• WEALTHY: Double your sales by answering 2 questions (Alex Mandossian)
• HEALTHY: 4-factor fat loss (Craig Ballantyne)
• WISE: Napoleon on interest and fear

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Why you don’t have to worry about taxes as an affiliate (George Dahir)
• How a simple change in thinking can help you achieve your dreams (Raymond Aaron)
• It’s Good to Know… about dollar signs and restaurant menus
• Add “etiolate” to your vocabulary

The Secret “Three-Step Strategy” to Internet Riches

You’ll want to read and reread the “three-step strategy” to Internet Riches very, very carefully… for it holds the secret to Internet riches beyond your wildest dreams.



I’m dead serious.



A warning before you check it out - it sounds almost too simple. But don’t let its simplicity fool you.



This strategy is so incredibly powerful… and will save you so much time, money, and energy… that you will be absolutely astonished at how much progress you’ll make when you follow it.



What’s more, it’ll place you right on the fast track to making money from your own new website almost immediately.



Grab over $1,500 in bonuses when you sign up for ETR’s 5 Days in July Business Building Conference today.



Don’t delay - your hotel discount ends TODAY at 7:00 pm Eastern!

How to Get People to Open Your E-mails

By Alex Mandossian



Picture this: You spend hours writing an article that you KNOW will motivate people to tears/laughter/action. You send it to your e-mail list - a group of people who have specifically asked to hear from you - and no one opens the e-mail. The article ends up unread, deep in your subscribers’ inboxes. Your words aren’t digested, your ideas aren’t discussed, and your suggestions aren’t tested.



Frustrating, no?



It’s even more frustrating if you’re an Internet marketer and your revenue relies on people opening your e-mails, reading your articles or sales letters, and taking the actions you recommend.



In most (if not all) cases, you’ll never have a 100 percent open rate - where every last one of your subscribers opens your e-mail. In fact, according to e-mail marketing company Campaign Monitor, “If you are getting an open rate between 20 percent and 40 percent, you are probably somewhere around average.”



The thing is, the more people who open your e-mails, the more chances you have to make sales.



Let’s say 5 percent of your subscribers open your e-mails. Of that 5 percent, 10 percent buy the product you’re offering. If you have 1,000 subscribers, that means you’ll make $500 for every $100 product you sell via e-mail.



Even if your conversion rate (the number of people who buy what you’re selling) remains the same, you can DOUBLE the number of sales you make if you can double the number of people who open your e-mails. Today, I’m going to give you two simple ways to make that happen.



Here’s the heart of the matter: Whenever you send an e-mail message to your subscriber list or to your friends or colleagues, they ask themselves these two critical questions before taking action:



1. WHO is this e-mail from?



2. WHAT is this e-mail about?



Test this yourself the next time you’re about to open the e-mail messages in your inbox. If you’re like most people I’ve surveyed, you ask yourself WHO? and WHAT? before grabbing your mouse, clicking, and reading each one.



The WHO? Question



Answering the WHO? question is easy, because it’s right there in the “from line.” I recommend that your from line never changes. Here’s what mine looks like:



~ Alex Mandossian ~



Specifically, I put a tilde symbol (”~”), then a space, then my first name, then another space, then my last name, then another space, then a second tilde.



That’s it.



Key Point: The reason I use the tilde in my from line is because it often puts my message at the top of my recipients’ list of new e-mails. Many e-mail programs sort alphabetically, and they give the tilde symbol an even higher alphabetical ranking than words starting with the letter “A” (like my name).



The WHAT? Question



Answering the WHAT? question is not so easy, because it depends on the way the “subject line” is written. Unlike your from line, it makes sense to constantly test your subject line copy until you find the winners.



I don’t make any claims with my subject line, because I feel the one and only job of that copy is to pique my recipients’ interest - so they open, read, and click the link in the body of the e-mail message.



The purpose of the from line is to motivate your recipients to read your subject line. The purpose of your subject line is to persuade your recipients to read the body copy of the e-mail.



It’s that simple.



What to Do Now



First, I want you to decide on what your from line will look like for all your e-mail communications. Once you make this decision, always keep your from line the same. Never change it.



I recommend using tildes or asterisks or dashes in your from line so you’ll get top alpha-numerical priority in your recipients’ inboxes. Here are a few examples:



* Jane Doe *



~ Jane Doe ~



- Jane Doe -



Second, I want you to become a student of effective subject line copy. So keep a file of subject lines that elicit your own curiosity. (Remember, that’s what you want your subject lines to do for your recipients.)



The subject lines that work best for me are brief (seven words or less). Here are some that have had good pulling power for me:

• This ONE is for you…
  
• Your presence is requested…
  
• Have you seen this?
  
• Will you say “YES” to this?
  
• This is about our appointment…
  
• It’s not your fault…
  
• Who’s to blame for this?
  
  

What about you? Have you ever written a winning subject line? If so, please share it here.



[Ed. Note: Alex Mandossian knows a thing or two about success. He has generated over $233 million in sales for his clients. And in the past three years, he increased his own revenues from $1.5 million to $5 million. You can get Alex's advice and practical marketing tips for info-publishers, small-business owners, and entrepreneurs for free at www.AlexMandossianToday.com.



Increasing your e-mail open rates is just one way to boost your revenues. Now you can get in-depth, cutting-edge marketing techniques and tips from ETR Publisher and CEO MaryEllen Tribby, the rainmaker who guided the Early to Rise team from $8 million to $26+ million in revenues in 15 months. Learn how to get your hands on all that multimillion-dollar advice, including play-by-plays of case studies... copywriting "cheat sheets"... media buying guides... and much more right here.]

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Making $2,200 a Week Doesn’t Get Any Easier Than This!

Imagine a “click and profit” program that lets you capture a weekly tax-free $550 - $2,200+ side income from your PC – just by following “dummy-proof” red and green signals…



Nick Laight, of Canonbury Publishing, tells me he has a program which does just that!



According to Nick, first: you simply start up your PC and wait for either a red or green dot to appear on your screen.



Then wait for a little alarm bell to ring, follow a few simple steps, and lock in your day’s profit!



Read his full report and see how you can try it out at home without risk, for 30 days, right here.

Taxes? What Taxes?

By George Dahir



The benefits of becoming an affiliate marketer are obvious. You’re working with an established business that has proven products and marketing copy. So you simply promote their products online, send customers to the “parent” website to buy, and take a cut of each sale.



You don’t have to worry about customer service, order processing, or any other operational headaches. And now, despite the passage of affiliate tax laws in many states, you can keep sales taxes on your “not to worry” list. You’ll still have to pay taxes on your earnings, of course. But the merchant you affiliate with will be responsible for collecting taxes from customers - not you, the affiliate!



This is great news. Affiliate marketing has become a cash cow, especially in the last few years. As a matter of fact, out of all of the affiliates who participated in the recent 2009 Affiliate Summit Affstat report, 71 percent stated that their average monthly income from affiliate marketing is as high as $5,000. The other 29 percent are making between $5,000 and $20,000 a month.



If you’ve been shying away from this lucrative business because you’re afraid you don’t have the Internet marketing chops, I have a solution for you.



Early to Rise will be holding a Super Affiliate Retreat on July 18 in Denver, Colorado. The event, hosted by me (ETR’s Affiliate Manager) and Edwin Huertas (ETR’s Web Marketing Manager) will be a one-day crash course in affiliate marketing. Every attendee will learn exactly how to become a successful affiliate marketer, including the secrets behind some “super affiliates” who’ve already earned between $100,000 and $756,000 by working with Early to Rise.



[Ed. Note: There are only a few seats left for the 2009 ETR Super Affiliate Retreat. This is the perfect opportunity to learn how to make money in affiliate marketing. Click here to find out more.]



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Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

By Raymond Aaron



There is a “mental game” going on in the subconscious part of your brain. So says John Assaraf, author of The Neuroscience of Financial Success, who has studied the effects of positive thinking on the brain for 20 years. He explains that this tells your brain’s version of Google exactly what you want it to search for in the outside world.



Change your brain’s “search criteria” from negative to positive, and you change what your brain focuses on. Among other things, this allows you to see opportunities in a new light.



To achieve any goal, success mentor Bob Cox points out, you need to believe that you have the ability to take advantage of every opportunity to succeed. So, by eliminating negative thinking, you help motivate yourself to take action.



It’s easy to do the kind of “neural reconditioning” I’m talking about. Here’s how…



When you’re aware that you’re having negative thoughts… immediately implant the opposite. Let’s say you’re driving to a job interview and you start thinking about how you could botch an answer… or appear too nervous… or forget to shake the interviewer’s hand. Instead of allowing yourself to continue with this negative thinking, tell yourself that you will dazzle her. You will get her to laugh at your stories, you will wow her with your past performance, and you will prove that you are well-qualified for the position. Then visualize yourself at the interview, doing really well. This will open you up to doing exactly what you need to do to sail through with flying colors.



Do this with every challenge you face… and you will begin to change your life.



Ed. Note: A well-known international speaker Raymond Aaron is the author of seven books, including the New York Times bestseller Chicken Soup for the Parent’s Soul. Get two free chapters of his latest book - Double Your Income Doing What You Love - at RaymondAaron.com.]

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Correction:

Due to a formatting error in Wednesday’s issue of Early to Rise, we left out some important information from Kelley Herring’s article on the connection between sleep and your immune system. Along with getting sufficient sleep, says Kelley, you can amp-up your immune system by “getting adequate vitamin D (all it takes is exposing yourself to sunlight for 15-20 minutes, three days a week) and immune-boosting nutrients, including vitamin C and selenium.”



You can read the full article right here.

4 Simple Factors That Can Help You Lose Weight, Starting Today

By Craig Ballantyne



Fat loss is simple. It involves just four factors.



1. Nutrition. The rules are easy. Eat whole, natural foods and consume fewer calories than you need. Nothing is more important than nutrition for fat loss and health, so get rid of the junk.



2. Resistance training. Most people neglect this, but if you want a better body, you have to sculpt it with resistance training. That could mean bodyweight exercises or weight exercises. (You can get more work done in less time with my non-competing superset system.)



3. Interval training. As I have said many times before, interval training has been shown to burn belly fat better than long, slow cardio.



4. Social support. It’s easy to get social support online. Just visit any of the weight-loss forums and ask for help. Powerful, powerful stuff, but often overlooked!



[Ed. Note: There's no need to exercise for hours on end to get the lean, fit body you want. Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne can help you burn fat and build muscle with three 45-minute workouts a week. Learn how right here.



For more easy-to-implement ideas about how to live longer and feel better, sign up for ETR's free natural health newsletter.]



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It’s Good to Know: Dollar Signs and Restaurant Menus

Ever noticed that restaurant menus sometimes leave the dollar sign off the price? You may have assumed that it’s meant to encourage you to go for higher-ticket options… by removing, ever so slightly, the association between price and actual money. Now, a study by Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research, seems to back up that assumption. They found that diners given menus with no dollar signs, just numbers, spent significantly more than those given menus with dollar signs.



(Source: Cornell University and Myrtle Beach Sun)


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Don’t Get Mad at Wall Streeters… Get Rich Off Them

Are you a disillusioned stock market investor?



Or maybe even just a “regular” Joe or Jane alarmed by the economic woes reported daily on every TV channel, radio station, the Internet, newspapers, and magazines?



If so I’d like to invite you to join my “anti-Wall Street” club.



We don’t sit around bad-mouthing fat cats or lamenting our lost dollars.



In the Liberty Street League, we’re getting even by making money hand over fist “off Wall Street.”



Find out if you qualify to join the League today.

Word to the Wise: Etiolate

To “etiolate” (EE-tee-uh-late) - from the Latin for “straw” - means to blanch or bleach; to make sickly.



Example (as used by Colin Thubron in The Lost Heart of Asia): “Under that etiolated sky all life seemed wrung out.”



[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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

• WEALTHY: Have someone else put $1,900 a month into your retirement fund (Julie Broad)
• HEALTHY: Why you should do as the French do (Kelley Herring)
• WISE: Claude Hopkins on the science of advertising

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• 2 books every marketer must own (Clayton Makepeace)
• The check is in the mail (Charles Newcastle)
• It’s Fun to Know… about the firefighting jumbo jet
• Add “seraglio” to your vocabulary

This Is the Kind of Technical Know-How You Need to Succeed

Can you log on to your Internet connection?

Do you know how to use a web browser and send e-mail?

If so, you have more than enough technical knowledge to build your own working website and create the foundation for a business that throws off a solid, safe, and steady long-term income stream.

Grab over $1,500 in bonuses when you sign up for ETR’s 5 Days in July Business Building Conference today.

Don’t delay - your hotel discount ends Friday at 7:00 pm Eastern!

The Easiest Little Retirement Plan

By Julie Broad 

My brother is a talented carpenter. Before becoming a carpenter, he was an amazing chef. He is also extremely good at repairing and rebuilding cars. In fact, he’s good at anything that requires patience and attention to detail. Except, that is, when it comes to his finances.

