Do you ever dream of getting your book published with a big publisher like Wiley or Harper Collins? Here’s my advice. Don’t waste your time. There’s a much easier and profitable path to book publishing these days than dealing with the big publishers. Let me explain. I have been published 8 times with a traditional publisher: Wiley (and their predecessor Wrox Press). Read More
Oh man, I’m so PISSED about this story I just read! Just the other day (On Mother’s Day no less) a cop warned a 10-year-old girl that her sidewalk hopscotch game was illegal and criminal damage. WTF!!!!???? I couldn’t make this up if I wanted to. Here’s a link to the original article. Read More
Not trying to offend any hippies. OK, maybe a little. But I know I’ll never be a vegetarian. I mean, really. How can you NOT love bacon???!!! There’s really only one thing better than bacon… And that’s bacon, wrapped in bacon. MMMMMMM!!! So what the hell does this have to do with anything? I don’t really know, actually. It’s early here and I haven’t had my breakfast yet. Read More
One of my old marketing friends, Matt Trainer, wrote a really great post the other day. It had an impact on me and I wanted to share it. He’s agreed to let me share it in full here. But first… —–COMMERCIAL BREAK—— We are still holding our online “yard sale”. Read More
Have you ever had a yard sale or at least gone to a yard sale? Every summer when I was growing up, we would spent countless hours preparing for our huge yard sale. My mother would organize this not only for our family, but also for other neighbors who lived close by to us. Read More
When you are attempting to get from point A to point B it makes sense to take the path of least resistance. In our fast paced, time crunched society most of us would be grateful for any opportunity to arrive at our destination faster. But there’s a price that we are paying for this type of mindset? Read More
Today is Q&A day. We’ll be doing these from time to time to answer all your burning questions. Here are a few of the hottest questions we’ve seen in the last few weeks. Question: What’s your number one problem in your business and how did you solve it? Answer: This one is EASY. My number one biggest problem has always been focus. Read More
It’s funny how serendipity plays into life so often. I’m gonna continue the theme from Denise’s email yesterday. I read a pretty revealing blog today. It made my day and I think it will yours, too. It’s pretty hard-edged in style and language, so if you are easily offended: 1) Get over it. Life is too short to be so prudish. 2) Read number 1. Read More
Today, I learned about a show on MTV called ‘Teen Mom.’ I hardly ever watch TV (and for good reason). So I’m not very “clued in” when it comes to whatever pop-culture crap that kids are watching these days. This show has been running for a couple seasons and apparently has some pretty high rankings. It’s one of those “reality” shows that follow the lives of teenage pregnant girls. Read More
You are a flawed creature. We all are. We have doubts. We cry. We fail. We have issues with our parents. With our family. We are all scared. We all have some form of ugly duckling. We are human. Accept yourself as who you are, warts and all. /——COMMERCIAL BREAK——-/ Get your online money machine starting TODAY! What the heck are you waiting for? Go here NOW! Read More
Staying focused can be tough! When you have a lot on your plate, it can be easy to feel distracted and pulled in a lot of different directions… And when this happens, you may find yourself spending your time on things that aren’t as important as others. Read More
It’s so crazy how life programs us. Somehow we go from playing with toys to being an “adult”. So boring! Adulthood can be hard. You have to make painful decisions and do things like pay bills. Yuck and yuck! When we are kids, rainbows, bunnies, unicorns, magic tricks, and all kinds of happy things drive us to imagine. Somehow that all gets lost in business nearly 100% of the time. Read More
I’m starting to believe that college may be a complete waste of time in today’s economic mine field. And SERIOUS amounts of money. The stats are sobering. Read More
Late on a Friday afternoon is the worst time to receive an email containing bad news related to business. It leaves you with the entire weekend to think about the problem because it can’t be resolved until everyone returns to work on Monday. Unfortunately, I had this happen to me recently. Due to a boneheaded decision on my part, a joint venture partner and I had a falling out. Read More
I just read a statistic that people lie an average of 10-200 times a day. That’s a lot of lies, even if they are all just “little white lies”. So why do we do it? I think it’s because deep inside we are scared to death. We are scared that people will see us for who we really are and not like us. Read More
In 1985, his father died, leaving behind a neighborhood tavern that was losing money and a mountain of debt accumulated keeping the joint open. John juggled it with the opening of a new, hopefully better business – a pizzeria. It is the 3rd largest pizza chain, behind Dominos and Pizza Hut, with $3-billion in annual revenue. Papa John’s. Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. John Schnatter aka. Read More
