed a pattern: All those who voiced this kind of discomfort were service providers, care-givers, change agents of some kind, men and women who had dedicated their lives to helping others-heart-to-heart.

“It became clear that there was a segment of the Internet marketplace that was not being served,” says Judith.

Jim chimes in, “That segment is peopled by soft sell marketers-all of us who are care-givers and life-change artists as distinct from accumulation artists whose focus is money first and foremost.”

And now these two friends of mine have written a book on the subject of soft sell marketing for service providers… and for people who don’t like hard-sell approaches. I recommend you get a copy of The Heart of Marketing.

It’s the first day of the New Year.

I should be working on other stuff.

For instance, I have 8 more small business profit boosters to write for you (I’m up to #13 and I promised 21). But…

I felt compelled to write this post instead.

I’ve been reflecting on who I owe my success to in the copywriting and internet marketing world. Because you know, none of us do this on our own. I’m not an island. I’ve been helped by a number of people along the way. And as we move into the new year, I want to publicly thank and acknowledge a number of them.

Disclaimer: making a list like this always opens up the risk that I’ll leave someone out. If you have helped me, and I somehow forget to mention you, remind me privately and I’ll add your name to the list.

Armand Morin. Armand is the guy who has taught me the most about Internet Marketing, and he pushed and prodded me to create my own info-products (I went from zero to over 20 in less than a year) and to get serious about my speaking career. Without a doubt, I recommend Armand’s Big Seminar and his Internet Marketing Newsletter.

Alex Mandossian. Alex taught me how to use Teleseminars to build my business (even though I was a copywriter at the time, my first year using Alex’s techniques easily made me over $100,000). He’s also a man of deep integrity.

Brad Callen. One of my top clients, I am actually involved in a site with Brad and his brother Matt. These guys have been with me as clients for a long time now, and have been a great encouragement to me.

Willie Crawford. One of the first friends I made in this business. Willie and I had some pretty amusing adventures together.

John Carlton. Possibly the world’s greatest living copywriter. I have learned so much from John, I can’t even begin to tell you. I attended a seminar once just so I could buy his “mother of all offers” where he sold a $5,000 box of his materials. Pay attention: I went to a seminar so that I could spend $5,000 with John. That ought to tell you something. I had the privilege of hanging out with John in Vegas recently, and it was the highlight of my trip.

Harlan Kilstein. Killer copywriter and Carlton’s top student, Harlan is also a master of hypnosis and NLP. Harlan taught me how to get paid what I’m worth as a copywriter. Seriously. After attending one of his seminars, I TRIPLED my fees. Thanks Harlan.

Matt Bacak. One of my top clients, Matt was one of the very first people to hire me to write copy. We met because I saw him sitting in the bar… with his laptop! I knew he was a kindred spirit. We’ve done some great things together (recently we did a $3.5 million promotion), and I’ve learned a lot from Matt. He’s also been a good friend.

Mike Litman. Mike was the first Internet Marketer to pay me for copy. He paid me a scandalously low amount of money. When he ordered 2 more sales letters from me, he coached me on raising my prices – on his project! His was the first IM event I ever attended, and it’s where I met my long-term friends (and now clients) Armand Morin and Matt Bacak.

Mike Stewart. Mike showed me “lifestyle business” at its best when he invited me to spend a couple of days at his lake place in Georgia. We played around on the lake, ate a lot of good food, and created a new video product (on copywriting) in his home studio (said product to be released soon).

Frank Kern. I’ve learned a lot from Frank, and he’s hired more than once to write copy for him. Frank gave me my all-time favorite testimonial (it’s a bit off-color, so I won’t quote it here). It’s through Frank I first met John Carlton, Sarkis, Neil Strauss, and a bunch of other “fancy people”. And Frank recommended me to Tony Robbins for some copywriting work – so how could I not acknowledge Captain Kern?

Ed Dale. I actually met Frank Kern and Ed Dale at the same time. They had hired me to write copy for their Underachiever Conference before we ever actually met. What endeared me to Ed first was his love for all things Apple. Instant bonding. And Ed actually gave me the testimonial that ties with Frank’s for my all-time favorite. Since it doesn’t contain the “F Word” I’ll quote it in full: “Ray, I bless the day your copy met my bank account”.