He just turned 32, and says he is happy to keep working for the next 30 years or more. But as his sister, I worry because he’s saved only a few hundred dollars for his retirement. So I decided to help him.

Here’s the plan I came up with - and it’s one you might be able to use too.

By taking on some odd jobs on weekends (people are always asking him to build fences or help with kitchen renovations), I think he will be able to save enough money to get into real estate within the year. All he needs is 10 percent to put down on a beat-up house that he can buy for, say, $200,000. 

For a couple of years, he can live in that house while fixing it up and continuing to save money. After turning the house into a property he can rent out for about $1,400 a month, he can then buy another beat-up house that he can fix up and live in permanently.

Assuming he adds about $25,000 in value to his investment property and it appreciates by 4 percent each year, in 25 years he will own a place worth $576,743. And his tenants will have paid off the mortgage for him! It’s almost like having someone else put $1,900 a month into his retirement savings account! ($576,000 divided by 25 years divided by 12 months = $1,920) 

Even if the property doesn’t appreciate by 4 percent every year (which has historically been the average), his tenants still will have paid off his mortgage in 25 years. Plus, he will be enjoying the rental income he gets each month - and that rental income will keep increasing.

Of course, he also will have paid off his own home by then… giving him more than $1 million worth of property that he can cash in for his retirement.

My brother has already sold one of his cars, pocketing a few thousand dollars from the proceeds, and has begun to save about $500 a month just by having one less vehicle to insure and maintain. He’s also done a few weekend jobs that have added up to about $1,500. At this rate, he will be ready to buy his first property in less than 12 months and start his retirement plan in earnest. 

[Ed. Note: For more insider strategies for getting started as a real estate investor, sign up for real estate expert Julie Broad's free monthly newsletter. Get your free report for making money with real estate here. 

For a unique way to make money in real estate –-taking advantage of the foreclosure boom - check out the Bandwagon Raiding Machine here.]

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Why Good Sales Copy Is Priceless

By Clayton Makepeace

About a week ago, a subscriber called to inquire if my direct-marketing agency, Response Ink, would build a website for him. Although we are not looking to add new clients at this time, his company has an intriguing - even ingenious - business model. And so my curiosity got the better of me.

As we talked, it became clear that, instead of searching for the best marketing strategies and sales copy that money can buy, he was price-shopping us! And so I politely quoted our admittedly outrageous price (which includes a commission on each sale we produce), then let him off the hook by apologizing that we couldn’t get his site done in the time allotted… and politely wished him good luck.

At this moment - unless I miss my guess - he’s now discovering the joys of working with the lowest bidder: a company that agreed to his deadline and quoted a dirt-cheap price. My prediction? He’s about to endure a painful and costly object lesson in the true value of great marketing.

Here’s what typically happens:

• The lowest bidder proves (surprise, surprise!) incompetent. The sales copy stinks, the Web pages are ugly and unreadable, functionality is limited - and the third, fourth, fifth, etc. drafts blow the deadline to smithereens.
  
• The lowest bidder is fired. The next-lowest bidder is hired and starts from scratch. This step is often repeated two or three times until a website - of sorts - is finally finished.
  
• Sales stink. Months after the initial deadline, the website finally goes live, and promptly disappoints by producing pathetic sales.
  Pity.

Whether from hubris or ignorance, this otherwise very bright man is making one of the most common blunders in the business world. Believing that they have “built a better mousetrap,” folks like him expect the world to automatically beat a path to their door.

They evidently understand that they need sales copy - although they’re probably not sure why. And they’re certainly ignorant of the fact that great marketing can often produce many times the sales, revenues, and profits that mediocre, lukewarm promotions do, thus multiplying the size of their business in a fraction of the time.

To “penny-wise, pound-foolish” guys like these, marketing strategies and copywriting are merely a commodity. Just another business expense. No more important to their company’s success than ink cartridges, yellow pads, or toilet paper.

One can only hope that, sooner or later, they will have an epiphany. That they will finally realize that great marketing strategies and sales copy, combined with flawless execution, is AT LEAST as essential to their success as the quality of their products. Quite possibly, even more so.

98 Years Ago, Albert Lasker Already Knew What These Poor Guys Are Learning NOW…

During the early days of the twentieth century, advertisers begged for a coveted spot on advertising agency Lord & Thomas’s client list. And they happily paid L&T’s outlandish fees. Whether they sold washing machines, Palmolive soap, or Lucky Strikes, every company that experienced L&T’s sales miracles knew full well that the great copy the agency produced was well worth the price.

Albert Lasker - the so-called “founder of modern advertising” - knew it too. That’s why he gladly hired John E. Kennedy for a whopping 205 times more than he was paying another copywriter at the time. And it’s why, in 1908, Lasker jumped at the chance to hire a 42-year-old copywriter named Claude C. Hopkins for a mindboggling 4 million (in 2009 dollars).

Hopkins had already carved out a stellar advertising career for himself by using the very “Salesmanship in Print” and “Reason-Why Advertising” principles Kennedy and Lasker so fervently believed in. And his brilliant copy took the sales of numerous products to the moon - including Pepsodent, Quaker’s Puffed Wheat, and Chevrolets.

How to Make Any Product Feel Truly Unique

Of all his great campaigns, Hopkins is probably most famous for the one he created for Schlitz beer in the early 1900s.

In those days, a beer’s purity was of paramount importance to consumers. And knowing this, most breweries claimed - but never really proved - that their beers were the purest available.

Hopkins reasoned that he could lift Schlitz head and shoulders above the competition by proving his claims beyond the shadow of a doubt. Instead of merely claiming purity, he would trumpet the reasons why Schlitz was purer than the rest. To do that, he needed to become an expert on the brewing process. And to do that, he would have to visit the brewery.

Now, picture this… Here’s a guy who makes millions as a copywriter - arguably the greatest word-juggler of his time - and he realizes that second-hand research isn’t enough.

Hopkins could have simply visited a library (remember them?) to do his research on the brewer’s art. Better yet, he could have saved several valuable days of his time and just sent an eager young apprentice to the brewery to do it.

But, no. Hopkins understood that, to write the most compelling ads possible, he needed a deep personal understanding of the product. He needed to experience the sights, smells, and sounds of beer making - and get answers to every question that sprang into his mind.

Only, after his tour of the brewery, did Hopkins begin writing. In meticulous detail, he described the 4,000-foot-deep artesian wells from which Schlitz drew its water… the wood pulp filters that ensured the water was 100 percent pure… the spotless plant… the way Schlitz’s bottles were sanitized with germ-scalding steam… and more.
But Hopkins did leave out one teeensy-weeensy little fact: Pretty much every brewery made its beer just like Schlitz did!

In reality, Schlitz’s beer wasn’t one iota purer than its competitors’ brewskis were. But by being the first to tell the public about the steps they took to ensure purity, Hopkins convinced the entire nation that Schlitz was the purest beer anywhere.

More than that: By making Schlitz the first brewery to reveal how beer was made, Hopkins ROBBED competing breweries of their purity claims. After his ads ran, any brewery that claimed its beer was pure came off looking like a second-rate, “me-too” competitor.

RESULT: In no time flat, Schlitz soared from America’s fifth-biggest-selling beer… to NUMERO UNO!

Hopkins described his strategy beautifully in his book My Life in Advertising:

“This is a situation which occurs in most advertising problems. The article is not unique. It embodies no great advantages. Perhaps countless people can make similar products. But tell the pains you take to excel.

“Tell factors and features which others deem too commonplace to claim. Your product will come to typify those excellencies. If others claim them afterward, it will only serve to advertise you.

“There are few advertised products which cannot be imitated. Few who dominate a field have any exclusive advantage. They were simply the first to tell certain convincing facts.”

Although Claude C. Hopkins may be best known for his Schlitz campaigns, he also pioneered sampling and the use of coupons, replaced reckless claims with money-back guarantees… and much, much more. In fact, he reveals so many powerful copywriting techniques in My Life in Advertisingand Scientific Advertising, that nearly all of today’s top writers still worship the ground he walked upon.

If you have not read him - or have not read him lately - I strongly suggest that you remedy this situation post-haste.

[Ed. Note: Master copywriter Clayton Makepeace publishes the highly acclaimed e-zine The Total Package to help business owners and copywriters accelerate their sales and profits. Claim your 4 free moneymaking e-books - bursting with tips, tricks, and tactics that'll skyrocket your response - at MakepeaceTotalPackage.com.

Good copy is just one element of a successful business. For a step-by-step guide to researching a niche, finding your target market, and then marketing effectively using search engines, e-mail, and more... check out the Internet Money Club: Independent Learner Edition.]

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Can You Really Change Your Life in Just 30 Days?

You have big money problems… ones that are affecting your family’s future and your own health. You are at your wit’s because you just-don’t-get it!

You keep doing the same thing over and over again just like it says in the “new program” you just bought (for the umpteenth time!) and yet it’s not working.

Yes, you followed the instructions… HOPING this time every thing is going to work and you’re going to make LOTS of money!

But it doesn’t, does it?

Just then, a very wealthy man enters your life. Not just any wealthy man, but a mega-wealthy man who personally mentored 4 men to becoming billionaires… (that’s with a “b”).

He makes the bold statement that he can help end all your bad “money habits” and replace them on a silver platter with “Billionaire Wealth Attraction habits” that will bring money and lots of it!

Here’s the amazing thing: He is so sure of your success that he personally GUARANTEES to transform you into a “money magnet person” in just 30 days!

Why 30 days? Because Psychologists have proven it takes 30 days to lose a bad habit and learn a new positive one.

So are you ready to change yours? Click here to get all the inside details…

The Post Office’s Loss Is Your Gain

By Charles Newcastle

The U.S. Postal Service is slashing services to the bone. They are reducing business hours and eliminating delivery on weekends in many areas. All of these cuts have opened the door to a unique business opportunity for you: providing private mail services.

With this business, you would offer the same services as your local post office, including mailbox rentals, mail forwarding, and selling shipping supplies and postage. But private mail services usually offer other services, too - like copying, imaging, collating, professional packing, and Internet access.

The popularity of this business is growing. Some customers just like the privacy. Others - like college students and “snow birds” - move around quite a bit and don’t want their mail to get lost in the shuffle. (With a private mail service, they can keep the same address, no matter how many times they move.) Having a private mailbox also allows a business to have a street address, rather than a P.O Box number. This has numerous advantages, and is often used by entrepreneurs who want to have a physical address in one city but live and work in another.

You can run a private mail service on your own or as a franchise. The most popular franchisors are the UPS Store, Pak Mail, and PostNet.
As you know, ETR almost never recommends opening a retail or storefront business. But there are a few things that make this one different from most others I can think of. For one thing, private mail services do not require a lot of space. They usually need only 500 to 1,000 square feet. (The actual mailbox rental area typically requires 100 square feet or less.) Plus, there is very little (or no) inventory to keep track of.

One more thing to keep in mind before you start investigating this opportunity further: The net rental revenue per square foot generated by private mail services often surpasses the net revenue per square foot of apartment buildings, hotels, office parks, marinas, and residential homes.

[Ed. Note: This unique and lucrative business opportunity was originally published in the Liberty Street Letter, a monthly publication dedicated to uncovering under-the-radar business and investment ideas. To find out more, go here.]

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The French Cure for Obesity

By Kelley Herring

I admit it. I’m in love with the French. They make even the most urbane words sound like music. They frown upon frumpiness. And for them, the presentation of food is revered as art.

But what really gets me is this. The French culture revolves around decadent cuisine and copious amounts of red wine (an average of 20 liters per year, per person). And amazingly, they stay trim enough to don their skinny jeans and haute couture without sporting “muffin tops” or “man boobs.”

Researchers just may have discovered why.

It looks like resveratrol - the compound responsible for red wine’s anti-aging properties - may flip the body’s fat storage function to the “off” position.

A recent study published in the Journal Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology found that fat cells converted less glucose to fat in the presence of resveratrol. What’s more, fat cells got “skinnier” in the presence of resveratrol and adrenaline, meaning a little red wine could boost the benefits you see at the gym.

To do as the French do, rely more on your bike or feet to get around. Enjoy organic red wine (in moderation, of course), and make delicious, home-cooked meals with fresh ingredients a central part of your everyday life. As a result, you may find that you’re not only slimmer… but happier too.

[Ed Note: Want to get the anti-aging, fat-fighting benefits of red wine? Make sure it's organic! Grapes grown conventionally contain some of the highest levels of pesticides, many of which are known obesogens - compounds that cause weight gain. Learn more about how to avoid obesogens and other hormone disruptors in Kelley Herring's revolutionary 7-part health transformation program, Your Plate, Your Fate. Get all the details and find out how to get 3 bonus books right here.]

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It’s Fun to Know: The Firefighting Jumbo Jet

When wildfires are raging, they are often fought by firefighters on the ground, as well as by tanker planes and helicopters dropping flame-retardant material. But now, there is a new weapon in the firefighting arsenal: a 747 that’s been modified by Evergreen Aviation International to spray 20,500 gallons of water on a fire with specially made high-pressure nozzles. That’s eight times the capacity of current tanker planes.

Wow!