Even though some claim it’s flushing money down the toilet, sometimes you just NEED to fire your customers. Our flagship product is a perfect example. Go here to check it out. Some people are shocked when I refuse to allow them to buy it. Why in the world would I do such a thing? Simple. Because some people are better NOT being your customer. Read More
Tablet devices such as iPads and Kindles can be seen nearly everywhere. People use them for work and play. Many young children, even toddlers, now have their own tablet device. The iPad is known for being the most elite of the tablets, with its $700-$1,000 price tag. Apple is reported to have sold over 84 million iPads through October 2012. Read More
Here’s something really crazy you don’t know about me. My father’s family stole our house from us. Yep, you read that right. They were truly evil people that never wanted my mother’s name on any assets. So my father never put my mother’s name on the mortgage. So when he died, they kicked us out AND even took our cars. Read More
I read a really great (but sad) article today. The best line from that article: “A little push today turns into a big life tomorrow.” That hit me really hard today. I’ve had friends like the JB in that article. Some people just have demons. We all have some. The lesson I really took from that article is that all that matters each day is to push. Read More
At the age of 12, I proudly became a potato peeler. Every summer, I would go to the local drive-in six days a week to scrub and peel potatoes. Yes, read that again. At TWELVE YEARS OLD, I had a full time job. I felt like I was in heaven. Most kids today would whine and complain about that, even if they were paid a lot of money. Read More
“I don’t have one” was Dave’s response when I asked to see his business plan for his new company. You may think this is normal for a first time entrepreneurial adventure. But what if I told you that Dave has started many companies in his 20-year tenure as an entrepreneur? Read More
Kids can be so cruel. “Look at her shoes! She’s so poor!” screamed the cruelest girl in my grade school. I used to hear that all the time growing up. We were very poor and had to wear old clothes from Goodwill. Read More
People often ask me the quickest ways to manifest more money into their lives. Read More
I don’t know what everyone is fuss’n about. Measuring the ROI of your Facebook fans is actually not that hard. In fact, I’m worried this article might end up too short. Things You’ll Need: 1. Google Analytics 2. PixelTrakk (or equivalent link tracking tool) 3. Spreadsheet Collecting The Data First, make sure that there is a Google Analytics code on every page of your site. Read More
Monday’s tax return deadline is quickly approaching, but did you know it’s not too late to save money when you file your return? The key is to avoid common taxpayer mistakes, such as letting the IRS know how much money you made, what your name is, or where you live. Read More
Over a decade ago, when I first left graduate school with my Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from McMaster University’s School of Human Biodynamics, I worked a J-O-B in the nutritional sciences industry. The pay was good for a young, single man living in the big city, and I enjoyed the work. Read More
“When someone is successful, there is always a feeling they were lucky. Luck plays a part, sure, but you must have iron discipline and energy and hunger and desire” – Faye Dunaway WELL, THIS WILL BE DISAPPOINTING. Geez, another one. You may or may not be familiar with the comedian, Chelsea Handler. Read More
Four years ago when my daughter Mikaela was just ten years old she was given an assignment for school. She was to write a story about what she would do if she was given a piece of land. When I came home from the office, she asked me if I would read her story to make sure it was okay. I said, “Of course… I’ll do it after dinner. Read More
In order to squeeze the most productivity out of your day – so that you have the satisfaction of accomplishment, rather than the dreaded feeling of another ‘lost day’ – you really need to have a plan. And the plan not only shows you what you should be doing, but what you need to avoid as well. Read More
My brother, David Ward, is a talented videographer, producer, and director, and has helped me and Jynell with a lot of our videos. He lives in Austin, the second film capital of the world. I’ll never forget the time David called me, full of excitement, to update me on how one of his videos that he posted on YouTube has gotten over 2 million views in just 10 days. Read More
More and more businesses today are realizing the power of social media. What once was a hub for friends to exchange personal information is now the new way for businesses to network and market their products and services. A great example of this is Facebook. Millions and millions of people post every day on Facebook. Read More
You have most likely heard the expression: “Build it and they will come”. This phrase is referring to a business that releases a product or service that just magically sells itself. This sounds great in theory, but products and services don’t just sell themselves automatically. Read More
