Issue #2663

• WEALTHY: A new spin on how to allocate your investments (Rick Pendergraft)
• HEALTHY: Messing up Mother Nature (Kelley Herring)
• WISE: Al Lopez on doing what you love to do

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• MaryEllen’s exclusive interview with Bucky (“Effin’”) Dent (MaryEllen Tribby)
• Have you ever received e-mail from Bill Gates? (Robert Ringer)
• It’s Good to Know… about mining your social networking profile
• Add “lionize” to your vocabulary

== Highly Recommended ==

How You Could Make a ZERO-DOWNSIDE $3,120 a Month 

What if I told you that your escape to early retirement lies inside a plain white envelope?

Open the envelope, and you’ll discover one simple sentence that could help you make a fast and easy few grand a month.

Listen, American workers are having to put their retirement dreams on hold. HR and compensation consultancy Towers Perrin found that a whopping 59% of workers polled are planning to postpone their retirement.

With the economy on shaky ground, that could be you.

So why not say “YES!” to an extra $3,120 a month?

I know it sounds unbelievable. But you owe it to yourself and your financial future to find out more right here.

The 80/20 Rule and Investing

By Rick Pendergraft

You are probably familiar with the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule. It states that 80 percent of your results will come from 20 percent of your efforts. And this applies to investing as well as most other endeavors. For instance, 80 percent of your gains will likely come from 20 percent of your investments.

I also believe it applies to what I do in the investment world: short-term trading. I trade options and futures, but I don’t use all of my money for this. My wife and I have 80 percent of our investment money in long-term assets. She handles those investments while I get to play with the other 20 percent in the short-term.

How you diversify your portfolio also goes hand in hand with the 80/20 Rule. You should not have all your money in one stock, one investment vehicle, one market, or being handled by one firm. Look at how many people put all their money with Bernie Madoff and lost it.

[Ed. Note: Investment expert Rick Pendergraft and 8 of his colleagues will be revealing their top investment strategies this June. Find out how you can learn their secrets to making a fortune in today's market right here.]

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 “Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it’s business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don’t love what you’re doing and you can’t give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You’ll be an old man before you know it.”

Al Lopez

Entrepreneur, Teacher, AND World Series MVP

By MaryEllen Tribby

In 1978, New York Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent hit one of the most famous homeruns in baseball history, destroying the dreams of the Boston Red Sox and their chances of going to the World Series. As a huge fan, I remember the exact moment Bucky’s bat connected with Mike Torrez’s pitch. Little did I know that I’d be able to meet him 30 years later, after enrolling my son in the Bucky Dent Baseball School in Delray Beach, Florida. Recently, I had the chance to chat one-on-one with my childhood idol and pick his brain.

But we didn’t just talk about baseball. I got his insights into entrepreneurship, customer service, mentors and partners, and goal setting. And I discovered that the core values Bucky used to become one of the most famous baseball players in history are the same core values he has used his entire life to build and maintain a successful business and gratifying life.

His advice is right in line with what we recommend here at ETR. And you can use his experience and suggestions to make your own dreams come true – whether it’s to start a business, lose 20 pounds, or become a baseball star.

Entrepreneurship in the Making 

One of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Bucky was how synergistic our philosophies are. Here’s one example. Whether I am speaking at an ETR conference or industry event or I am attending one of my kids’ sporting events, I inevitably field someone’s question about “what kind of business should I start?” 

I always tell people they need to start a business that meets two major criteria: 

1. You must be passionate about it.
2. You must have experience in that field.

This is something Bucky not only understood 30 years ago but implemented. During our conversation, he shared with me that after his famous homerun many people wanted to go into business with him because he had a “name” that provided instant equity. He told me that the majority of these offers were for the restaurant business. He said, “I did not particularly like the idea of the restaurant business and I knew nothing about that business. What I knew and had so much experience in was baseball, and what I loved was baseball.”

It’s no wonder, then, that the business Bucky ended up pursuing was running a baseball school.

He told me that when he was a rookie with the White Sox, he was a guest instructor at a baseball school. He said he loved working with the kids. He had to alter his teaching method and vocabulary depending on the age and experience level of each child, because the only thing that mattered to him was that the child had a great week. He wanted to make sure the child walked away with even more passion for the sport and learned something in the process.

I thought to myself, “Here is someone who understands the value of ‘knowing your customer and creating the best customer experience possible.’”

This is one of ETR’s core business philosophies, and something I personally witness with Bucky’s business. My son attends his baseball school on EVERY school break as well as during the summer. Not only does Connor’s skill set continue to improve, his love for the game continues to grow at the same time. 

The Importance of Mentors & Partners 

One of the most important lessons I learned from Michael Masterson was that regardless of your professional status and your experience level, EVERYONE needs mentors and partners. Yet I see so many entrepreneurs fight this. They think they can go it alone, and it usually blows up in their face. 