Jeff Walker. The creator of the Product Launch Formula, Jeff taught me the art of Product Launches. I was one of the first customers for the original PLF, and ended up in Jeff’s high-end Platinum Coaching group. Jeff coached me through my first launch (of my own product). Jeff had made me… well, a lot of money. And he’s also a good friend. Jeff credits me with being the first person he’s ever actually paid to write copy for him. I can’t thank him enough for all the guidance, encouragement, and generosity he has shown me.

Jon Walker. Jon is Jeff’s brother. I actually got to know him before I got to know Jeff, and I count Jon as one of my very favorite people. He’s kind, diplomatic, and has a razor-sharp business mind. He is truly one of those “guys behind the scenes” who is responsible for some big stuff in the online world. Jon has given me some invaluable counsel, advice and insight on my own business, and he’s one of the people I love to bounce ideas around with.

Michel Fortin. One of the first people I got to know in the copywriting world, I owe Michel several debts of gratitude. I’ve learned a lot from him about copy, marketing, and online technology (Michel convinced me to migrate from Movable Type to Wordpress, for instance… and was at least partially responsible for getting me hooked on Photoshop). He’s also helped me navigate through a couple of difficult situations, and has unselfishly helped me grow my business.

Sylvie Fortin. Sylvie is one of the most vibrant, determined and principled people I know. She has the courage to speak her mind even when it might be unpopular to do so. I am astounded by her willingness to share personal challenges publicly so that others may benefit. And her keen insight played a crucial role in rescuing me from total burn-out in 2008. Really. I love Sylvie Fortin for these reasons and more.

Craig Perrine. Smart, funny, intelligent, and willing to encourage me in my tendency to sit in the back of the room and cause trouble, Craig is a great friend and a smart marketer.

Kirt Christensen. One of the first people I bought an information product from, Kirt agreed to meet with me not knowing for sure whether I might be a stalker. We ended up become friends and business partners. Kirt helped me form my pursuit of the ideal business: working 20 hours a week and making $100,000 per month. That’s not too much to ask, right?

Eric Graham. I’ve never met a person more dedicated to rigorous scientific testing of copy, marketing tactics, and web page factors. Eric takes the “voodoo” of marketing and makes it science. From him I’ve learned discipline and tenacity. Plus, he flies stunt planes. Yep, upside down, loop-the-loops, and all that stuff.

Christina Hills. Christina is the CEO of “Shopping Cart Queen” – a company that educates online businesses on how to use their shopping cart software. They also teach a lot more stuff, including other software and systems. Christina was crucial to my first product launch coming off well, and she’s helped me in a pinch on more than one occasion.

Stu McLaren. Stu was one of my early clients. I wrote the copy for his Idea Incubator Seminar. I was so excited by it I decided to attend. Stu and I became friends, and through him I met Stephen Pierce, David Frey, Alex Mandossian, Jeff Walker and many others. Now Stu not only is a big-shot Internet Marketer but is now working with his wife Amy to change the world. Bravo!

Mike Filsaime . I met Mike before he was “famous”. We had a conversation outside the seminar room in Denver where Mike told me the story of this new product he was creating called “Butterfly Marketing”. We have remained friends over the years, and Mike recently had me work on the “7 Figure Code” launch with him (which was a blast).

Tom Beal. Tom and I were in a Mastermind Group together for a while, and when we met through that group I only had a vague idea that he worked with Mike Filsaime. Tom and I have laughed together, hung out in the back of many a seminar room, and worked together on a few projects. I count him as both a friend and a great marketing mind.

Joel Comm. Joel and I knew each other a while before we ever did any work together. Joel has been a true friend, and has done a lot to help me as a person and on a business level. Joel got me my publishing deal, invited me to be a guest expert on The Next Internet Millionaire, hired me to write copy, and has been a true supporter.

Andy Jenkins. You know him as the StomperNet guy – and so do I. I’ve written some copy for the Stomper guys (Andy and Brad Fallon). Andy has been encouraging, enthusiastic, and promoted me in places where it counted.

Rich Schefren. Controversial, smart, challenging, and able to wear you down. And that was just my first dinner with Rich! Rich is not only a client, he’s one of the people I’ve learned some of my most valuable business lessons from.

