- August 14, 2018 -

"Timid salesmen have skinny kids."

Zig Ziglar, you speak my language buddy.

I remember the first time (years ago) Cheryl called me and announced, "It works! I 'assumed the sale' just like you said to do."

"That's great! So who bought which service?

"No, it was the police. I got out of a ticket! I used the techniques that you always talk about - and it worked great! Easy peasy."

"God, Cheryl - what did you do?"

"Well, I went through a stop sign. But I calmly explained to him that it actually seems more logical for it to be a YIELD [...]

- August 13, 2018 -

You know the feeling.

When there's so much information coming at you that you can't possibly process it all.

Personally, I am of the opinion that technology is evil.

There are times I want to literally want to bash my computer against the wall.

Last week, the office was without Internet for three days.

Not a happy camper.

When we first got started with Infusionsoft, we gulped the "Automation Is Magic" Kool-aid down hard.

And the more we studied and learned, it literally felt like drinking from a fire hose.

...Too much to understand.

...Too many if this, then that scenarios.

...Too many moving parts.

...Too many [...]

- August 9, 2018 -

Suddenly, you break out in a cold sweat.

You feel dizzy and short of breath.

Nausea hits fast.

Pain shoots down your arm.

Chest pain is real.

Something's seriously wrong.

And as much as you don't wanna believe it?

You know, deep down, you're having a heart attack.

So whaddya do?

You call 9-1-1.

Right?

Because admit it (especially us men)...even though you avoid doctors' offices at all costs, you're not going to say:

"Geez, I probably ought to get this checked out or I might die...

But I've got a hell of a busy day.

Then I've got my mother-in-law's birthday dinner tomorrow - and I promised I'd get [...]

- August 8, 2018 -

You're either a business owner or interested in becoming one...or you wouldn't be reading my daily rants and confessions.

That makes us two peas in a pod.

We like to call our own shots.

Don't like punching somebody else's time clock even if it means working less.

We like control. Anything less feels like operating from a place of weakness.

We also want to be able to offer a guarantee for our services and products.

And there's the rub.

...What if Mr. Customer didn't read the contract terms in entirety? And then wants to withhold payment? Grrr...

...What if Mr. Customer didn't use your [...]

- August 7, 2018 -

A tale of two salesmen.

It's early 1900's.

Two competing shoe companies want to expand their market reach.

So they each send their top sales guy to Africa to scout out the potential.

After a day or so, the Salesman #1 finds a telegraph office and types out:

"Research complete. Stop. Situation hopeless. Stop. No one wears shoes here."

The Salesman #2 does his research and head to the same telegraph office. He types out this message to his boss:

"Research complete. Stop. Incredible opportunity. Stop. No one wears shoes here."

Two smart guys.

Same situation.

Opposite outlook.

So...we can end this email right here and conclude [...]

- August 6, 2018 -

August.

The month that Europeans go off the grid. Vacation for the entire month.

Most Americans are at least slowing down.

Lounging around the pool. Barbecuing in the backyard.

But not Gary Vaynerchuck. Nope, he's tripling down.

He's in the zone.

Hustling.

All in!

He's even created a video called "AUGUST."

Had I watched this in my 20's or 30's...I'd have been all about "Yaah! Hustle, dammit! I can sleep when I'm dead."

Did you ever look up the definition of the word "hustle"?

According to Webster, it means...

+ To push roughly; jostle.

+ To hurry, bustle.

+ To coerce or pressure someone into doing or choosing something.

+ To [...]

- August 2, 2018 -

When remembering his wife who died years ago from cancer at the age of 57, Don Shula -- winningest coach of the NFL -- tells what was one of his wife's favorite stories:

It was the summer of 1958. Don and Dorothy Shula were on their honeymoon at Ocean City, New Jersey. They were strolling along the beach when Don stopped and asked Dorothy to backpedal.

You know, run backwards in the soft beach sand.

She thought he was kidding. He wasn't.

So she jogged backward a few steps, looking puzzledly at her husband.

"In football, you have to do a [...]

- July 31, 2018 -

You've got Match.com.

...and eharmony

...Coffee Meets Bagel

...Tinder

...SilverSingles

...Over70Dating (There's seriously a site for this?)

There's even a site called "EliteSingles" where they claim that more than 2/3 of their members hold either a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree.

I do have a point to all this.

Yesterday we were making some changes to our Request a Consult page and a thought dawned on me...

Think about it for a minute, people.

You Home page is your shot at giving a great first impression. And you get a very small window of time to answer these three questions:

- July 30, 2018 -

I'm gonna to try to keep this short(er) today because to be perfectly honest, I feel like sh*t.

I never get sick and somehow picked up a bug and just can't shake it.

Gin and whiskey don't seem to be fixing it. (I'm kidding, people!!)

So what I really want to share with you today is doubly appropriate...because I need to swallow this pill myself.

For years...I had been taught, believed, and aspired to the idea that to be most productive is to do what I did BEST and train others to do everything else.

...all the tasks I hate to [...]

- July 26, 2018 -

I'm going to tell you a story.

And by including a few small details, I'm going to attempt to get you to draw a certain conclusion...a wrong conclusion.

Don't try to read between the lines, just listen to the story. Are you game?

(Clue: if you're fan of Perry Marshall, you may have heard the story - but listen anyway and play along with me 'cause I'm gonna up the ante.)

Perry's friend and colleague John Paul Mendocha dropped out of high school when he was 17.

The kid hitchhiked to Vegas and decided to become a professional gambler.

After a few [...]