Issue #2612
- WEALTHY: Don’t sign up for a real estate investing program without reading this! (Julie Broad)
- HEALTHY: A healthier way to enjoy a favorite beverage (Kelley Herring)
- WISE: Michael Masterson on turning dreams into reality
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- “Must-see TV,” ETR style (Suzanne Richardson)
- 3 ways to expand your list of contacts (Brian Tracy)
- It’s Fun to Know… why you should be swearing at work
- Add “propound” to your vocabulary
== Highly Recommended ==
Cash from the Ash
Is it possible to make YOUR fortune from the recession with virtually no cash, no risk AND ethically?
Well, if you call the $3.2 MILLION I made by helping others in distress, then I guess the answer is a resounding “YES”!
A “robot” can help make this sort of wealth a reality for you NOW. The worse the economy gets, the more money you make.
Please, I’m not here to tell you the same ol’ same ol’ “buy things cheap in recession”! Sure, that works IF you have the cash. My method involves NO buying at all…
In a few minutes, you’ll understand.
Please read the report below without delay- you deserve to at least be informed about this amazing, low-risk cash-on-demand system VERY few people know about:
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“You can spend your whole life dreaming. And dreams are wonderful things. By all means, dream away. But if you want to turn those dreams into reality, you need to transform them into goals.”
Michael Masterson
The Problem With “Fire”
By Julie Broad
We felt swindled. We’d spent nearly $20,000 on several instructional programs, on a mentor for our real estate investments, and to incorporate. Despite all of that, my husband and I found ourselves in court trying to defend fire code violation charges for a six-unit property we’d purchased.
We blamed the property manager who had turned our property into a drug distribution center. And we absolutely blamed the Canadian postal system for not delivering the first violation notice. Mostly, we were angry with the people behind the programs we’d put time and money into.
Eventually, we came to accept the ugly truth. The mistake that was nearly fatal to our finances and our real estate investing business had been 100 percent preventable… and it was nobody’s fault but our own.
If you’re getting started as a real estate investor… or if you’re beginning virtually ANY new venture… pay careful attention to what we did wrong and how you can prevent it from happening to you.
It all boils down to Michael Masterson’s “Ready, Fire, Aim” philosophy – one that my husband and I subscribe to wholeheartedly. We firmly believe that you need to get going on your dreams. Without taking action, there’s no chance that they will come true.
But we were so anxious to “Fire” – to get going on the moneymaking venture we were so excited about – that we forgot about a critical part of the process…
Now let me assure you, the programs we’d invested in delivered on their promises. They gave us the tools and techniques we needed to take action. With what we learned from them – and our mentor – we flipped a house and purchased three others for a total of 12 units in only a few months. And we did it with very little money down.
Educating ourselves was smart.
So where did we go wrong?
Looking back, we realize that although there was nothing wrong with the programs we took, we had not determined WHY we wanted to take them, WHAT we wanted to learn, and HOW we would apply what we learned. Essentially, we had completely skipped the “Ready” step! And taking action without getting ready doesn’t work.
To learn from our mistake, consider the following before you sign up for any program:
1. What are your goals?
I follow the template Michael Masterson laid out in his book Automatic Wealth. Set your lifetime goals, your medium-term (5- to 10-year) goals, and then plan the next year.
When my husband and I signed up for our first real estate investing program, we’d already successfully purchased two rental properties. We had decided that we wanted to get rich as quickly as possible, and real estate seemed like the best way to do that without much effort. We’d even set a “goal” of earning $2,000 per month in positive cash flow from real estate within a year.
However, just because you have a measurable outcome and a deadline for achieving it doesn’t mean your goal is feasible. As Michael said in his article “Are You Goal Setting… or Still Dreaming?“ any goal you set MUST be realistic.
You have to consider the time, money, and skills you have to invest in that outcome, and determine where the gaps are. Then, you fill those gaps. That is a critical step in getting Ready.
Had we done that, we would have set a different short-term goal for ourselves. Plus, we would have been clear and specific on what we needed to get out of that first program.