This is yet another core business philosophy that Bucky shares with ETR. He told me that his older brother was his greatest mentor. He explained that his brother not only coached him in sports but was also the biggest believer in Bucky’s abilities.

Bucky’s feelings about the importance of mentors and partners is evident in the way he runs his business. He explained that there are now three partners at the school: 

1. Partner One is the money guy. He handles everything from reconciling the tuition revenue to paying the bills to dealing with taxes. Everything your CFO would do.

2. Partner Two runs the show behind the scenes. He makes sure the fields are in playing condition, hires the top-notch staff, deals with parent/child issues that arise, and has the marketing team report to him.

3. Partner Three is the face of the business. (That’s Bucky.) He decides on the curriculum. And, of course, he is out there with the other coaches teaching the kids.

The three primary aspects of Bucky’s business are managed by three people who are experts in their field – which is something you should apply to your business. If, for example, you are not a marketing genius and do not have the desire to learn how to market well, that is okay. But only if you recognize that marketing is the most important part of your business and you partner with an expert marketer. 

Still Setting Goals 

Thirty years after becoming famous, Bucky is still setting goals. But the practice of goal setting did not start when he became a professional athlete. It began when Bucky was a child, determining what he wanted from life. And what Bucky did back then and what we at ETR recommend today are very much in synch. 

1. Start with the big picture. Bucky shared with me that all his life he wanted to be a professional athlete. He trained physically, making it his primary goal to become healthy and fit. It was not until he was a sophomore in high school that he decided he wanted to be a professional baseball player, at which point the majority of his workouts become baseball-specific.

The same approach applies whether you are starting a business or you want to lose weight. 

2. Conquer roadblocks. Like ETR, Bucky believes in the total elimination of mental and physical roadblocks. For years, people told Bucky that he was neither good enough nor big enough to be a professional athlete. Instead of allowing that to alter his goals, he got those people out of his life.

I know that “things” seem to get in the way of accomplishing your goals. Let’s say you are determined to get healthy and fit. You tell yourself that you will eat healthy and walk one mile a day. But you have an unfortunate accident and break your leg.

What do you do now? Do you give up and allow this roadblock to prevent you from achieving your goal? The way I see it, you have two choices: 

• You can put off working toward your health goal for 12 weeks until your leg heals.

• You can start eating healthy while doing some simple exercises that do not involve your leg, and you can start keeping a journal of your progress.

But giving in is not an option. It’s easy to run into obstacles. But you can almost always find a way around them.

3. One is the loneliest number. Just like Bucky, we realize that there is strength in numbers. Study after study shows that having an “accountability partner” will give you a 65 percent higher success rate. Why? Because you have someone else doing some of the pushing.

You know those days when you do not feel like going to the gym or writing a poem or setting up a Google AdWords campaign? With a partner, you can always get help to move forward. It doesn’t matter what your goal is – once you share it with someone, you have a better chance of accomplishing that goal. 

It’s funny how life works out. If I’d had the opportunity to meet Bucky when I was 15 years old instead of now, the conversation would have been much different, I suspect. I would not have appreciated everything he had to offer. As it turned out, it was like talking to old friend – not only about baseball, but about business and the importance of excellent customer service and even the role of family values. 

If there is a child in your life who loves baseball, check out Bucky’s school at buckydentbaseballschool.com. 
And if you have had the opportunity to meet one of your childhood heroes, I would love to hear your story. Share it right here.

[Ed. Note: Now's your chance to put the business principles you've learned from ETR to work. You bring the motivation, we'll help you set up a website, pick a product, and start marketing your site. Basically, we'll give you everything you need to get your business up and running. Find out how to enter into this "ETR Partnership" right here.]

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== Highly Recommended ==

Why Get Your Hands Dirty When You Don’t Have to?

Where there’s a stampede, there’s an opportunity…

Thousands of wannabe entrepreneurs have jumped on a bandwagon to find, fix-up and flip foreclosures.

They thought they were being smart. They thought they were doing the opposite to the crowd and had the license to print money.

Little do they know… they ARE the crowd!

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. It’s a fact that many properties (sadly) are becoming available at rock bottom prices due to foreclosure. It’s also a fact that a few people are making money by flipping foreclosures…

And they’re earning every penny (when it all works out)!

Flipping foreclosures may sound great in principle, but stop and think about what you have to go through to achieve that…

Not my idea of easy money.

So what if I could wave a magic wand and show you a way to “cash in” on the foreclosure situation WITHOUT the need for ANY of the hard work?

Fact and Fiction Online

By Robert Ringer

• Bill Gates will send you $200 if you forward “this” e-mail to a friend.
• Big box store Target refuses to donate to veterans’ organizations.
• The Holocaust never happened.
• 9/11 was secretly perpetrated by the U.S. government.

