A Tale of Two Winners

Issue #2368

• WEALTHY: Who are you paying first? (Robert Ringer)
• HEALTHY: The fat-burning power of protein (Kelley Herring)
• WISE: Herman Hesse on making the best of the cards you’re dealt

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• A "cheat sheet" for your first advertising campaign (Michael Masterson)
• Expert advice that’s absolutely free (Suzanne Richardson)
• It’s Fun to Know… about the elephant trunk snorkel
• Add "subfusc" to your vocabulary

== Highly Recommended ==

Lower Prices… Better Service

Stop paying crazy high prices… and stop settling for puny profits, poor service and second-rate health care!

Suppose I told you three secrets that entitled you to…

1. Triple your nest egg in just 11 months with complete safety.

2. Block cancer and heart attacks for your whole life — at a cost of 15 cents.

3. Laugh at high gas prices as you get $12 cash back every time you fill up your car.

Read on…

 "I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value."

Herman Hesse

A Tale of Two Winners

By Robert Ringer  

"Leo" had a good strategy for handling big paydays. Throughout his career, whenever he received a big chunk of income, the first thing he did was carve out an amount sufficient to cover the income taxes he would have to pay on it and put the money in a special bank account.

The result, of course, was invisible, because the potential problem (having to cough up an unexpected number of dollars at tax time) never became an actual problem. Leo would then set aside 90 percent of the remaining money to expand his ever-increasing financial cushion. And with the remaining 10 percent, he indulged himself and his family with whatever luxuries their hearts desired.

I don’t believe I’ve ever known anyone who planned his financial life so carefully and followed through in such a disciplined manner. Leo did, in fact, hit a string of crises in the mid-eighties that might have put most wealthy people under. But thanks to his taxes-first, cushion-second, luxuries-third approach to allocating income, he was able to weather each and every adversity.

Today, Leo lives in a $35 million oceanfront mansion in Bermuda. Prior to moving to Bermuda full-time, he sold his home in Aspen for a cool $19.75 million, which The Wall Street Journal reported to be the biggest residential real estate sale in the history of Colorado.

I guess you’d say that because of his approach to finances, Leo is the consummate financial winner. Which brings me to another friend whom I had always placed in the same category as Leo.

Jack was the epitome of success - a go-go entrepreneur, always on the move, always making deals, always enthusiastic and positive. Like Leo, he owned two magnificent homes (in Florida and Wisconsin), not to mention a fishing lodge in Panama.

Just as important, Jack was a superb human being - kind, honest, and gracious to a fault. He was one of those lucky people who possess a natural quality that makes everyone instantly like and trust them.

Back in the early eighties, Jack and I were involved in a cellular-telephone deal together, and, as one of the financial requirements for filing cellular-licensing applications, he had to submit his personal financial statement. It was an impressive $32 million - a very liquid $32 million.

As the years passed, I moved abroad and got caught up in other matters. As a result, I lost contact with Jack. I did think about him from time to time and wondered how his life was going. But those "I’ll have to give him a call sometime" thoughts never manifested themselves into reality.

I vividly recall saying to my wife on one occasion, when Jack’s name happened to come up in conversation, "Knowing what a magic touch Jack has, I wouldn’t be surprised if his $32 million net worth has grown to more than a hundred million by now." Just the thought made me feel happy for him, because it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

Recently, I received an e-mail from Jack’s youngest son, Jay, saying that his father had passed away. Jay and I subsequently spoke by phone, and what he told me nearly took my breath away.

Jack had died penniless in a nursing home. About seven years after my last contact with him, the IRS presented him with a huge tax bill that forced him to sell most of what he owned at the time, including his palatial homes.

Dementia had begun to set in, followed by a stroke, then confinement to a wheelchair. The last several years of his life, Jack couldn’t speak at all and had to be fed and cared for by a nurse.

I was touched beyond words when Jay told me about the last time he saw his father alive.

Family members had warned him that Jack was so far gone he wouldn’t even recognize his own son. But they were wrong. Though he couldn’t speak, tears rolled down Jack’s cheeks when Jay entered the room.

It is impossible for me to focus on a mental picture of Jack confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak, his brain deadened - and penniless, to boot. For me, he will always be vibrant, confident, and the picture of prosperity.

I don’t know the details of Jack’s IRS problems, but sometimes the unforeseen circumstances Fate places in our path are just too much to handle. In this regard, Jack’s sad end reminds me of the words of Baltasar Gracian, the seventeenth century Jesuit priest who cautioned, "Place your winnings under cover when they are sufficient or large. … Fortune soon tires of carrying anyone long on her shoulders."

The words on Forrest Gump’s T-shirt put it more bluntly: "S___ happens." And it happens so frequently that a rational person has no choice but to recognize it as an integral part of life.