What we really needed to learn was how to buy properties that require minimal time and effort to manage. Instead, we chased our loosely defined goal of $2,000 per month of positive cash flow. And we started buying any property we could without regard for whether it was going to take us closer to or further away from our long-term goal to become real estate millionaires.
2. Who is teaching what you need to learn?
Find a program or a mentor that can help you achieve your goal for the next year. If you’ve identified a skills gap that needs filling, find a program that can fill it. If you aren’t sure the program will deliver on your objectives, write the program coordinators and ask. If you don’t like the response you get (or get no response at all!), don’t sign up.
3. What are your specific goals for that program?
This is slightly different than your goal for the year. The right program will move you closer to your goal for the year, but you should also have a specific goal for the program.
For example, I recently went to a one-day real estate investing seminar in Vancouver. Before I went, I wrote down two goals that I would focus on that day. The first goal was to gather information that would help us develop our own real estate investing program. The second goal was to come up with three blog posts or topics for articles I could write based on discussions at the seminar.
I got more out of that day because I was focused on specific goals that would take me closer to the main goal I am working on for the year.
4. What actions should you take?
A good program will get you excited to get started. All you will be thinking about is “Firing”! Taking action is critical to your success, but first take the time to make a plan.
This is the second half of getting ready. You have to know WHAT you want to achieve, but you also need to figure out HOW you will use what you’ve learned to achieve it. Then, take action!
When we took our first real estate investing program years ago, we skipped right through to taking action. We didn’t carefully consider our long-range objectives. So we didn’t have any real idea of what we should be getting out of the program. We just knew that we wanted to be rich real estate investors. The sooner the better!
Had we taken a few hours to set realistic, specific goals for ourselves, we could have saved tens of thousands of dollars on repairs and fines for the kind of buildings we shouldn’t have bought, and three years of headaches with terrible tenants. And we could have achieved our goal of becoming millionaire real estate investors that much faster.
Taking good programs and learning from mentors is an excellent way to acquire the tools you need to take action and realize your dreams. But save yourself money and pain by getting “Ready” before you “Fire.” Then – later – the “Aiming” part comes really easy.
[Ed. Note: Times may be tough, but real estate investing is still a great way to bring in extra income. For expert advice on making money as a real estate investor, sign up for Internet Money Club member Julie Broad's free monthly newsletter. Get your free report for making money with real estate here
Planning, as Julie points out, is a critical part of achieving your dreams. If you're not good at planning, or don't know where to start, you need ETR's Internet Money Club Independent Learner Edition. We'll give you a 10-pound "playbook" to Internet success that includes everything you need to go from idea to fully-functioning Internet business. No need to worry about "firing" too quickly - the Independent Learner Edition will guide you every step of the way. Learn more right now. ]
Economic Uncertainty = Deep Profits for YOU This Year?
Don’t let the talking heads of the mass media frighten you into inaction!
A troubled marketplace means MASSIVE opportunities for those in the know. Yes, I’m talking to you…
This April in sunny Orlando, Florida, Early to Rise will prove that YOU can enjoy passive income streams that profit regardless of what the economy does.
Join us at our exciting “Profits in Paradise” Wealth Summit. You will learn how easy it is to set up a variety of income streams that churn out cash month after month – and these profit streams are NOT dependent upon what the market does.
Moreover, we’ve lined up a “Dream Team” of experts in their respective fields, based on a documented track record and ability to teach and share what they know.
You get it all – soup to nuts – action steps for everything from boosting your present income… to quickly setting up profitable online businesses that throw off profits – even in economic downturns.
Plus, once you’ve got a system for setting up passive income streams, we will hand you proven, actionable strategies for swelling your portfolio in record time.
Nothing will be left to chance when your success is on the line. And every idea and action step is presented in clear, “beginner friendly” language you can immediately use.
Hurry and you will lock in the low price for early bird registration. Don’t wait until the price jumps in the coming days. If you are serious about quickly amassing great wealth – even during uncertain economic times – this is your best opportunity.
Click here for the exciting details…
ETR Insider Report: A New Way to Get Your ETR Fix
The ETR offices have been buzzing for the past few weeks…
One of Michael Masterson’s core prohibitions has been turned right on its head!