As you can see from the examples above – all of them posted on various websites – although the Internet has become the most popular source of information these days, it’s full of wrong information. Sometimes it’s an innocent retelling of myth. In other cases, the people behind it are out to spread malicious lies to further their agendas.

In either case, you must check your sources before you rush to include anything that comes up in a Google search in your next e-zine article, term paper, or blog.

To guard against republishing fiction as fact, ask yourself: ”What sources of information are guiding my actions? Have I checked the facts, or am I simply relying on the word of others? Above all, have I applied common sense to this situation, or am I acting impulsively?”

Lazy thinking leads to the acceptance of fiction as fact. Our modern world is so saturated with fiction transformed into fact through the phenomenon of gradualism (where a lie is repeated so many times it gradually gains currency) that even the most alert and rational among us can be fooled. This is just one reason why the search for truth is a lifetime

[Ed. Note: To learn how to survive and prosper during the turbulent years ahead, check out Robert Ringer's powerful audio series Succeeding in a World of Chaos.

And be sure to sign up for a FREE subscription to his one-of-a-kind e-letter A Voice of Sanity in an Insane World.]

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Pharma Fouls Up Again!

By Kelley Herring

Omega-3 fats are some of Mother Nature’s most potent medicines. They reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as ease inflammation, asthma, and pain.

As positive research results on these healthy fats continue to mount, fish oil manufacturers and salmon purveyors have benefited from what has turned into a healthy trend. Now pharmaceutical companies are trying to get a slice of the omega pie.

Natural substances aren’t patentable, but GlaxoSmithKline has found a way around that. By chemically manipulating fish oil, they have created Lovaza – an omega-3 ethyl ester that can be prescribed for around $2.75 per pill.

Unlike real fish oil, though, Lovaza comes with a laundry list of “side effects,” the most common being infection, flu symptoms, and upset stomach. But they don’t end there. Enlarged abdomen, fecal incontinence, and suicide are also listed as risk factors in the prescribing literature.

Sound pretty scary? It may get scarier. Long-term side effects of any pharmaceutical are largely unknown when the drug is released to the public, and more often than not go unreported.

If that isn’t enough, here’s the kicker. Lovaza is approved for use in heart disease – as a cholesterol-lowering medication. Can you guess what the carrier of Lovaza’s fish oil might be? It’s partially hydrogenated soybean oil – a known promoter of heart disease.

Instead of “asking your doctor what Lovaza can do for you,” why don’t you ask your doctor what Lovaza actually does? If he is prescribing this poison, chances are he’s in the dark about its harmful side effects.

Find a new physician. And get your omega-3s – side effect free – by enjoying wild salmon, sardines, and taking Carlson’s fish oil.

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder of Healing Gourmet – the world's leading website on the power of foods to promote health and protect against disease. Her latest work is a revolutionary health transformation program called, Your Plate, Your Fate. In this 7-part program you'll learn how to protect your health and optimize your weight by maximizing the nutrients in your food. Plus, you'll get 3 bonus books to help clear your kitchen of harmful ingredients, spot the nutritional deficiencies that could be setting you up for disease and the 20 tests your doctor should perform (but probably hasn’t) to guard your health. Learn more here.]

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It’s Good to Know: Mining Your Social Networking Profile

When you signed up for Facebook or MySpace, you may have thought that nobody outside of your friends and family would be interested in your profile. But specialty companies are increasingly “mining” your social networking activities for in-depth marketing data they can sell. They search for posts, comments, and other tidbits from your profile that detail your favorite movies or TV shows, products, music, etc.

One company, Colligent, sells data to the music industry that is used to help determine which demographics buy music from certain artists. And they’ve recently signed up clients from other industries.

(Source: Wired)

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== Highly Recommended ==

Clever Solutions to Life’s Problems in Under 3 Minutes

What if you had an ingenious solution or answer to almost any of life’s little frustrations or major problems?  Sound like a dream come true, but almost too good to believe?  Maybe it’s time to start believing…

From gossip to liars to lousy credit ratings…to irritating neighbors, IRS audits, and bully bosses…to billing errors, back pain, and out of control in-laws…

We’ve got answers for you – tons of ’em -  to these and hundreds more of life’s frustrations. You’ll be amazed at how quick and effective these clever solutions are for almost all of life’s problems. And they are all contained in a FREE book we want to give you. 

Just flip through the index, find the page number that deals with that problem, and take a couple of minutes to read the answer.  To claim your FREE copy, simply click here.

Word to the Wise: Lionize

To “lionize” (LY-uh-nize) – from the word “lion” – is to treat or regard as an object of great interest or importance.

Example (as used by Jay Nordlinger in the National Review): “But the urge to lionize him [Alfred Brendel] is an indication that we live in a terrible age for pianists. There is today almost no pianist worth crossing the street for.”

[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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