What’s especially irritating about it is that no matter how smart you are, no matter how successful you may be, and no matter how carefully you plan your financial affairs, there will likely be unforeseen circumstances that will register 8.4 at your epicenter.

All anyone can do to prepare for a seismic life shock of that magnitude is never forget that Fate sits on the other side of the Table of Life, plotting her next move. Make your financial moves very carefully, and never underestimate the unforeseen circumstances that she surely has in store for you.

Overconfidence is a dangerous card to play. And arrogance is as close as one can come to playing a fatal card. It’s a good idea to operate your life on the assumption that unforeseen circumstances are lurking in the shadows, just around the next bend. Fortune does not carry anyone on her shoulders indefinitely.

You should always try to hold a clear picture in your mind of the end result you’re after. And to the degree you become adept at this skill, you’re likely to end up with a very good batting average - payable in dollars. Nevertheless, it’s all for naught if you fail to make allowances for the roadblocks that are sure to be placed in your path by that fickle trickster known to humankind as Fate.

[Ed. Note: You can learn how to keep Fortune on your side with Robert Ringer's powerful personal-development package, The Magic of Synchronicity. In it, you'll find out how to achieve prosperity, purpose, and peace of mind by getting all areas of your life in sync. Plus, get The Best of Robert Ringer, Volumes I & II - absolutely free. Learn more here.

And sign up for Robert's free Voice of Sanity e-letter here.]

Click to comment on this article.

How Many Automatic Income Streams Can YOU Handle?

The Internet has now come of age as the most incredible marketing tool in history.

Think about it for a moment… It’s possible to spend no more than a fiver, write a couple of basic ads, and have instant access to millions of potential customers all in a matter of minutes!

This has created a real “sink or swim” situation. Those who master Internet secrets will profit massively. Those who don’t are simply doomed to sit on the sidelines and watch others make the real money.

Jim Sheridan’s plan banked him $187,296 in one day. The great news is - you can copy Jim’s plan exactly. The program is called Instant Internet Income and I guarantee it does exactly what it says it does.

Take a look at how Jim brought in over $187,000 in a single day!

How to Create Your First Advertising Campaign

By Michael Masterson

 The Big Idea for an advertising campaign comes from your product’s USP (unique selling proposition). If the USP is strong, the Big Idea will be strong too.

The Big Promise comes from the Big Idea. If the Big Idea is the right kind of Big Idea, it will have a Big Promise contained within it.

Your specific marketing scheme should be based on that Big Promise. If the Big Promise is big enough, you won’t have any trouble coming up with dozens of claims that will excite your potential customers and persuade them to buy your product.

Here’s a checklist to walk yourself through the process:

• Make a list of every feature of your product that you can think of.

• Make a separate list of every possible benefit those features can provide.

• Identify a rising trend in your market - a trend that is just beginning.

• Ask yourself: "Which of my product benefits could tie into that trend?"

• Identify those benefits as potential USPs.

• By talking to experienced industry professionals and interviewing potential customers, find out which of your potential USPs are the strongest.

• For each of those strong USPs, create a Big Idea.

• For each of those Big Ideas, create one or several headlines that express a Big Promise.

• Working with a copywriter, make a list of claims for your product, including proof of those claims.

• Get at least two versions of the advertisement written - each version expressing a different copy approach - and test them.

• Take the version that works best, and make that the basis of all your sales and marketing efforts.

As you roll out an advertising campaign, make plans to start the process again so you can keep your selling ahead of the market.

[Ed. Note: The above was excerpted from Michael Masterson's book, Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat, published with permission of John Wiley & Sons. The book has hit the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Business Week lists of business best-sellers.

Teaching you the best way to sell your products isn't the only thing Michael does in Ready, Fire, Aim. He shows how veteran and rookie entrepreneurs alike can take their businesses to the next level. You'll learn how to identify and solve the problems that crop up during each stage of a company's growth... and how to take advantage of profit opportunities along the way. Order your copy of Ready, Fire, Aim now.]

Click to comment on this article.

ETR Insider Report: You Have Questions, We Have Answers

By Suzanne Richardson

Wouldn’t it be nice to get insider information and advice on your specific problem from an experienced expert in the field?

Let’s say you’re a first-time entrepreneur. And though you don’t have much in the way of experience, now you’re in a position where you have to create new products. You have to sell those products. You have to throw up a website. You have to hire employees. Maybe fire some employees. You have to make your business grow.

If you wanted to get the insider secrets on how to do those things, you could hire a consultant. You could always get a mentor. Or you could learn by trial and error. All perfectly good methods.

But there’s an easier way. And it’s free.