As our regular readers know, Michael loathes TV. It’s a waste of time. It numbs your brain. And it creates an action-inhibiting lethargy that is murder on your goals.
Nonetheless, according to a Nielsen Company survey, the average American watches about 151 hours of TV per month.
And now, ETR wants you to watch more TV!
Okay, okay. There is a little catch…
We don’t want you to indiscriminately turn on the boob tube…
What we want you to do is tune in once a week to ETR’s brand-new feature: ETR TV.
We figure, if you’re going to watch television anyway, why not profit from it at the same time?
You see, ETR TV isn’t like normal television. In each segment, we’ll aim to give you at least one piece of useful advice or cutting-edge information that you can use immediately to improve your health, your mind, or your financial future.
ETR TV will bring you expert advice on breakthrough marketing techniques from MaryEllen Tribby… proven business-building strategies from Michael Masterson… techniques for writing strong sales copy from Charlie Byrne… steps for increasing your website traffic from Edwin Huertas… and more.
We’ve got some edgy debates coming up that could change the way you think about business. Our experts will respond to some of our most-asked reader questions. You’ll get an up-close-and-personal look at some of ETR’s most powerful marketing and business-building techniques. And we’ve even got a few “roving reporters” who plan to bring you behind-the-scenes action from ETR conferences.
ETR TV is a new way to get useful advice from the experts you trust… and get your TV fix at the same time.
Our first episode airs in a few weeks. Keep reading ETR to learn the details.
[Ed. Note: Help make ETR TV the best TV show on the Net! Let us know what topics you'd like us to cover right here.
Leveraging Your Potential With Contacts
By Brian Tracy
Knowing the right people and being known by them can open doors for you that can save you years of hard work. The quality and quantity of your contacts and your relationships will have more to do with your success than perhaps any other factor.
Here are three things you can do to start making powerful and lasting connections:
1. Make a list of the 25 people you feel it would be most useful for you to get to know. Develop a strategy to meet every one of them over the next 12 months.
2. Network at every opportunity. Join business and trade associations. Attend meetings. Volunteer to serve on a key committee.
3. Get involved in community service organizations. The best people in every community, the people you should know and who should know you, are usually involved in public service in some way. Start with the United Way in your own city, or get involved in any cause you care about or are interested in.
Follow these steps and jobs, referrals, and deals will flow to you.
[Ed. Note: Increasing your contacts to expand your influence and build your career is just a small taste of the business and personal development skills taught by Brian Tracy (www.briantracy.com). Learn how to get the most out of your networking circle here.
Going online is another sure way to build your business and profits. Learn how ETR can help you do just that here. ]
Cold Coffee: A Hot Idea
Coffee is not just a breakfast drink or an afternoon pick-me-up. Recent research shows that coffee can reduce your risk of cancer. And you can make your java even healthier if you use a “Toddy.”
A Toddy is cold-brewing system created four decades ago by Todd Simpson (a chemical engineering graduate of Cornell University). It is based on a method that’s been used for centuries in South America.
Cold-brewing creates coffee with 67 percent less acid than conventional hot-brewing. The result: bold, smooth, sweet flavor. But that’s not all…
Our bodies are already overloaded with acid as a result of the typical American diet. And coffee contributes to the problem. But using a Toddy (which costs around $40) can slash the acid so significantly that even sufferers of chronic acid indigestion and other digestive disorders can enjoy a cup of joe.
[Ed. Note: One of the best ways to stay healthy and live longer is to eat good foods. Nutrition expert Kelley Herring has collected dozens of her healthiest and most delicious recipes in her e-book Guilt Free Desserts. Pick up your copy today.
For more advice on which foods you should - and shouldn't - be eating to stay in top health, sign up for ETR's free natural health newsletter
It's Fun to Know: Why You Should Be Swearing at Work
A study by the U.K.-based Leadership and Organization Development Journal has found that so-called "social swearing" can boost workers' morale and productivity. The researchers claim that mild profanity, as opposed to hardcore vulgarity, appears to function as a stress reliever. And that casual off-color remarks and good-humored insults, such as one might hear among friends, create solidarity.