(Source: Popular Science)

From $16,635 in Debt to an Extra $36,000 per Year

It’s no secret that you want more money.

If you’re like the average American, says U.S. News and World Report, you’re in over your eyeballs to the tune of $16,635 - and that’s excluding mortgages!

So I’m guessing you wouldn’t say “boo!” to an extra $3,120 a month that practically flows straight into your bank account.

Best part is, it takes NO WORK on your part. You simply apply a powerful “forgotten” secret to your everyday life… and watch as the money comes rushing in.

Discover how to get $3,000+ a month just for living your life right here.

Word to the Wise: Seraglio

A “seraglio” (sih-RAL-yoh) - from the Persian - is (1) a large harem or (2) an enclosure; a place of separation, especially when referring to a sultan’s palace.

Example (as used by Toni Bentley in a New York Times review of The East, the West, and Sex by Richard Bernstein): “The seraglio of the sultan of the Ottoman Empire housed about 1,600 virgins, each hoping to be chosen for one night of honor. The sultan makes Brigham Young, who had only a few dozen wives, look like a piker with low self-esteem.”

[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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

• WEALTHY: Today is the day your financial freedom begins (Yanik Silver)
• HEALTHY: More sleep, fewer colds (Kelley Herring)
• WISE: James Baldwin on freedom

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• A politically incorrect look at leadership (Michael Masterson)
• 5 ways to get Google to love your site (Howie Jacobson)
• It’s Good to Know… about the forever cellphone battery
• Add “pother” to your vocabulary

The Secret “Three-Step Strategy” to Internet Riches

You’ll want to read and reread the “three-step strategy” to Internet Riches very, very carefully… for it holds the secret to Internet riches beyond your wildest dreams.

I’m dead serious.

A warning before you check it out - it sounds almost too simple. But don’t let its simplicity fool you.

This strategy is so incredibly powerful… and will save you so much time, money, and energy… that you will be absolutely astonished at how much progress you’ll make when you follow it.

What’s more, it’ll place you right on the fast track to making money from your own new website almost immediately.

Get this “three-step strategy” to Internet Riches right here.

Grab over $1,500 in bonuses when you sign up for ETR’s 5 Days in July Business Building Conference today.

Don’t delay - your hotel discount ends Friday at 7:00 pm Eastern!

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Could Today Be Your Personal Independence Day?

By Yanik Silver

July 4th is the day for all Americans to celebrate their independence. But what does “independence day” - mean for you personally?

My father reminds me that July 3, 1976 was his “independence day,” since that’s the day my family came to the United States from Russia.

My independence day was on July 1, 1999. That’s the day I left my father’s business to work on my own.

It was one of the hardest decisions of my life. You see, I had worked for my dad since I was 12, and he thought I was eventually going to take over the company. I had that same thought - until I got the “entrepreneurial bug.” In fact, my wife Missy and I were talking about this recently. She remembered that when she met me 11 years ago, I had only one thought: “How can I grow my father’s business?” I stayed late, working on new ads and marketing pieces. I was in early, calling my accounts to try to make sales.

I had been studying direct marketing, and that was really paying off for my dad’s business. (Actually, his company still uses a lot of the ads I wrote in 1998 because they still work today.) But with every ad I wrote, I was getting more and more aggravated. Not because the ads weren’t producing sales. They were. But because everyone in the company seemed to be an advertising “expert” - even though they’d never studied or read anything on the subject.

For every ad I wrote, I had to fight to get it out there. I got sick of it, and decided to create my own product so I could write ads for myself.

My first product was designed for dermatologists - to help them get new patients for cosmetic procedures. It was a big kit - a manual, tapes, reports, diskettes, etc. - and I was selling it for $900.

I ran my first ad in April 1998 in Dermatologic Surgery magazine. I got 10 responses, and sent them the 20-page sales letter I’d written. Not one order.

I waited…

Sent out a follow-up letter to the 10 respondents.

Nothing…

Then I sent a third letter, reminding them that the deadline to get all the free bonuses was only 10 days away.

Finally, on the very last day, one order came over my fax machine. (And I still remember that doctor’s name.)

What an incredible feeling! It took me a little over a year to finally quit my “day job” - but with that first sale, I realized I had the power to chart my own course. I think it has to do with the confidence you get when you know you’ve created something that people want and are willing to exchange money for.

The first sale is usually the hardest - but also the most rewarding. And I love it when I can help turn on that light in other people.

So when will your independence day be?

When that day comes, I bet you’ll never forget it. No matter how bleak things looked up to that point, you’ll look back and realize that your “impossible” situation was simply opportunity staring you in the face.

Take my good friend, Jim Edwards. His independence day came about because he got fired. I remember the conversation we had right after it happened. We were throwing around some ideas that he might be able to pursue now that he was “free” - and we came up with “33 Days to Online Profits.” Right then and there, we outlined each of the 33 days, and moved forward from there. “33 Days” has been a tremendous six-figure income earner for both of us since the beginning, and it’s still going strong.

What can you do to achieve your independence?

Let’s start with this: What are you doing with your spare time?

• Watching TV… or reading books in your field?
• Playing cards… or practicing your copywriting?
• Yakking with your friends… or studying direct marketing?

It all comes down to the choices you make.

You shouldn’t let a single day go by without making sure you are taking at least one proactive step toward your own independence.

Being able to do what you want when you want may seem very far away right now. But don’t let that stop you from taking baby steps each and every day.

What else?

Learn to be different. The truth is, you need to become extraordinary if you expect to achieve extraordinary results. That means doing things others don’t (or won’t) do. It also means NOT listening to advice - unless it’s coming from someone who’s already successful at what you want to do.

I think you’ll find that only 5 percent of the people you run into are truly successful. Which means that if you simply do the opposite of what the other 95 percent are doing, you should be okay. In other words, don’t adopt a herd mentality. Think for yourself.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not telling you to be elitist. But it is tremendously important to go through life with your eyes wide open. The truth is, most of your friends (right now) probably don’t want you to succeed. That would imply that they are losers. That would mean that they are failures.

Nobody is going to propel you to success except yourself. So get on it today… and prepare to proclaim your own independence day.

[Ed. Note: Serial entrepreneur Yanik Silver believes you can make more, have more fun, and give more back! Find out how with his Maverick Business Insider Introductory Package right here.

Now's your chance to proclaim your independence day and start building a lifetime free of financial worries. It's not too late to get expert guidance for your own moneymaking Internet business. With ETR's hands-on instruction, you could have your business up and running by July 18. But hurry - time is running out to join this exclusive event. Act by 7:00 p.m. Eastern this Friday and get a special hotel discount. Get all the details here.]

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What if You KNEW You Couldn’t Fail?

What if you knew you couldn’t fail at making money? I mean it…

What if you had miraculously ingrained into your mind to attract such wealth that deals came to you effortlessly?

Opportunities you never thought possible PLOPPED into your lap with a note attached that read, “These dead presidents are for you…”

Not just any money… but a financial windfall that is so huge you think a rich relative died and left you an inheritance… THAT type of wealth.

GONE are your unpaid bills… GONE is that old clunker of a car and now you have a Mercedes… GONE is the stress of never having to worry about making lots of money and your family never suffering again!

Now, how would your life change if you had a Billionaire Mentor reveal to you his “wealth attraction secrets?”

And what if I told you could learn all these billionaire money-magnet strategies in just 30 days- guaranteed?

Well, you are about to find out…

Click here to get all the inside details…

Redefining the Role of a Business Leader

By Michael Masterson

Leadership has replaced excellence as the go-to concept in business seminars and boardrooms. Figuring out what good leadership is has become a favorite topic among business school professors, corporate executives, and management consultants.

Unfortunately, some half-baked notions and even a few potentially false ideas have become popular. For example:

• The first job of a business leader should be to make his employees happy.
• Effective leaders are patient, kind, and considerate.
• To lead well, you must be inclusive and collaborative.
• Team building is the essence of good leadership.
• Diversity and fairness are hallmarks of the superior leader.

I’m not saying that goodness and fair play aren’t admirable qualities in a leader. But when I think about my experience in business - what I actually did, rather than what I’d like to have done - I see that much of this sort of politically correct behavior was conspicuously absent.

A leader’s primary job is to get people to do what needs to be done. And there are fundamentally two approaches: bullying them and inspiring them.

The leader who bribes, demeans, threatens, and shouts can get the work done - but at a cost: the loss of loyalty. He can be effective so long as he holds power, but the moment power slips away so does his effectiveness. If his power weakens sufficiently, everyone who can will turn against him. On the other hand, the leader who persuades others to follow him not by force but by inspiration creates a bank of good will that stays with him, even if his personal power disappears.

If getting people to do the work is the first job of a leader, creating and promoting a view of what that work will look like once completed is a close second. Successful leaders need not be clever or original, but they must have a good and attractive idea about the future of their business.

One of the best and most successful business leaders I know always imagines his company as an internationalized “beehive” of smart ideas. He doesn’t define it that way. In fact, he never defines it at all. But when he talks about what new products “make sense” for the business and why “it might be a good idea” to open a new office in Cape Town, his employees get the picture.

He breaks most of the accepted “rules” for good leadership, except that he has a compelling vision about the future of his business and a capacity to persuade his employees to make it happen. These two traits have created and grown a profitable, thriving company that sells good ideas to millions of people around the world.

So if you read nothing else about leadership, know this: If you can learn the art of persuasion and lock on to a compelling vision, you have all you really need to be a great leader.

[Ed. Note: The above was adapted from Michael Masterson's book Power and Persuasion. Pick up your copy to discover the keys to mastering the universal rules of success and unlocking your personal and professional power.]

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The 5 Characteristics of an Authority Website

By Howie Jacobson

Google loves “authority” websites - sites that provide valuable information, and don’t just try to sell stuff. And to show their love, Google rewards authority sites with high search engine rankings and lower cost-per-click AdWords keywords.

Sound good?

If you’re ready to be an authority in your industry, here are the five major characteristics your website should have:

1. High-Quality Content - good, useful material

2. A Large Quantity of Content - lots of pages

3. A High Frequency of Updates - so Google sees the site is always growing and staying current

4. User-Friendly, Intuitive Navigation - with many helpful links

5. A Good Reputation - as determined by other authority sites linking to yours

The easiest way to create an authority website is by blogging. In fact, my entire AskHowie site was constructed as a Wordpress blog. (It was free, except for some design of the header and some custom hand-holding - er, programming for special features.)

[Ed. Note: Howie Jacobson is the expert on Google AdWords and driving traffic to your website. Get his complimentary AdWords ER Report "Why Most AdWords Campaigns Fail - and How to Make Yours Succeed" at www.AskHowie.com

Getting Google on your good side is the key to more traffic and more sales. Find out how to get Howie's expert advice on amping up your traffic right here.]

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Why You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty for Taking Naps

By Kelley Herring

Do you make it a habit to hit the hay early or catch an afternoon siesta? Don’t feel guilty. That extra time slumbering can reduce your risk of gaining unwanted pounds - and help slash your sick days too.

In a recent study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University, participants were exposed to the rhinovirus (cold virus). Those who regularly slept eight hours a night were 300 percent less likely to catch a cold than those sleeping seven hours or less.

Along with getting sufficient, sound sleep, keep your immune system on high alert by getting adequate vitamin D (all it takes is exposing yourself to sunlight for 15-20 minutes, three days a week) and immune-boosting nutrients, including vitamin C and selenium.

[Ed Note: Did you know that 70 percent of your immune system is in your gut? It's true! But if you're eating this common food, you're wiping out 50 percent of your immune arsenal. Find out how to avoid it (and other immune wreckers) in Kelley Herring's revolutionary 7-part health transformation program, Your Plate, Your Fate. Get all the details and learn how to get 3 bonus books right here.]

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It’s Good to Know: The Forever Cellphone Battery

Nokia is working on a way to ensure you won’t have to recharge your cellphone… ever. The technology, which involves harnessing ambient electromagnetic radiation (the same stuff that creates static on your radio) to charge your battery, is already available - but it must be made about 10 times more powerful to generate enough juice for a cellphone.

Nokia’s researchers hope to have a working model on the market in three to four years.

(Source: Popular Science)

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How Would an Extra $3,000 a Month Change YOUR Life?

Picture this…

While you slept last night, your bank account was pumped with cash. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, you just help yourself to the money from any ATM, anytime of day. All because of a conversation you had over a coffee, let’s say.

Then, think how you’ll spend it. If nothing else, it’s a very nice safety net isn’t it?

And what if it didn’t cost you anything to make this?

Get all the details on a no-downside method of getting recession-proof cash pay-outs of over $3,000 a month right here.

Word to the Wise: Pother

“Pother” (POTH-er) - a word of unknown origin - is a commotion; a disturbance; a state of nervous activity.

Example (as used by Katherine Powers in the Boston Globe): “The victor makes a big production of his triumph, flying to a high wall, flapping his wings and crowing. All this pother attracts an eagle, who grabs the braggart with his talons, and that’s the end of that.”