Simply send your questions to us - about business building, marketing, investing, health, getting a job, writing better, hiring employees, setting priorities, balancing your life and your job, getting promoted, or practically anything else you can think of.

• If you own a business, you might ask MaryEllen Tribby about the best way to interview new hires…

• If you’re a fledgling copywriter, you might ask Charlie Byrne about the top mistakes he sees new copywriters make…

• If you have a new website, you might ask Alexis Siemon how to start your search engine marketing campaign…

• If you’ve just come into some money, you might ask Andrew Gordon where he thinks it will grow the most…

Just jot down your question in an e-mail. Keep it to two paragraphs - but include as much detail as you think we’ll need to answer it fully. Then send it to AskETR@ETRfeedback.com. We’ll make sure it gets to the right person. Then we’ll print your question (with a pseudonym, if you prefer) and our expert’s response in an issue of Early to Rise.

We’ve got a team full of experts ready to help. All you need to do is ask.

Click to comment on this article.

Fat Loss: A Calorie Is NOT a Calorie

By Kelley Herring

While losing weight isn’t the easiest task for some, the equation is pretty simple: To drop pounds, you need to burn more calories than you consume.

Now what if I told you that certain foods come with their own built-in fat-burning mechanism? Well, it’s true. These foods are thermogenic - meaning they produce heat and burn calories. Diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) is the latest promising trend in weight loss.

A recent study published in Metabolism evaluated the effects of a fat-rich meal and a protein-rich meal on lean and obese women. The meals contained the same number of calories and had the same volume.

The researchers found that diet-induced thermogenesis was significantly higher in all the women, by almost threefold, after the consumption of the protein-rich meal in comparison with the fat-rich meal.

Get more fat-burning power in your diet by eating lean protein at every meal. And be sure to choose protein-rich snacks like organic mozzarella cheese sticks, almonds, and boiled eggs to rev up your metabolism and stave off hunger.

[Ed. Note: Get more specific recommendations for which foods are best for your health in ETR's FREE natural health e-letter. Sign up today.
 
And be sure to stop by Kelley's website, www.healinggourmet.com.]

Click to comment on this article.

It’s Fun to Know: The Elephant Trunk Snorkel

New fossil finds have lent credence to the theory that elephant trunks evolved to work as snorkels. The fossils, from a purported elephant ancestor the size of a large pig, were found in an area of Egypt that was made up of swamps and rivers in prehistoric times. Chemical analysis of the fossil teeth showed that the animal lived in fresh water and ate freshwater plants.

A competing theory holds that elephant trunks evolved to serve as a fifth appendage that could reach beyond the animal’s tusks.

(Source: New Scientist)

Click to comment on this article.

 == Highly Recommended ==

It’s Not Too Late to Achieve All Your Goals in 2008

If your New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside, don’t worry.

You’re not the only one who resolutely vowed to achieve certain things in 2008… but got too caught up in work and family and personal issues to make any real progress.

It doesn’t mean that you don’t WANT to find a new job… or add $100,000 to your income… or lose 35 pounds… or keep your house organized.

And it certainly doesn’t mean that you don’t CARE about accomplishing these goals.

It just means that - like millions of people - you just don’t have enough time to get what you want.

We’ve developed a program that helps you create time, overcome obstacles, and regain control of your life. 

And don’t worry – it requires only 15 minutes of your time each day.

Get all the details here.

- Charlie Byrne
Associate Publisher, Early to Rise

Word to the Wise: Subfusc

"Subfusc" (sub-FUSK) - from the Latin for "brownish" - means dark or drab.

Example (as used by Emily Gordon in Newsday): "The tea-cosy, property of one Edmund Gravel… is haunted by a six-legged emcee for various ’subfusc but transparent’ ghosts."

[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]

Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008

Similar Articles:

• How Building Business Relationships will Build Your Business - One of my biggest business assets has been the "big-name" relationships I’ve created…
• It’s Fun to Know: Fingerprints - A fetus’s fingerprints form by the end of the third month of the mother’s pregnancy. The unique patt…
• It’s Fun to Know: An Unexpected Cannibal - Butterflies - sweet, gentle butterflies - are cannibals. Newly hatched butterfly larvae often eat th…
• The Curse of the Lottery - The story 20/20 did on Jack Whittaker, winner of $315 million in the Powerball multi-state lottery i…
• Are You Goal Setting… or Still Dreaming? - We all have dreams. We all carry movies in our minds about how life could be for us in a better worl…
• Word to the Wise: Irascible - Someone who’s "irascible" (ih-RAS-uh-bul) is hot-tempered. The word is from the Latin for …
• It’s Fun to Know: Glow-in-the-Dark Scorpions - To find scorpions at night, scientists use ultraviolet light, also known as black light. Scorpion ex…