There’s a famous quote by Arthur Ashe that reads: “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” Today’s strategy is about triggering the law of circulation by giving. And you may be wondering, what does giving have to do with Client Attraction and making more money. Read More
Apple is famous for selling music and iPhone apps. People, including children, all over the world have an Apple account and can download a new app or song with just a few clicks. But most small businesses don’t realize that Apple is also an amazing sales channel for business products, even if you’re not a software company. Read More
Howdy… Let’s talk about money. Do you have enough? Do you know how much “enough” is, for you? Most folks are pretty clueless about moolah. They desire it, they fear it, they respect and hate and love it… and they assign all kinds of magical powers to it. Read More
If you’re like most of the business owners and entrepreneurs I meet, you work very hard. But as the saying goes, “It’s not how much money you make. It’s how much you keep.” And many business owners I talk to are frustrated because they don’t have as much to show for all their hard work as they think they ought to. Read More
Every decision we make, no matter how small we think it is at the time, changes the direction of our life. Some examples include: Whether or not to go to college. Who we marry. To drive after drinking, or not. (This one hits a personal chord for me, and I will share my entire DUI story later). To work for someone else or step out on our own. Read More
Oscar Wilde said: “It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating.” There’s nothing wrong with both, of course. Those who insist that money doesn’t buy happiness are usually short on money, ignorant of means of getting any, and selling their philosophy hard because misery loves company. Mark Twain wrote that, actually, no one can stand prosperity – another man’s. Read More
“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” – Fitzhugh Dodson Did you know that less than 3 percent of Americans have written goals, and of those who do less than 1 percent review and rewrite their goals on a regular basis? Read More
Content marketing involves creating and posting helpful content on various web sites online, while increasing exposure and awareness for your business. Examples of content marketing include submitting articles, blog posts, photos, videos, or podcasts to various types of online sites and publication channels. One reason why content marketing is such a valuable tool is because it can be a free way to advertise your business. Read More
In the last several years, smartphone usage has been on the rise. As of September of 2012, 45 percent of adults now use a smartphone and 66 percent of young adults between 18 and 29 own a smartphone. In this fast-paced age of information, we all want to stay in touch and informed, and our smartphones help us do just that. Read More
One of the most productive methods of growing a small business is through the use of mastermind groups. Mastermind groups combine the collective knowledge and efforts of a group of individuals working together to benefit a common cause. Mastermind groups have been highly successful in establishing many major enterprises in the business world today. The core purpose of these groups is to help each other succeed. Read More
It was a simple business call. My colleague – “Larry” – had invited me to speak to his mastermind group on a teleconference later in the week. Nothing out of the ordinary. But my sister-in-law’s mouth was hanging wide open. “I can’t believe he called you at 9:00 at night! Don’t you think that is totally inappropriate?” Nancy asked. Read More
The high cost of living today is enough to get on anyone’s nerves, especially when you live on a budget. One of the best ways to offset this trend is to learn the art of negotiation. Negotiating a better deal on the cost of services and prices was a fairly common practice in the past. With some effort on your part, negotiating can serve you the same purpose today. Read More
Over the years, podcasting has grown into a mainstream way of communicating information. A podcast is basically audio (or video) content streamed over the Internet to listeners in a series of episodes. The beauty of podcasting is listeners can download the content and listen to it later. Benefits include brand exposure to a wider audience, credibility, and free advertising. Read More
Luck has been in my corner since day one back in 1975. I was extraordinarily lucky to be born in Canada into a lower-middle class family. Read More
Most entrepreneurs who are in startup phase don’t see the money come into the bank for quite some time. And as the biz owner with the bills to pay, a few months with no revenue can seem like an eternity. Read More
When I first started college in 1992 as a computer science and business major, the Internet wasn’t even available to students. I remember how amazed I was to first learn in my second and third year computer classes about this incredible idea of being able to see pages of information from other computers around the world through some type of “browser”. Read More
Social bookmarking sites allow people to easily share their favorite articles and blog posts with others. Needless to say, these sites can be a source of great free advertising for those who know how to use them correctly. Below is an overview of some of the best known social bookmarking sites that you will want to take advantage of to get a ton of traffic for your business: 1. Read More