[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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

• WEALTHY: Is the latest Web trend nothing more than a passing fad? (John Forde)
• HEALTHY: How to build lean, sexy muscle at any age (Shane Ellison)
• WISE: Euripides on giving gifts

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• The problem with the traditional approach to giving business gifts (Bob Bly)
• Breaking out of old routines (John Carlton)
• It’s Fun to Know… about the Learjet repo industry
• Add “clamber” to your vocabulary

This Is the Kind of Technical Know-How You Need to Succeed

Can you log on to your Internet connection?

Do you know how to use a web browser and send e-mail?

If so, you have more than enough technical knowledge to build your own working website and create the foundation for a business that throws off a solid, safe, and steady long-term income stream.

And you can do it in just 5 days. Find out how right here.

Don’t forget - our special hotel discount ends this Friday at 7:00 pm Eastern. Don’t miss out on your chance to save!

The Marketing Method With the 100 Million-Person Reach

By John Forde

One of the Web-tech trends that’s got the marketing world abuzz is the rise of online video.

Is it effective? Will it last? And, perhaps most important, is it yet another business tool you’ll have to master?

A report from the media research agency ComScore seems to prove this is no passing fad. YouTube just marched past the 100 million viewer mark. Some 75 percent of American consumers now watch online videos. And Nielson, the ratings company, notes that the average time spent on video sites is up by about 2,000 percent since 2003.

Sounds great. But is anyone making money from all those viewings? In many cases, no. Bizreport.com says online media fans are willing to pay for content. But few have figured out how to, for example, turn YouTube sensation Susan Boyle’s mega-popularity into mega-bucks. The same goes for many other so-called “viral” videos.

A big hurdle for marketers is that a prospect can’t just skim through a video looking for key points that catch his eye, as he can with a block of sales copy. Instead, marketers have to cross their fingers and hope their target customer is engaged enough to watch their video all the way through.

So what’s the conclusion?

The jury is still out. And there’s a lot of testing yet to be done. Some say the best marketing videos are under two minutes. Others are seeing videos as long as seven minutes outperform those at half that length. Some still believe online videos can take their cues from TV commercials. Others say that approach is pure sales suicide.

Some takeaway truths, however, have already emerged.

Video definitely has an edge when it comes to making the vendor-prospect relationship more personal. Video that gives away valuable content also seems to get better results than video that’s all tease and no substance. (No surprise there.) And it’s unlikely that you’ll get results just by posting marketing videos on YouTube. Video that’s integrated with supporting text packs much more punch. 

One thing is clear: Online video is a marketing revolution with some staying power. At the very least, it’s worth studying while you can. If not to use it now, so you’ll be better prepared for the next wave of change heading our way.

[Ed. Note: To get more of copywriting expert John Forde's wisdom and insights into marketing (and much more), sign up for his free e-letter, Copywriter's Roundtable. Get a free report about 15 deadly copy mistakes and how to avoid them when you sign up today.

Whether or not you use video in your marketing, you need a comprehensive strategy to make sure all your marketing efforts are organized into an effective and cohesive campaign. That's what you'll get in Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business, the bestseller co-authored by Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby.]

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The Best Way to Give Business Gifts

By Bob Bly

Most businesspeople sweat over giving gifts to their clients and prospects. They worry about whether the gift is the right gift, how much to spend, and what the recipient will think.

Though they don’t know what to give, they do think they know when to give. But, as I will reveal in a minute, they really don’t.

I’ve never had the “what to give” problem, mainly because I like to give little gifts. I do that for relatives… friends… neighbors… as well as prospects and clients.

My gift-giving method, which has been very successful for me, is simple: When I stumble across something really cool or neat that I think a particular person would enjoy (and it doesn’t cost a fortune), I buy it, wrap it, and send it with a note.

I know what each of my clients (and friends and relatives) likes, because I have a near-photographic memory for that sort of thing. But you don’t need a great memory to keep track of what people like: Just make notes under their names in your database or address book.

The best business gifts relate to the recipients’ major interests. I learn about clients’ and prospects’ hobbies and activities by talking to them. Business conferences, for example, usually begin with the presenters and attendees meeting and exchanging pleasantries. During that time, I ask questions of these prospective clients to find out what they like. (I do this not for gift-giving purposes, but because I am genuinely interested. It helps us find a common ground, which is a great way to build relationships.)

If you are not comfortable having personal conversations with clients, there is another way to find out their likes and dislikes: social networking sites. Just check their Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace profiles.

For instance, reading one client’s Facebook profile, just out of curiosity, I found that she loves to play poker. So when I saw a nice poker set, I couldn’t resist. I bought it and sent it as a “thank you” for being so easy to work with.

The traditional approach to giving business gifts is to send them during the holiday season. The problem with doing this is twofold. First, your gifts get lost in the piles of other gifts your prospects/clients are receiving from all their other vendors. Second, it creates an instant expectation that they will receive gifts from you every year. Therefore, if you skip a year, they will feel cheated. You are “stuck” having to give all those gifts to all those people, year after year.

That’s why I give gifts spontaneously - when I come across an item I know a specific person would love - and not according to any formal schedule or annual milestone.

According to a research report published by the Bulova Watch Company, though most business gifts are given at Christmas, one-third of them are given at other times. Does all this gift giving pay off in terms of improved customer loyalty and repeat business? It would seem so: The Bulova report found that 7 out of 10 recipients buy from companies that give them gifts.

No matter when you give your business gifts, don’t make them too lavish, lest they be perceived as bribes. When I worked in the defense industry, there was a $25 limit to the cost of a gift we contractors could give to our customers in the federal government, and I think such a limit is still in force.

Business gifts do not have to be expensive to be appreciated. People enjoy receiving small gifts (even if they’re obviously self-promotional) that bring a smile to their faces. One of my favorite gifts to give clients and prospects is an autographed copy of one of my books - and it doesn’t cost me anything. (When you sign a contract with a publisher to write a book, you usually get 10 free author’s copies. Do what I do and ask for 25 so you’ll have extras to give away.)

The one occasion where I do deliberately time a gift is to say “thank you” for a favor. For instance, when I have a new book coming out and my joint venture partners are kind enough to promote it to their lists, I send them a short note, an autographed copy of the book, and a Starbucks gift card.

I wish I could say they appreciate the book more than the coffee - but I suspect it is often the opposite!

[Ed. Note: Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 70 books. To subscribe to his free e-zine, The Direct Response Letter, and claim your free gift worth $116, click here now. [link] ETRbusinessskills

Looking for a good gift to give your business clients? One of Michael Masterson’s bestselling books would be welcomed by almost anyone looking to build a business or grow their wealth. Order today, right here.]

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How This “Dirty” Word in Real Estate Can Make You a Fortune

Why would you EVER want to invest in real estate these days?

The market is in shambles:

RealtyTrac reports that 860,000+ properties were repossessed by lenders last year.

5.4 million Americans behind on their mortgage payments, says the Wall Street Journal.

Foreclosure.com says that home foreclosures jumped to nearly one million homes in 2008 - a 64% rise from 2007.

Yes, the situation is bleak.

But the truth is, there IS money - BIG money - to be made in real estate.

Especially when it comes to that “dirty” word: foreclosures.

Charles Petty has made $3.2 million in the past few years. But he hasn’t done so using any real estate investing method you’ve heard of…

No, he found a little-known “loophole” in the foreclosure process… And now he makes tens of thousands of dollars a month, from his laptop, sitting by his swimming pool.

He’s not a realtor or a property buyer. He doesn’t sell. He doesn’t even visit a single property.

Yet in the past 3 months alone, he’s made over $80,000.

Find out what this foreclosure “loophole” is - and how you can use it to make your own fortune - right here.

The Bad Habit That Could Be Murdering Your Success

By John Carlton

I just spent three weeks traipsing across Australia. And during that time, I was forced out of every work-related (and personal-time-related) routine and habit I’ve built up over the past few years.

Back home after the jaunt, my first inclination was to settle back into the old groove - including the rituals of work, play, and eating. For example: I had watched maybe 20 minutes of TV while in Australia. But as soon as I was home, I started feeling the invisible pull of the monster plasma screen calling me…

… and I came face to face with an ugly reality: Before I left, I had been racking up an embarrassing amount of TV-viewing each night.

Good habits work FOR you. Like staking out a dedicated hour every morning to work on that book you’ve been promising yourself to write. (If you wait for inspiration, or just lollygag around hoping that an open week will magically appear in your schedule… the book will NEVER get done.)

But other habits just drain energy from you. And you probably don’t even know which ones they are. They’re invisible little energy leeches, rotting your pipes so slowly you don’t notice.

Take the time, today, to examine the mostly unconscious ways you’ve installed “set” activities in your life. Many - like watching TV just cuz it’s there - are robbing you of the joy of being alive.

Self-examination is hard. Your brain will resist at first… but you must keep at it, and go deep.

[Ed. Note: John Carlton is an expert copywriter, a pioneer in online marketing, and a teacher of killer sales copy. He knows marketing inside and out. Discover how to get your hands on the kick-ass secrets of the world's smartest, happiest, and wealthiest marketers.

Having a tough time breaking out of your "bad" habits? ETR's Total Success Achievement Program will help you set goals and achieve more in less time than you thought possible.]

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Is Oprah’s Fat-Loss Tip Making You Fat?

By Shane “the People’s Chemist” Ellison

In 2006, I sent out a nationwide media release insisting that Oprah’s fat-loss methods - which included walking as her primary exercise - were actually making her fat. Even worse, they were making the millions of Americans following her lead fat too.

Fact is, if you want lean, sexy muscle (at any age), walking is not sufficient exercise.

Sure, walking is better than no exercise at all. But it’s not going to help you burn the fat you need to burn in order to feel great and get noticed. Nobody ever walked themselves out of the Fat Cow Hall of Fame. I didn’t… and neither has Oprah.

When it comes to exercise, the old adage holds true: “No pain, no gain.” Why? Because you need to force the body to produce a family of fat-burning, beer-belly-melting compounds known as catecholamines. When released, these weapons of fat destruction bind metabolic receptors on the outer membrane of fat cells, causing them to be eradicated via thermogenesis and lypolysis. (That’s just a fancy way to say that the fat cells are being demolished.)

Getting rid of fat with exercise happens only when you attain 60 to 80 percent of your max heart rate. If you’ve forgotten how to do the calculation, here it is: 220 minus your age times .60 equals your maximum target heart rate.

Exercise by the numbers, and watch the numbers plummet on your scale too.

[Ed. Note: Shane Ellison's entire career has been dedicated to the study of molecules - how they give life and how they take from it. He was a two-time recipient of the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Grant for his research in biochemistry and physiology. He is a bestselling author, holds a master's degree in organic chemistry, and has first-hand experience in drug design. Take advantage of his knowledge and insights to look and feel your best in 90 days.]

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It’s Fun to Know: The Learjet Repo Industry

If you fall too far behind on your car payments, you’re likely to get an unwelcome visit from your friendly neighborhood “repo man.” Turns out there are similar services that specialize in repossessing such things as corporate jets, commercial airliners, and yachts owned by bankrupt charter airlines, former millionaire investment bankers, and others.

As with cars, these specialists must use a certain degree of discretion (i.e., expert-level sneakiness) to get the job done. In addition, they need ocean navigation skills; familiarity with flying several different types of aircraft; contacts with local airports, ports, and government officials; mechanical knowledge; and more.

(Source: Salon)

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Your Personal Wall Street Protection Plan

Thugs.

It’s a b word. But how else would you describe a group that has stolen from you, your family, and friends without any trace of regret.

No, not the Mafia or a teenaged gang… I’m talking about the brokers and bankers who ripped us all off with smiles on their faces – and then blamed us.

Protect yourself from them today and get restitution.

Word to the Wise: Clamber

To “clamber” (KLAM-bur) - from the Middle English - is to climb with difficulty; to scramble.

Example (as used by Beryl Bainbridge in Master Georgie): “He dithered for a moment, during which time Mrs. Hardy, wailing like a banshee, rushed from the dining room and clambered clumsily up the stairs.”

[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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

• WEALTHY: 17 qualities that make up the ideal business (Michael Masterson)
• HEALTHY: If you’ve gained a little fat since high school… (Craig Ballantyne)
• WISE: Wayne Dyer on perfection

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• How to make money with gift cards (Marc Charles)
• You don’t have to go it alone (Christine Comaford)
• It’s Good to Know… about the growing importance of online classifieds
• Add “fraught” to your vocabulary

* Hightly Recommended *

The Secret “Three-Step Strategy” to Internet Riches

You’ll want to read and reread the “three-step strategy” to Internet Riches very, very carefully… for it holds the secret to Internet riches beyond your wildest dreams.

I’m dead serious.

A warning before you check it out - it sounds almost too simple. But don’t let its simplicity fool you.

This strategy is so incredibly powerful… and will save you so much time, money, and energy… that you will be absolutely astonished at how much progress you’ll make when you follow it.

What’s more, it’ll place you right on the fast track to making money from your own new website almost immediately.

Get this “three-step strategy” to Internet Riches right here.