Brian Johnson. You may know him as Schefren’s right-hand guy. I know him as a trustworthy friend and tireless supporter. He’s also a guy who will be there to get the job done, even when other people have gone home.

Ryan Healy, Ben Settle, John Angel and Daniel Levis are all part of a secret mastermind group I belong to. The weird thing is we’re all copywriters. And it’s one of the most profitable and enjoyable groups I’m a member of. This group has been referred to as “The Five Horsemen of the Copywriting Apocalypse”.

Jeanette Cates. She’s organized, she’s diligent, and she’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever met. She’s also fun to hang around with.

Dave Bernstein. One of the first products I ever created, I created with Dave. He’s absolutely nuts about all things audio. And he is smart enough to live where it’s warm all year.

George Callens. George works with Armand to run a $25 million dollar a year company and makes it looks easy. He’s on top of things, he’s in charge, and he’s one of the most stunningly competent people I know. George has helped me sort through some important challenges in my business.

Chris & Jim Howard. I’ve been friends with Jim & Chris just about as long as anyone in this business. They are a continuous inspiration, and “go to” people when I need help or advice.

Dr Mike Woo-Ming. He’s a friend, he’s a client, and he’s an International Man of Mystery.Remember that time you rented that house in Vegas and we all hung out there? That was awesome.

Howie Schwartz. One of the smartest and funniest people I have ever met and someone I am proud to know and call friend.

Yanik Silver. Brilliant marketer, tireless entrepreneur, and peerless promoter. I love the Underground Seminar, and his YSS is brilliant. I’m also inspired by what he’s been doing with the Maverick Brand.

Dan Kennedy. What can I say about Dan that hasn’t been said? I think he mostly invented the info-product/coaching business. He’s a writer’s writer. He lives the life he chose to live. And he seems to be a true genius when it comes to this stuff.

Jason Moffatt. Jason and I are probably about a much alike as East and West – but I count him as a friend, a keen marketing mind, and one of the very best salesmen I have ever met.

Tracy Childers. Tracy and I have held a few late-night brainstorming sessions involving large quantities of what another friend of mine calls “barley pop”. Every time I talk to him, I get about two dozen new ideas. And Tracy is inspiring in his ability to get products created, and his integrity and kindness.

Marlon Sanders. The first marketing product I ever bought was “The Amazing Formula”. It blew me away. Since then I’ve had a chance to get to know Marlon as one of the funniest, most intelligent, and most interesting people I know. Plus, have you seen this guy’s hats?

David Frey. He’s the “gentle giant” of Internet Marketing, He’s been an encourager, a good teacher, and someone I’ve felt inspired by since we first met at Stu McLaren’s Idea Incubator.

Ken McArthur. One of my favorite clients, Ken has been another ardent supporter of mine. He’s someone who is universally loved by everyone who knows him. And he invited me to speak in Orlando in February (Disney, here I come).

Clayton Makepeace. One of my copywriting “heroes”, Clayton is one sharp guy. And Clayton is the guy about whom I have the strangest “how we met” story of all. Sorry, I’m not telling. Not today, anyway.

Mary Mazzullo. She took the pictures that make me look good. Of course, that ‘s what she does. She also got me into the mysterious “Club 33”. And she’s a true friend.

Bob Bly. The copywriter’s copywriter, a scholar, and a gentleman. Bob really got me started down this road, and one of the highlights of my career was being quoted on the cover of “Secrets of a Freelance Writer”.

Mari Smith. First she was my student (in copywriting) and now she is my teacher (in Social Media Marketing). Thanks Mari!

Seth Godin. Some of the most intense learning I ever did, I did at Seth’s office. Thanks Seth!

This post grew as I was writing it.

The truth is, there are so many people I should thank I probably could never write it all down. So please, if you don’t see your name here, don’t take it personally. I love and appreciate you — and if you know me at all, I hope you know that’s true.

Bear with me, I have a couple more acknowledgments: my business could not exist without the support of my family (both near and far).

My wife and son are the two most important people on earth to me. I love you both with complete and reckless abandon.

Finally, and most importantly, I would be nothing if not for the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Every good thing I have (or ever will have) comes from Him.