Click here to read Part 1 of this article. Four Ways to Access Money There are only four ways to access capital: 1. Borrow it – You can borrow the money from another person, usually done in the form of a promissory note. You can borrow the money from a bank in the form of a loan or line of credit. Read More
“We can’t afford it!” Did you ever hear that growing up? I was brought up in your average middle class American family. My parents didn’t have a lot of money. We drove a big brown station wagon to school and dining out was only on special occasions. Like any child, there were always things that I wanted that cost money. Read More
Have you ever been searching for something online, and found something that looked way too similar to one of your works? If so, you probably got a sick feeling in your stomach and felt like you got totally ripped off. The question then becomes, what do you do when it looks like someone has ripped off your content or your idea? Read More
More and more businesses today are realizing the power of Facebook. Millions of people post every day on Facebook. As a social media giant, Facebook has the power to help you grow your business with massive exposure to a vast audience for little to no charge. The key is to get more eyeballs to your Company fan page. So, how do you do that? Read More
There must have been enough food for an entire army. His team had filled jar upon jar with roasted nuts, chocolate covered almonds, and trail mix. There were a dozen bags of chips, and more candy was overflowing from the kitchen. Plus, he had a professional catering company on-site to serve up burgers, flatbread pizzas, and steaks during the game. Read More
Today’s topic may sound a little kooky at first, but it’s about business karma. Yes, karma. Karma, client attraction, making more money, how does that all relate? Well, let me tell you a story. I did an event recently and I brought somebody up on stage for a business makeover. Read More
Many small business owners try to do everything themselves, either because they can’t afford to hire an assistant, or because they think that no one else can do the task as well. The problem with this approach is that you will be pulled in too many directions and will never be able to make significant progress in the areas that will truly grow your business. Read More
You have probably wished at some point in your business or life that there were 25 hours in a day. Let’s face it, there are days that no matter what you do, you simply can’t get everything done that you wanted to. If this sounds like you, then you are not alone. Many business owners feel overwhelmed at one point or another in their business. Read More
In the Renegade Millionaire System, I dispense this advice: #1: BE the Wizard; #2: BEWARE the Wizard. Wizards are very powerful, so it is better to be one than to be influenced by one. Everybody welcomes the convincing Mystic. People so desperately wish to Believe. Read More
I’m the type of person who tends to be a perfectionist. It is my natural instinct to keep working on a project until it is as good as it possibly can be. Perhaps you can even relate to this yourself? Over the years as a business owner, I’ve learned that perfectionism is actually the #1 killer of fast business growth. Read More
Every good marketer I know loves marketing. They read as much as they can about it, understand the elements that make up a good marketing campaign, and are always thinking of ways to make each campaign better. However, every great marketer I know not only loves marketing, but they also understand that marketing is a methodical process. Read More
Your attitude about your life and how much gratitude you show on a daily basis can greatly impact your success. In fact, the more grateful you are for what you already have (however minimal it may be), the faster you can achieve the success that you are looking for. If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard the expression “what you focus on, expands”. Read More
You hear a lot of talk these days about “going green”. You hear comments like “save the environment”, “cut out the excess waste”, etc. And all of those are important concerns that we all should take seriously. However, many business owners today think that “going green” will put a huge dent in their wallets. Read More
Most people start a business because they want control over their destiny and financial independence, while doing what they enjoy at the same time. However, often times the feeling of control fades away when you have to work long hours and miss family functions to meet deadlines. Before you know it, you begin to regret ever starting the business in the first place. Does this sound like you? Read More
Have you ever wondered why 80% of all small businesses fail, while the big dogs keep getting bigger and bigger? It’s because the big dogs know the secret formula to growing any kind of business, and they usually keep it to themselves.
The secret formula is incredibly simple to understand, and most small businesses don’t even know about it, yet it works like gangbusters when it is actually implemented… More Details