- Wayne Dyer

The Perfect Business for Today

By Michael Masterson

My ever-present, effervescent managing editor Suzanne came up with another good suggestion last week. “You know Richard Russell,” she said. (Richard Russell writes the Dow Theory Letters.) “I just came across an essay of his about the ideal business. It was very popular with his readers. His criteria mesh well with your advice, but I bet you’d have something to add - especially when it comes to starting a business in a down economy.”

I read Russell’s essay and found that, as Suzanne suggested, he and I share many of the same beliefs. Which is another way of saying I liked it.

Russell said that he once asked a friend, a prominent New York corporate lawyer, to name the single best business he’d ever come across. Without hesitation, he cited a client with a business that made a chemical used in making synthetic rubber. The chemical was absolutely essential to the process. He had, in effect, a small monopoly that made him a millionaire many times over.

That hardly sounds like the perfect business to me, but I understand the value of having a de facto monopoly.

To me, the perfect business would have to meet a number of criteria. First and foremost, it would have to be a real business. By that, I mean one that had the capacity to provide me with equity - not just pay me a salary.

I’ve made this point several times in ETR. Most small companies are not really businesses at all. They give the entrepreneur a modest income - $60,000 or $100 000 - but without the prospect of earning much more or cashing out for big dollars when he wants to retire.

Owning a single retail store, for example, is usually not a business. It’s more often a self-employment enterprise, with the owner working 60 or more hours a week and struggling to keep his employees, vendors, and customers satisfied. The same is true of owning a restaurant, bar, travel agency, art gallery, or bookstore.

I know this is true because I have been in all those businesses. (I still own an art gallery and a travel agency.) They all seemed attractive before I actually got involved in them. Then I quickly found out that they were commercial balls and chains, tied around my financial neck.

No, the perfect business certainly would not be retail. If you are contemplating retail, you should get a copy of Automatic Wealth for Grads… and Anyone Else Just Starting Out and read Chapter 3. It will save you a lot of money and emotional distress.

Richard Russell’s father warned him against retail. He said, “The hours are too long, and you’re dealing with every darn variable under the sun.”

Russell’s dad also advised him to stay out of real estate. (He was a real estate executive during the Great Depression.) “When hard times arrive,” he told his son, “real estate comes to a dead stop and then it collapses. Furthermore, real estate is illiquid. When the collapse comes, you can’t unload.”

I don’t like real estate development as a business. (I know at least a dozen developers who have gone from being multimillionaires to near broke in the past two years. Many more will follow this year before the market hits bottom and begins to turn around again.) But I do like it as an investment, for reasons I explained in detail in Chapter 5 of Automatic Wealth: The Six Steps to Financial Independence. I don’t have time to go into all of them here, but these are the main ones:

• It’s easy to learn.
• It’s easy to leverage.
• You can limit your exposure.
• It’s easy to spot an overvalued market unless you are a fool, so there is little chance of going broke.

That’s not true of real estate as a business. When you are developing properties, your personal wealth is at risk. The better you do, the more insistent the banks are that you put your own neck on the block.

FYI, I have just bought a property in my neighborhood to add to my real estate portfolio. It is a duplex that is currently generating $1,350 a month in rent. It was on the market 18 months ago for almost $300,000, and I bought it for $110,000. I expect to be able to fix it up and increase the rents - but it will yield a nice positive cash flow even if rents go down. And I know how to sell rentals – something I didn’t know when I started investing in rental real estate.

But this is an investment, not a business. So let’s get back to the question: What is the perfect business for today? In my opinion, this is what it would look like:

1. I’ve mentioned my first criterion already. It would be a real business that could become more valuable over time and eventually be sold for millions of dollars. Single-store retail enterprises, as I’ve said, seldom qualify. Most have a net zero balance sheet when they are mature. You can sell them for a portion of the inventory and physical assets. That’s about it. No big payday.

2. It would have unlimited upside potential. It could go from 10 million to 100 million as easily (actually, more easily) than it could go from zero to a million. (For a complete explanation of what I mean by this, read Ready, Fire, Aim.)

3. To have that kind of upside potential today, it would have to have the entire world as its marketplace - not just a local community or even an entire country.

4. Richard Russell pointed out in his essay - and, of course, I agree with him - that the perfect business would sell a product that benefits from “inelastic” demand. Inelastic means that the price you charge for the product is determined by you, not the market. If you are selling canned goods or beer, for example, you can’t charge whatever you want. But you can do that if you are selling luxuries, rarities, or unique pieces. That’s one of the reasons I like the art business. (Still, as those of us in that business know very well, even art can be affected by the market. Prices have dropped by about 30 percent in the past year.)

5. In addition to benefitting from inelastic demand, it would be a product that could not be easily substituted for or copied. Ideally, as Russell said, it would be “an original, or at least… something that can be copyrighted or patented.” (There are many ways to make seemingly ordinary products unique and, therefore, “original.” In an upcoming issue of the Liberty Street League newsletter, Charlie Byrne and I tell you just how to do that.)

6. The perfect business would not employ blue-collar workers. Forgive me for saying this, but, in my experience, the hassles are just not worth it. Working with professionals is infinitely easier. Take my word for it - or learn on your own.

7. The perfect business would be financially leveragable. By that I mean it could be grown - at some point - without requiring an enormous amount of your attention. This is the difference, for example, between owning one hamburger joint and owning a string of burger joints. Opening a second restaurant is always a high-risk, low-return prospect. But adding another location to an already-successful chain is much easier.

8. The perfect business would not take up all your time. In the beginning, you’d surely have to put in 12-hour days. (I’ve never encountered a business where that’s not true.) But after you learned the industry secrets and taught them to your top employees, they would be able to take over day-to-day operations.

9. Similarly, the perfect business would not depend on you to keep it going. After a few years, it would run on its own.

10. The perfect business would have a very high net-revenue-to-employee ratio. This is an idea I developed many years ago. (I’m sure MBAs have a name for it - but I don’t know what it is.) Whenever I contemplate starting a business, I insist that it can reach $10 million in sales, after refunds and cost of goods, with no more than 20 employees. That’s a $500,000-to-one employee ratio.

11. The perfect business would have little or no inventory. If you have been in an inventory business, you know how important that is.

12. The perfect business would be cash-based and, therefore, have no receivables - meaning your income would never be held up by payment terms or bad debt. Receivables are fine when an economy is booming, but disastrous when the market sags.

13. The perfect business would have no debt. Customer payments would be sufficient to pay all bills and finance growth. (Imagine how lovely that would be!)

14. Another Russell criterion that I endorse: The perfect business would not need “an expensive location… large amounts of electricity, advertising, legal advice, high-priced employees, etc.”

15. Yet another Russell criterion: The perfect business would be relatively “free of heavy government and industry regulations. The cost of dealing with such regulations is always burdensome but will break you during a serious and long recession.”

16. And yet another Russell criterion that I agree with: The perfect business would be portable or easily moved. In other words, you could take your business (and yourself) anywhere you wanted - Nevada, Florida, Texas, Washington, South Dakota (none of which have state income taxes). Or, hey, maybe even Monte Carlo or Switzerland or the South of France.

17. I was trying my best to keep Russell’s criteria out of this article. In fairness to him and you, I wanted all the advice to be uniquely from me. But that’s not happening. My final requirement for a perfect business is from Russell too: It must be able keep your mind thinking and your heart pumping. You don’t want to become bored with it after a few years. You want it to be intellectually and emotionally satisfying, which is another way of saying “fun.” Most businesses simply can’t offer that.

That’s my list. It’s pretty demanding, I’m sure you’ll agree. Is there a perfect business? By golly, there is. In fact, there are several. Next week, I’ll tell you exactly what they are.

[Ed. Note: Looking for a business that is portable, has no physical inventory, has unlimited upside potential, a worldwide marketplace, and more? Look no further than the Internet. Find out - step by step - how to start your own "ideal business" right here. But hurry - time is running out to get personal guidance for getting your "perfect business" up and running. Sign up now.]

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How This “Dirty” Word in Real Estate Can Make You a Fortune

Why would you EVER want to invest in real estate these days?

The market is in shambles:

RealtyTrac reports that 860,000+ properties were repossessed by lenders last year.

5.4 million Americans behind on their mortgage payments, says the Wall Street Journal.

Foreclosure.com says that home foreclosures jumped to nearly one million homes in 2008 - a 64% rise from 2007.

Yes, the situation is bleak.

But the truth is, there IS money - BIG money - to be made in real estate.

Especially when it comes to that “dirty” word: foreclosures.

Charles Petty has made $3.2 million in the past few years. But he hasn’t done so using any real estate investing method you’ve heard of…

No, he found a little-known “loophole” in the foreclosure process…

And now he makes tens of thousands of dollars a month, from his laptop, sitting by his swimming pool.

He’s not a realtor or a property buyer. He doesn’t sell. He doesn’t even visit a single property.

Yet in the past 3 months alone, he’s made over $80,000.

Find out what this foreclosure “loophole” is - and how you can use it to make your own fortune - right here.

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The Big Business of Stored-Value Cards

By Marc Charles

You know what a stored-value card (SVC) is, right? You’ve seen racks of them near the checkout counters at Walmart, Sam’s Club, Home Depot, Rite Aid, and thousands of other retailers. You probably call them gift cards. And you’re probably familiar with phone cards, too.

Well, guess what? You can resell prepaid cards like those online as an affiliate. There are hundreds of markets to choose from, including prepaid cellular, restaurants, auto repair, computers, and game rentals for the Xbox and Nintendo Wii systems.

One opportunity I particularly like is with TracFone, the biggest prepaid cellular company in North America. They have a very lucrative affiliate/partnership program that enables entrepreneurs to make a 15 to 20 percent commission on all TracFone sales. This includes the TracFone itself, airtime, and accessories. (The largest TracFone reseller averaged more than $30,000 per month in sales in just one year.)

Entrepreneurs are offering TracFone airtime cards on websites and/or promoting them to their opt-in subscribers. I’ve even seen TracFone affiliates selling products, accessories, and airtime through keyword ads on Google and Yahoo.

As I said, there are hundreds of SVC markets just waiting for someone like you to take the bull by the horns. But the TracFone program is a great place to start.

[Ed. Note: Marc Charles is a member of the board of experts at the Liberty Street League, a group of like-minded entrepreneurs and investors dedicated to making money "off Wall Street" with under-the-radar opportunities like this one. Find out if you are eligible to join the Liberty Street League right here.

Interested in becoming an Early to Rise affiliate? You'll get access to bestselling products and proven advertising materials that have brought in millions. And the program pays commissions as high as 90 percent! Find out more about the ETR Affiliate Program here.]

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Do You Have a Killer Support System?

By Christine Comaford

Susan was tired of being a professional speaker. She’d often spend 200 days a year on the road, away from her family. And she knew it was time to build a business that wouldn’t be completely dependent on her.

But how? She needed a killer support system to help her figure out what she could do and then help her do it.

A killer support system has three components: a mentor, a coach, and a community.

Your mentor helps you strategize, distill your business to its essence, and focus only on the activities that are crucial to move the business forward. Your coach holds you accountable for sticking to your goals and commitments, while helping you get rid of any internal roadblocks/blind spots to success. Your community - a fun group of like-minded entrepreneurs - celebrates your achievements, picks you up when you’re down, and shares tips and techniques.

After putting together her killer support system, Susan has expanded her business to include products sales, webinars, and phone-based consulting. This allows her to serve her customer base… without constantly traveling. Meanwhile, she is watching her revenues soar and her enthusiasm skyrocket.

Every successful entrepreneur has a mentor, coach, and community - a killer support system. Do you?

[Ed. Note: Business Accelerator Christine Comaford is CEO of Mighty Ventures, a startup and CEO mentoring company. She has helped more than 150 entrepreneurs become millionaires with her proven strategies and killer connections. Get her free business-boosting tools at www.MightyVentures.com and join her Facebook group at www.BusinessRenegades.com.

Having a killer support system is just one way to ensure that you own your business - and it doesn't own you. Get even more tips about starting and growing a business the right way with Michael Masterson's New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller: Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat.]

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3 Rules for Burning Fat Over 40

By Craig Ballantyne

One of the side effects of aging is that you lose the ability to burn fat at the drop of a hat. So if you’re over 40 and want to lose belly fat, here’s what you have to do:

Rule #1: Eat a low-calorie diet, focusing on whole, natural foods.

Everyone needs to be eating more fruits and vegetables, no matter how old they are. So try to add one extra serving every day - starting tomorrow - until you are up to 10 total servings per day. The fiber will help fill you up. And by reducing processed foods in your diet at the same time, you will have more energy and you will lose weight. It’s that easy.

Rule #2: Use resistance training to sculpt your muscles.

As you get older, strength becomes more and more important to your health and well-being. If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. So make sure your exercise program includes total-body strength training at least twice per week, preferably three times.

Rule #3: Do interval training instead of long, slow cardio.

Researchers from Australia found that women who did only 20 minutes of interval training three times per week were able to lose more belly fat than women who did 40 minutes of long, slow cardio. So switch your program to short-burst exercise and you’ll get more results in less time!