Because swearing appears to be of some benefit in the workplace (who knew?), the researchers say that managers should not ban it. However, they do recommend keeping on eye on anyone who abuses the "privilege."
"Hell, yeah!" we say.
(Source: MarketWatch)
== Highly Recommended ==
The Best Feeling in the World
Accomplishing a simple goal can have powerful, long-lasting results...
Once you finally learn to play the trumpet, or start a business, or get promoted to CEO, or get your pre-baby body back...
You'll notice that people start treating you differently. They'll respect you more. They'll compliment you. They might even try to imitate your success.
And the way you'll feel about yourself is unparalleled. You'll have new confidence.
New happiness. Some new stress, perhaps. But new pride in yourself and your abilities.
Achieving a goal you've had for years... There's nothing quite like it.
It's time for you to feel proud of yourself.
Word to the Wise: Propound
To "propound" (pruh-POWND) - from the Lain for "to set forth" - is to offer for consideration.
Example (as used by William Burrows in This New Ocean) :
"Aristarchus not only challenged God, but he, and then Copernicus, propounded a theory that seemed so stupid on the face of it that even a fool would not believe it."
[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, 2009
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- What Inspires YOU to Be a Better You? – Michael Masterson has mentioned that the good and decent acts of friends, family, associates, and st…
- The First Step to Becoming a Millionaire Real Estate Investor – Thanks to real estate investing, I no longer have to work full-time. If I want to go hiking in the m…
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- Use the 24-Hour Rule to Cure Yourself of This Success-Thwarting “Bug” – The most common cause of failure, says Michael Masterson, is procrastination. The thief of dreams. Y…
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I would like to see anything by Bob Bly.
Maryellen,
You could begin with procrastination, and then goal setting!
Could you find someone with intellegence who can explain exactly what a stock market bottom is supposed to look like?
I would like to know Michael’s thought on starting a used clothing store with less than $500 cash. I don’t want to turn my passion for clothing into just another info product, though it is in the early stages. I would like to grow this $500 into a used high-end clothing store within 1 year.
Firstly, Congratulations!, ETR TVI?, Cool, I like it!. I would like to see there copywriting tips and Copywriting jobs opportunities with emails and telephones. Will you do that?.
I would like to hear about people who have taken the time, years if necessary, to develop and market successful products that have made a real difference in people’s lives.
Help us understand how to convert dreams into goals. Also, how to stay stuck on those goals until they become reality.
Dear Julie,
Thank you…Excellent article, with a unique hidden message using the 4 letter word—”Plan”.
A lot of readers are looking but fail to see the simple truths:
“Plan your work, work your plan”…
“People who fail to plan, plan to fail”…
Mahalo!
I enjoy yuou health and exercise segments. More of them Please!
Thank You
You might want to sign up for ETR’s sister publication totalhealthbreakthroughs.com to get lots of health and exercise articles.
@Myles Saulibio – I just saw your note – thank you! I am pleased that you like my article and I think you’ve summarized the message of my piece very nicely!! It is applicable to just about anything in life – it’s just we learned the lesson the hardest with real estate investing!! “Plan your work, work your plan” – love it. Thanks again.
Congrats on the move forward! Show people practical plans to beat the socialist conscription of welath by the Fedinistas. Tax planning to keep wealth instead of being sodomized by the New World Order Bilderberg government. Promote Alex Jones new film:http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7535755025025800195&hl=undefined and his INFOWARS.com. Gary Norths good also. It’s time Americans “pull the trigger” by taking action on these Bilderberg bastards instead of prancing around in whimsical apathy. If theres a NWO I can’t keep my capital. Screw the NWO!
ETR TV!!! Nice… I’d like to see the following topics: Implementation… Getting it all done
I’d like to see articles on marketing and market research techniques. I’d especially like to know how to use social media for marketing.
Thank you for your newsletter. It’s always a pleasure to read. Good Luck with ETR TV. I’m sure it will be a great success.