[Ed. Note: If you're not sure of the best fat-burning exercises to try, fitness expert Craig Ballantyne can help. In his Turbulence Training program, he'll reveal how you can burn fat and build muscle with three 45-minute workouts a week. Get the details here.

For more easy-to-implement ideas about how to live longer and feel better, sign up for ETR's free natural health newsletter.]

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It’s Good to Know: The Growing Importance of Online Classifieds

If you’re looking for a job, a car, or a great deal on a used sofa, the first place you might look is online, specifically on sites like CraigsList, Sell.com, and CareerBuilder. And you’re not alone. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 49 percent of Internet users say they have used online classified ads, compared to just 22 percent in 2005. About 9 percent of users visit these sites on any given day, compared to 4 percent in 2005.

(Source: eMarketer)

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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.

Word to the Wise: Fraught

“Fraught” (FRAWT) - from the Middle English - means marked by or causing distress; emotional.

Example (as used by Anthony Doerr in a New York Times review of The New Valley by Josh Weil): “This is a gorgeous, lonesome and fraught place, where mountain people emerge like ghosts from the snow, headlights are rare on the roads, and the distances between people are great.”

[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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

• WEALTHY: Have you undervalued your property?
  (Julie Broad)
• HEALTHY: What’s to blame for excess disease?
  (Jon Benson)
• WISE: Balzac on happiness

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• A new kind of Academy Award (Marci Shimoff)
  
• Solutions for common punctuation problems
  (Don Hauptman)
  
• It’s Fun to Know… about the connection between education and Internet use
  
• Add “lambaste” to your vocabulary
  

Your $1,000 per Hour Part-Time Job

You can make money off the booming foreclosure market… without dealing with mortgages, renovations, trying to sell in this market, or any of the other hassles of “fix and flip.”

There’s a system that bypasses all that “hard stuff” and allows you to pull in profits nearly on “autopilot.” Its creator, who works just one hour a day from home, has already quietly made $3.2 million.

You can join him and make your own fortune today.

How to Value Residential Real Estate

By Julie Broad

When my husband and I decided to part ways with one of our real estate investing partners, we had to come up with a way to split the equity in the two units we owned. Since one of the units was bigger, we had to determine how much more that unit was worth.

Our partner volunteered to do the math, and we agreed to accept his number. He did it by adding up the total value of all the condo sales in the building over the previous 12 months, and then dividing that by the total square footage of those units. He then took the average price per square foot and multiplied it by the size of our unit.

It’s a logical approach, but not really the best way to value a condo. We believe it led him to overvalue the property by $20,000 - and put more money in our pockets than he should have. Here’s why:

• In condo buildings, there is usually a premium of $10,000 - $20,000 per floor. The higher you go, the more valuable the units are. Many of the units in his calculation were on higher floors than ours.
  
• Prices in the neighborhood were down about 10 to 12 percent from 12 months previously. He was including properties that had sold when the market was still pretty hot.
  
• Some units had two parking spaces, which usually adds $5,000 - $10,000 to a unit’s value. Our unit had only one.

• First, look at the market. Has there been a shift up or down in prices for the area around the property? Use recent comparables, and try to make adjustments for any overall trends.
  
• Try to determine what the approximate floor premium is. To do this, find similarly sized units, facing the same direction on different floors. For our unit, we looked at the sales records in the building over the previous 5 years, and determined that the floor premium was roughly $15,000.
  
• Look at similar properties and ask yourself, “Why did they sell for what they did?” To assess factors that may have impacted value, we looked at such things as the direction a unit faced, its proximity to an elevator, the number of parking spots it had, and the motivation of the seller. (Was it the builder selling off one of the last units? Foreclosure? Someone flipping the unit without moving in? A regular realtor-listed sale?)

To ensure that you aren’t leaving money on the table in any condo deal, use as many comparables as you can. This will make a big difference in terms of valuing the property - as it did for us.

[Ed. Note: For more insider strategies for getting started as a real estate investor, sign up for real estate expert Julie Broad's free monthly newsletter. Get your free report for making money with real estate here.

Increasing your real estate knowledge may be just one goal in your life. Why not supercharge all of them with a mentor who truly takes your success seriously - and motivates you to do the same. Check out ETR's Total Success Achievement program here.]

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And the Award Goes to…

By Marci Shimoff

Does the idea of standing in front of a mirror and appreciating your positive qualities feel uncomfortable and stupid? It did to me - which was a sign that I really needed to try it.

I learned this mirror exercise in 1990, when I took a weeklong course on self-esteem from my mentor, Jack Canfield. Jack assigned the exercise as homework every night, saying, “Make sure you do this behind a closed door so nobody walks by and thinks you’re crazy.”

Each night, my roommate and I took turns going into the bathroom, shutting the door, and whispering sweet nothings to our reflections: “You’re kind.” “You’re loyal.” “You have a loving heart.”

The first night, I felt like a California New Age woo-woo nutcase. And soon I experienced a rush of sadness. I was an expert at criticizing myself - but why was it so hard to say nice things?

With practice, it gradually became easier to come up with reasons to love myself: “You’re smart.” “You go out of your way to help others.” And so on. But the real power of this exercise came when I learned to express appreciation for myself for no reason - to look myself in the eye and simply love who I was, unconditionally.

If you’re like most people, consciously recognizing the positive about yourself may feel conceited. After all, we’re raised not to “toot our own horn.” So we end up not giving ourselves credit or acknowledgment - or, worse, beating ourselves up. That shuts down our hearts, contracts our energy, and decreases our happiness levels.

While doing the research for my book Happy for No Reason, I interviewed scores of scientists, as well as 100 unconditionally happy people. (I call them the Happy 100.) One of the things I discovered is that truly happy people have a compassionate, encouraging, and validating attitude toward themselves. This isn’t arrogance or self-centeredness. It’s an appreciation and acceptance of who they are.

Learning to see the positive about yourself starts by changing your brain’s habit of focusing on your negative experiences and, instead, inclining your mind toward joy.

So today, begin registering your happy experiences more deeply - consciously looking for them. You can make it into a game. Have the intention to notice everything good that happens to you. Anything you see, feel, taste, hear, or smell that brings you joy. A “win,” a breakthrough, an “Aha!” moment, or an expression of your creativity. The list goes on and on.

This intention triggers the reticular activating system (RAS), a group of cells at the base of your brain stem responsible for sorting through the massive amounts of incoming information and bringing anything important to your attention. Have you ever bought a car and then suddenly started noticing the same make of car everywhere? It’s the RAS at work. Now you can use it to be happier. When you decide to look for the positive, your RAS makes sure that’s what you see.

Adelle, one of the Happy 100, told me about a unique method she has for registering the positive. As she goes about her day, she gives away awards in her mind: the best-behaved dog, the most colorful landscape design at a fast-food drive-through, the most courteous driver. This keeps her alert to the beauty and positivity that is all around her. Charmed by the idea, I tried it myself. I liked it so much, I’ve been giving out these “Happiness Oscars,” as I call them, ever since.

Once you notice something positive, take a moment to savor it consciously. Take in the good experience deeply and feel it. Make it more than just a mental observation. If possible, spend about 30 seconds soaking up the happiness you feel. If you want to accelerate your progress, take time every day to write down a few of your wins, breakthroughs, and things you appreciate about others - and about yourself.

You’ll know you’ve mastered this when you can give yourself an Academy Award for outstanding achievement in true happiness!

[Ed. Note: Marci Shimoff is the author of the New York Times bestseller Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy From the Inside Out, which offers a revolutionary approach to experiencing deep and lasting happiness. The woman's face of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a featured teacher in The Secret, Marci is an authority on success, happiness, and the law of attraction. To order Happy for No Reason, newly released in paperback, and receive free bonus gifts, go to www.happyfornoreason.com/mybook.

One of the best ways to feel happy is to enjoy the work you do. What better way to create enjoyment in your work than to start your own business, based on something you love? Get all the details for getting a moneymaking Internet business up and running right here.]

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These are gains in the forex market I’d always dreamed were possible… the results are hard to believe, 775 PIPs in one day!

Finally, a currency trading plan that REALLY WORKS! Find out how you can grab an easy $550-$2,200 each week - as a part-time Forex profit raider!

Click here for full details.

Pointing Fingers

By Jon Benson

In their book The China Study, T. Colin Campbell and Thomas Campbell want to point a finger at animal protein as the primary cause of disease, specifically heart disease and cancer.

The actual study doesn’t exactly support this conclusion, but hey…

Others want to blame our polluted soil. This argument has more merit. Our soil is definitely not in great shape, all the more reason to consume true organic vegetables.

Still others want to blame a lack of exercise. Valid point, but there’s more to the story.

Here’s my take on the matter:

1. All fingers ultimately point to you.

2. It’s always a combination of factors that cause disease and ill health, never just one.

3. A balanced approach to diet and exercise is absolutely essential.

I believe in balance that includes eating (gasp!) pizza. Burgers. Ice cream. Balance that includes protein and starch and carbohydrates, and still allows for ample fat loss - in fact, much faster than restrictive diet plans can achieve. And balance that has you working out harder on some days, not so hard on others.

Doesn’t this seem more reasonable than the vegan alternative of eating nothing but plants? Dozens of civilizations have proven a fully plant-based diet as THE answer to good health to be completely false. The Masai are just one of them. They consume huge amounts of meat and fat and have hardly a trace of heart disease or cancer. (Granted, they walk a lot. Hint, hint.)

As I said, it’s all about balance.

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Jon Benson just released his in-home fitness plan, The 7 Minute Muscle Body System. It requires only bands, a rubber ball, and your bodyweight to tone your body and help you burn fat. Try it for yourself right here.

For effective strategies for burning fat, getting fit, and feeling better than ever, sign up for ETR's FREE natural health newsletter right here.]

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The Language Perfectionist: Punctuation Pointers, Part 1

By Don Hauptman

Judging by the errors I encounter, punctuation confuses many people. But once you know a few rules, it’s easy to get it right. The following advice will help you avoid the most common mistakes.

• With the comma, the most frequent error is that of omission: Fred picked up a case of beer then drove to the golf course. To indicate a pause, a comma should follow beer.

A more controversial question is whether to use the “serial comma,” the final one in a series. Which is correct? (a) You obtain health benefits from apples, pears and oranges. Or (b) You obtain health benefits from apples, pears, and oranges.

Neither is wrong. It’s simply a matter of style. You may use either with impunity, so long as you are consistent within a document. But I favor the serial comma. It looks better. And it can prevent ambiguity, as this amusing example demonstrates: Indicate your name, address, sex and housing requirements.

• The semicolon may be the most misunderstood punctuation mark. It’s used to divide phrases within a sentence, each of which could be a complete sentence: Please excuse the delay; I had a deadline. The only other, and far less common, use for the semicolon is where a lengthy series of phrases contains internal commas. To preclude confusion, semicolons separate each phrase.
  
• The colon is an introductory device. He spent his vacation reading his three favorite authors: Dickens, Proust, and Grisham. A good rule of thumb is to use a colon only if the words “that is” would make sense in its place.

Next week, we’ll conclude this discussion with explanations of five other prickly punctuation marks.

Meanwhile, here’s some recommended reading - and a caution. You’ve probably heard about Eats, Shoots & Leaves, the bestselling punctuation guide. The book is funny and entertaining, but critics have lambasted it. One problem is that its American publisher didn’t bother to revise the text for domestic consumption. Thus, some of its advice applies to British but not U.S. English. A superior reference work is Comma Sense, by Richard Lederer and John Shore.

[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book recently published by AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.]

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It’s Fun to Know: The Connection Between Education and Internet Use

About 60 percent of U.S. households have Internet access, up from just 18 percent in 1997. And new Census Bureau data shows that education may play a role in that statistic. Here’s how it breaks down:

• College grads: 84 percent have Internet access at home.
  
• Homeowners or renters with some college education: 69 percent are online.
  
• High school grads: 50 percent are online.
  
• High school dropouts: Only 24 percent are connected to the Web.

(Source: ClickZ)

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From $16,635 in Debt to an Extra $36,000 per Year

It’s no secret that you want more money.

If you’re like the average American, says U.S. News and World Report, you’re in over your eyeballs to the tune of $16,635 - and that’s excluding mortgages!

So I’m guessing you wouldn’t say “boo!” to an extra $3,120 a month that practically flows straight into your bank account.

Best part is, it takes NO WORK on your part. You simply apply a powerful “forgotten” secret to your everyday life… and watch as the money comes rushing in.

Discover how to get $3,000+ a month just for living your life right here.

Word to the Wise: Lambaste

To “lambaste” (lam-BASTE) - from the Old Norse - is to reprimand or berate harshly; to censure.

Example (as used by Don Hauptman today): “The book is funny and entertaining, but critics have lambasted 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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

• WEALTHY: 2 huge investment opportunities in carbon fiber (Christian Hill)
• HEALTHY: A two-pronged approach to getting rid of cellulite (Jon Benson)
• WISE: Brian Tracy on the ability to persuade

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Translating negotiation tactics into sales copy (John Forde)
• Does your website have these four fatal flaws? (Rich Schefren)
• It’s Good to Know… about Google Analytics for YouTube
• Add “hermitage” to your vocabulary

The Code of Silence Has Been Broken…

In today’s financial climate you can’t just keep doing the same old thing or you could see your entire nest egg vanish.

Millions of Americans have had their portfolios deflate so badly that their life savings are nothing more than a memory.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be part of this group. Because there is another option.

An elite group of investors uses secret methods to make enormous profits no matter what the markets do.

Previously, nobody outside of this group was privy to these wealth building tools.

But now the code of silence has been broken…

Wall Street Insider Frederick James has broken ranks and is letting the genie out of the bottle. Learn how you can also start making a fortune no matter what the markets are doing.

The Growing Demand for Composite Materials

By Christian Hill Carbon fiber, a petroleum product, will soon become the material of choice for many things. But I want to focus on two huge growth opportunities that I believe will push it to the forefront.

The first opportunity is in the automotive industry. Carbon fiber is currently used to produce lightweight hoods, fenders, trunks, spoilers, and various other parts for the aftermarket. A few small-run production cars also use carbon fiber extensively in their construction. Now, with the new fuel economy mandates, all manufacturers will need to make their cars lighter. While aluminum is an option, carbon fiber will likely become the preferred alternative. That means the carbon fiber industry should get a huge boost over the next five to 10 years.

The second opportunity is related to alternative energy, specifically wind turbines. In 2007, production of wind-turbine blades increased 38 percent over the previous year. And as turbine operators look to squeeze more juice out of every gust, they are turning to larger and lighter blades. This is a job for carbon fiber, not steel.

So how do you take advantage of these two growth sectors? You find a company that has proprietary technology that allows it to produce some of the lowest-cost carbon fiber on the market.

That company is Zoltek (ZOLT). While the stock has taken its lumps with the rest of the market over the last year or so, the company has been going after new customers attracted to its lower manufacturing costs. It is perfectly positioned to rebound once the economy turns and demand for carbon fiber skyrockets.

[Ed. Note: Christian Hill examines market trends and offers timely analysis regularly in ETR's sister publication, Investor's Daily Edge. Get a free subscription to this investment resource right here.] Comment on this article

5 Ways to Get Anybody to Say “Yes” to Anything

By John Forde It was on the reply form I dashed off a day ago. At the top, I wrote what I’ve written on reply devices for nearly two decades: “YES!”

It was in the title of the audio book I downloaded this morning: Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive.

Now I’m on a plane, heading stateside for a meeting. And what movie was one of my choices? Yes Man, with Jim Carrey.

I didn’t particularly want to watch it. And, no question, it was full of some dumb dialogue and slow moments. But there was something about the premise… a guy who had to say “yes” to everything… that was appealing.

“YES.” What is it about that word?

We like people who say “yes.” Yes gets you to opportunities. Without a “yes,” no sale ever happens.

One study even shows that if you can get people to say “yes” to ANYTHING, even a question about the time or the weather, you’ll have an easier time getting them to say yes to bigger requests afterward.

But how do you get a “yes” out of someone who really doesn’t want to give you one?

A while back, I read a book by William Ury called Getting Past No: Negotiating With Difficult People. The parallels between some of Ury’s techniques and what works in sales copy were striking.

Here’s a rundown…

* Negotiator Tactic #1: Don’t react. Ever sent an e-mail to a client, colleague or… well, to anyone you wish you could reel back in? Well, Ury says don’t. It’s one of the first and biggest mistakes we make hoping to work toward a relationship-building response.

Instead, says Ury, “go to the balcony.” That is, step out and get some air. Take a breath. Count to 10. Maybe even 100. And only then, react. This gives you time to figure out not only what you want out of the negotiation, but what your prospect wants as well. It also chills your passions so you can form a strategically smart (rather than unfocused and wild-eyed) response. Sales Copy Connection: It’s great to feel passionate about what you’re selling. But before launching into a feverish sales “rationale”… actively map out what it is your prospect really wants. Some prospects want security, others excitement. Some want vindication, others want proof that helps boost confidence in their own opinions.

What is it you’re really selling? Is it what you should be selling? Know before you get started. Often it’s something more or deeper than the thing you’re excited about. And sometimes, it’s less. * Negotiator Tactic #2: Disarm your opponent. In selling, we’re not really talking about “opponents.” The prospect is not your enemy. And in a negotiation, Ury says, you’re better off thinking the same way. That is, instead of looking at negotiations as two sides facing off over two sides of an issue, you’ll get much better results if you “step to the other side.” In other words, do the opposite of what your target expects.

And the easiest way to do this? Simply agree with your “opponent” on as many points as you can. Build consensus first, before you try to defend a single counterpoint of your own. Ury tells us the best negotiators even steer clear of using the word “but.” They instinctively replace it with “and” wherever possible. Sales Copy Connection: This is a lot like what we’re doing in sales copy when we try to ask questions designed only for a “yes” response. For instance, stating our prospect’s own rationale right back to him and tacking on a line at the end - something along the lines of “Wouldn’t you agree?”

These are just tricks, of course. The bigger idea is that when you can show agreement with your prospect’s own opinions - in person or in print - do so. It will pay off in the end. * Negotiator Tactic #3: Change the game by changing the frame. This is a more advanced tactic, because it requires listening better than most people and thinking more creatively than anyone else in the negotiation. But it’s key, says Ury, to negotiating effectively.

What you’re doing is looking for solid ways to “reframe” the objections to your counterpoint in the discussion. You’re actively exposing the objections and stonewall tactics… then finding a way for both of you to get around them.

This is where a pro shows his or her mettle. Sales Copy Connection: As tough as this is to do, the parallel here is easy. Too often, I’ve seen junior copywriters try to avoid the prospect’s potential objections to a sale rather than raising them in their copy. But just because you don’t confront the reader’s doubts doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Or that they won’t stop your sale cold in its tracks.

When you get the urge to sneak around an objection, don’t. Take a sheet of paper and actually list every objection you can. (Even better, make this list before you start writing the sales letter.) You’re playing your own devil’s advocate, coming up with every reason why a prospect might NOT want to buy what you’re offering - or, at least, not buy it from you.

Once you’ve got this list, you can use it to tweak your sales outline. You can even hit each objection head on, writing responses almost in a Q & A style. Or try making every subhead a persuasive resolution to every doubt you suspect your prospect might have.

But be careful. You don’t want to come across as if you’re working to trounce an argument or crush your adversary. Rather, you’re easing doubts and building consensus. * Negotiator Tactic #4: Build a golden bridge. Ury urges negotiators NOT to push against resistance. Rather, he says, involve your prospect by incorporating his ideas into your solution.

You want to avoid, at all costs, “winning” a negotiation by making the other side feel like they’re making a concession. In fact, you want to avoid “winning” the negotiation.

Instead, let the other side feel like they own the victory, to share only if they’re willing. In short, let them “save face” and retain control over the decision to go along with whatever it is you’ve suggested. Sales Copy Connection: This is a no-brainer. You can never force-feed a sale. The moment your prospect feels he’s losing control over the decision, you’ve lost him.

Remember, you’re asking your reader to take a risk when they check the “yes” box or click the order button. Give them reason to feel good - and safe - by taking that chance. Generous guarantees, instant rewards and hefty premiums, immediate discounts or results can all help make this happen.

And finally… * Negotiator Tactic #5: Make it hard to say no. “Bring your opponent to his senses, not to his knees,” says Ury. You’re not looking to punish him for saying no. You’re looking to show him the cost of not saying yes. Sales Copy Connection: Try this tactic elsewhere in your copy, but especially in your close. Think of it as an inversion of the classic problem-solution lead.

That is, you open by stating a big problem… you offer a big solution… and then, when it comes time to seal the deal, you back off in the middle of the close and restate the problem again. But this time, as a contrasting backdrop for the solutions you’ve presented.

Not as a threat. Rather, as a way to make the positives of your offer stand out, sharpened by the comparison.

Good advice, overall? I think so. And I recommend that you check out Ury’s book. You can find it easily on Amazon.com or, in audio, in the iTunes bookstore.

[Ed. Note: To get more of copywriting expert John Forde's wisdom and insights into marketing (and much more), sign up for his free e-letter, Copywriter's Roundtable, at www.copywritersroundtable.com. Or send an e-mail to signup@jackforde.com. Get a free report about 15 deadly copy mistakes and how to avoid them when you sign up today. For more expert advice on how to become a "highly effective person"... the kind of person who succeeds where others fail... who instinctively knows how to burst through roadblocks and obstacles that leave others stumped and stalled... pick up a copy of Michael Masterson's Power and Persuasion.] Comment on this article

Imagine Having a Really Rich Relative… and it was YOU!

Congress can throw money into our economy until the end of time…

The Fed can lower interest rates to practically nothing…

But here’s the cold hard facts: At the end of the day, Uncle Sam ain’t gonna help you… the only one who can get you out of this economic mess and guarantee you a stress free retirement is you!

And one sure-fire way to do that is to acquire the wealth attraction skills of a billionaire.

Why? Because billionaires think differently (even differently from millionaires), they behave differently… and most of all-see money making opportunities where others see only despair!

Imagine having billionaire “money magnet” skills so ingrained into your consciousness that magically deals fall into your lap.

Imagine for the first time in your life NOT having to chase wealth! When in fact, MONEY opportunities just knock on your door- and you simply open it.

Think this can’t happen to you? Well, think again…

It can- especially when the mega-wealthy co-founder of TV’s first home shopping network personally mentors you to financial success in just 30 days!

Vince Lombardi once said, “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will…”

I think you know what you have to do! Click here to get all the inside details…

Is Your Website Underperforming?

By Rich Schefren I was recently asked by a reporter from CNNMoney.com to comment on the website of a furniture store in Virginia that they were profiling. So I took a look. And what I found inspired me to share with you some of the ways you can immediately add more selling power to your own website.

1. Many online businesses fail because when people go to their websites, they can’t find what they want. The key here is to make it as easy as possible for them. Have all of your “hottest buttons” front and center. Don’t make your prospects work for it, because they won’t. They’ll just go to your competitor’s website because it’s easier to navigate.

2. If you’re not adding any and all misspellings of your keywords to your site’s meta tags you could be missing out on a 20 percent+ increase in traffic. Do some keyword research to see how many searches for your product name or a word in your URL are entered incorrectly. There could be hundreds - even thousands - of people looking for you. But if they get just one letter wrong, they’ll never get to your site.

3. Testimonials are very important for an online business. And don’t just throw anything up there. Make sure they’re good. Your testimonials from satisfied customers should talk about how you’ve changed their lives, made them more money, given them a better future, etc. And here’s a tip: Write the testimonials FOR them. Then simply ask for their approval. It’s fast, easy, and most of the time you’ll get exactly what you want.

4. If you have a great offer or a benefit that separates your product or service from the rest, make sure your site visitors know about it. Don’t just mention it in passing. Put it in plain sight on your main page.

Give your website the once-over. Take a closer look at your offers… your copy… your design… your meta tags. Anything that could be improved.

You might be surprised to find out how much money you’re leaving on the table… money that can easily be yours by making a few easy tweaks.

[Ed. Note: Rich Schefren - one of the world's best small-business strategists - knows a thing or two about what it takes to be successful. The businesses he coaches have done over $500 million every year - piling up more than $1 billion in sales every two years. Visit his blog to learn how to streamline your business while skyrocketing profits.

These are just four tips you could use to strengthen your website, bring in more visitors, and compel those prospects to buy. For more great tactics to boost your online business, check out ETR's soup-to-nuts guide to starting and growing a business on the Internet - the Internet Money Club: Independent Learner Edition.] Comment on this article

Got Cellulite?

By Jon Benson I get this question all the time: What do I do about cellulite?

As a man, I feel guilty. Cellulite almost exclusively affects women.

But here’s something that I’ve seen help. Aside from sticking to a healthy low-insulin diet and a solid weight-training program, do this: Train with interval cardio for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Do 3 minutes at 85 percent intensity, 5 minutes at 65 percent intensity, then repeat three times. Warm-up and cool-down takes the rest of the 30 minutes.

The trick is this: Part of your lower intervals must involve tensing the muscles where you have cellulite. This means you have to step off the treadmill or stop your walk/jog, tense for 10 seconds per muscle 3 times, and continue. Then, after your workout, tense and stretch for 10-15 minutes.

Focus your mind on the areas where you have cellulite. Picture the cellulite receding into your skin. I know this sounds a bit “odd,” but this combo of exercise and “imaging” has worked for quite a few women. They have either eliminated their cellulite or radically reduced it.

Bear in mind: Until you get your diet plan under control and get rid of your obvious body fat, the cellulite may not budge. But keep going - and keep building muscle in the area of the cellulite. You’ll be happy with the results.

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Jon Benson just released his in-home fitness plan, The 7 Minute Muscle Body System. It requires only bands, a rubber ball, and your bodyweight to tone your body and help you burn fat. Try it for yourself right here.

For effective strategies for burning fat, getting fit, and feeling better than ever, sign up for ETR's FREE natural health newsletter right here.] Comment on this article

It’s Good to Know: Google Analytics for YouTube

At ETR, we use Google Analytics to help us understand the way people like to use our websites - and we’ve encouraged our readers who are setting up their own online businesses to use this powerful (free) tool too. Now, it’s available for advertisers on YouTube’s “brand channels.” They are able to track their visitors’ length of stay, repeat visits, page views, geographic location, and more. This is data that can be used to craft future marketing efforts.

(Source: ClickZ) Comment on this article

Don’t Get Mad at Wall Streeters… Get Rich Off Them

Are you a disillusioned stock market investor?

Or maybe even just a “regular” Joe or Jane alarmed by the economic woes reported daily on every TV channel, radio station, the Internet, newspapers, and magazines?

If so I’d like to invite you to join my “anti-Wall Street” club.

We don’t sit around bad-mouthing fat cats or lamenting our lost dollars.

In the Liberty Street League, we’re getting even by making money hand over fist “off Wall Street.” Find out if you qualify to join the League today.

Word to the Wise: Hermitage

A “hermitage” (HUR-muh-tij) - from the Greek for “solitary; desolate” - is a secluded residence, retreat, or hideaway.

Example (as used by Shakespeare in Love’s Labour’s Lost): “Your oath I will not trust, but go with speed / To some forlorn and naked hermitage, / Remote from all the pleasures of the world.”

[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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

• WEALTHY: Tangible protection for your wealth in these times (Ted Peroulakis)
• HEALTHY: Why bigger isn’t better (Matt Furey)
• WISE: Mark Twain on spirit vs. brawn

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Making the most of your limited time (Bob Cox)
• Your editor isn’t always right! (Suzanne Richardson)
• It’s Fun to Know… about a quick - but dumb - solution to unaffordable car payments
• Add “choleric” to your vocabulary

Make Sudden, Long-Lasting Change

Discover a new world of personal achievement with the extraordinarily powerful Paraliminals. The breakthrough human performance technologies on these amazing CDs can help you:

• Energize in just 10 minutes
• Boost your memory in just 16 minutes
• Feel good in just 18 minutes
• Acquire a new behavior in just 24 minutes
• Change memories in just 30 minutes
• and so much more…

These are not magical or mystical — they are simply the best, easy-to-use tools available today to get your mind to make the changes you want. Truly nothing to study. Nothing to memorize. No homework. No exercises. Just put on one of these relaxation “Paraliminal” CDs, kick back, listen, and enjoy the results.

Paraliminals work by helping your inner mind learn new strategies to respond to what’s going on in your world. All automatically - with virtually no effort on your part. Your collection includes titles such as “Sales Leap,” “New Behavior Generator,” “Deep Relaxation,” “Get Around To It,” and “Instantaneous Personal Magnetism,” which everyone should have! Learn more in this informative booklet.

Invest in Hard Assets

By Ted Peroulakis

I love hard assets… like energy, agriculture, and metals. Why? Because there is a good chance that inflation is going to devalue paper currency around the globe.

You need to have a portion of your wealth in something tangible - something you can hold in your hand. I’m talking about oil, grains, livestock, sugar, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, platinum, and even forest products like lumber.

The price of oil will never go to zero! Someone will always be in the market to buy gasoline. Gold has never been worth $0. Silver could always buy you a meal - even in ancient times.

But can the value of a stock or a paper currency go to zero? Yes, indeed.

One good way to invest in hard assets is to buy the Market Vectors RVE Hard Assets Exchange Traded Fund (HAP). This ETF closely tracks the Hard Assets Producers index, which consists of more than 250 companies engaged in the production and distribution of hard assets and related products and services. Some of its major holdings include Monsanto, Exxon Mobil, Potash, Syngenta, BHP Billiton, Archer-Daniels-Midland, and Gazprom.

Protect your wealth and invest in hard assets.

[Ed. Note: Ted Peroulakis offers timely commentary on specific and overall market trends in ETR's sister publication, Investor's Daily Edge. And he's just one of the market analysts helping investors make good decisions every day. Find out more about IDE here.]

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Big Muscles Are Overrated

By Matt Furey

I don’t care what body part you’re talking about. Just because it’s bigger doesn’t make it better.

Bigger often has a hypnotic effect. You see a guy with big biceps, pecs, lats, forearms, thighs, calves, and so on - and it’s hard to take your eyes off him. And in the world of fitness and combat training, a lot of people think that if you’re bigger it means you’re stronger - that you’ve got more power.

In some cases this is true. But many big, muscular specimens are not strong. On the other hand, many folks who do not have impressive muscles are.

So I always get a good laugh when I read about how “important” it is to add size to your arms - or some such nonsense.

When I was young and dumb, I thought having big pecs and biceps was cool. I learned to jiggle my pecs on command, as well as my biceps and thighs. And when I competed against others, I compared their muscle sizes to mine and tried to figure out who was the better athlete. (I was wrong so often I don’t want to think about it.)

As a wrestler in college, I learned that bicep and pec size has almost nothing to do with how tough someone is. Or how strong.

One of the ultimate lessons came from none other than Dan Gable himself, the head wrestling coach when I was at the U. of Iowa. He didn’t have big biceps, thighs, calves, or pecs - yet he could beat the living crap out of everyone in the room who did.

When it came to running stairs with someone on your back, I remember struggling to cart Gable to the top - and he weighed about 155 pounds. Then, when it was his turn, he carried me to the top like I was no heavier than a feather.

Put our legs side by side and if you came from the big muscles school of hypnosis, you’d have assumed I was stronger. Not a chance.

Why is this?

Based on my study of martial arts, I believe that muscular size is way, way overrated. But I won’t stop there. I’ll go so far as to say that muscular strength is overrated.

What? How can I say such a thing?

I can say it for a few reasons:

1. Your internal organs. They have more to do with the strength of your muscles than you realize. Take a guy with big “guns” (biceps) and give him a kidney stone… and we’ll see how freaking tough he is. Every time you pull, curl, twist, jump, or squat, you’re not just using your muscles, your kidneys are working as well.

And kidneys are just two of the main organs that dictate overall body strength.

2. Your tendons. When properly trained and strengthened, they will give you a massive advantage over anyone with big muscles. Just because your muscles are large doesn’t mean your tendons and ligaments are strong. A little inflammation in the elbows or knees can sink your game very low very fast.

3. Your breathing. Most people with big muscles don’t know the first thing about how to regulate their breathing to maximize strength and endurance. Sure, they know how to inhale and exhale when doing a bench press - but that’s about as far as it goes.

How much further can you go? A helluva lot further. In fact, learning proper breathing, combined with exercises to strengthen your tendons and tone your internal organs, will do your body (as well as your mind) far more good than picking up a dumbbell or barbell to do a set of curls.

Nothing wrong with curls, if that’s your bowl of cereal. But let’s get serious. Big muscles don’t make the man - or woman. They may look nice. They may draw a crowd. But when it comes to doing real battle - mental as well as physical - they won’t help you much.

Far more important is what you cannot see.

It’s the difference between shallow external appearances and internal strength and power.

One exercise that builds both mental and physical strength is the bridge - especially if you do it at bedtime.

1. It creates a euphoric state. (Nice to feel that before you go to sleep, don’t you think?)

2. It energizes you. Not with the kind of energy that interferes with sleep but with the kind where you KNOW your brain is rejuvenated.

3. It makes you aware of energy at a more subtle level. (This helps you whether you’re a competitive athlete or someone who deals with people for a living.)

4. It increases sexual energy.

5. It helps burn off belly fat, as well as the loose turkey fat on your neck.

6. It increases the feeling of being grounded.

Those are only six reasons why the bridge is so great. There are many others.

In my book Combat Conditioning, you can discover core exercises (including several versions of the bridge) that can help you drop unwanted pounds… relieve lower back, neck, and shoulder pain… end fatigue and stress… heighten mental clarity… and give you confidence.

By the way - if you can’t do the bridges in my book just yet, if they’re too advanced for you, start with a light bridge over a Swiss ball. That’ll get you headed in the right direction.

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Matt Furey believes in strengthening yourself on the inside as well as the outside - and what he has taught you today goes to the heart and soul of the matter in a way that you've probably never experienced before. And when you add Matt's Combat Conditioning into the mix... LOOK OUT. You'll become the master of your universe. Find out more here.]

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Why It Doesn’t Matter If the Markets Tumble

If you’re one of the millions of people concerned by the latest turbulence in the markets, I’ve got some good news for you.

It doesn’t matter if the markets tumble.

One investor delights when the stock market lurches up and down.

His name is Frederick James and you won’t see him on Larry King or in the Wall Street Journal.

That’s because he’s always preferred to remain part of an elite group of investors who extract their profits in the background while the masses of regular investors see their nest eggs vaporize.

But, now Frederick has decided it’s time to share the wealth. He has agreed to reveal his secrets to ETR readers. Get your special report right here.

Are Your Goals Just a To-Do List?

By Bob Cox

It doesn’t matter if you have just graduated from college or are in your retirement years. It doesn’t matter if you have achieved great financial success or are just embarking on a career. It doesn’t matter if you are a musician, a banker, a personal chef, or a stay-at-home parent.

We all have the same 168 hours in a week. And the better you become at managing those hours, the easier it will be to reach your goals.

Whether your goal is to create additional income or secure better relationships with friends and family or pursue a higher spiritual connection… it takes time. And it requires ACTION to take advantage of the time available to you.

The truth is that your goals are little more than items on a “to-do” list UNLESS action is taken. It doesn’t matter how much you talk about achieving your goals or how much you plan… until you actually take a step toward making something happen, you haven’t done enough.

So don’t let success slip you by. Get serious about the way you use your time.

[Ed. Note: Bob Cox is a business consultant, record-setting pilot, and personal success mentor. He can help you achieve all you want out of life with practical and actionable techniques that take just minutes a day to implement. Find out more about his Total Success Achievement Program here.]

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When to Edit Your Editors

By Suzanne Richardson

“Holly” and I have been close since college. Although she’s only 26, she’s been through a lot. And she’s working on a memoir - a tale of her ups and downs that she hopes will have a positive effect on the lives of others.

When she called me to edit her first few chapters, I was honored. I gave her my thoughts and suggestions, and sent the manuscript back to her.

Holly sent the chapters to “Milo,” another editor friend, made some changes based on his suggestions, and sent the revisions back to me.

When I read it, I was shocked.

Yes, some of the writing was much stronger. Holly had learned to include more specifics - places, names, times of day. She’d also eliminated passive voice.

But gone was Holly’s achingly personal and courageous account of her life.

Milo had leeched out nearly all of what made the writing Holly’s.

Now I’m sure that Milo is an excellent editor. And I’m sure he had very specific reasons for cutting some of the things he cut and changing some of the things he changed. But he wound up sacrificing personality for correctness… or for economy of words… or grammatical reasons…

Holly’s chapters ended up sounding like anyone could have written them. Sure, they were clear and concise. But they were bland and generic, too.

As you know, I’m an editor. So it’s no surprise that I believe editing is a big part of what makes good writing good.

But the truth is, we editors can get so caught up in making something perfect… that it can backfire and end up sounding slick and impersonal.

Sometimes, the best part of a piece of writing is the personal details.

Keep this in mind when you’re editing your own work… or when you’re dealing with a professional editor. Don’t be afraid to fight for a sentence or paragraph that really captures your personality. If the editor objects, talk to him about it. Ask what you can do to keep the personality, while preserving the technically high quality he requires.

[Ed. Note: Learning how to write clearly and persuasively is key to getting your message across. Discover dozens of powerful techniques for writing top-notch sales copy in Eugene Schwartz's Breakthrough Advertising right here.]

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It’s Fun to Know: A Quick - but Dumb - Solution to Unaffordable Car Payments

There’s a new trend in insurance fraud: blowing up your car, setting it on fire, sinking it in a lake, pushing it off a cliff, or having a friend trash it and abandon it in the desert… and then reporting it stolen or “vandalized.”

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, such incidents have been on the rise as increasing numbers of drivers become unable to afford their car payments. Suspicious auto fires, for example, were up 27 percent in the first quarter of 2009.

According to industry watchers, these criminals believe they’ll slip through the cracks and their fraudulent claims will go unnoticed. But insurance companies know that times of economic uncertainty mean an increase in insurance crime, so they investigate possible cases very thoroughly.

(Source: Los Angeles Times)

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I’m Not Scared by Today’s Economic Woes and You Shouldn’t Be Either

Stock market drops, bankrupt companies… and yet here I am smiling.

Why?

Because my investments - my money - are insulated from Wall Street’s woes. And I’m making money… $5,000… $7,000… and $15,000 at a time - off Wall Street.

In fact, I didn’t lose a dime in the market in all 2008… and I’m on track for a repeat in 2009.

Interested in escaping from Wall Street yourself?

Join me today.

Word to the Wise: Choleric

“Choleric” (KOL-uh-rik) - from the Greek for “bile” - means easily irritated or angered; bad-tempered.

Example (as used by Theodore Dalrymple in the National Review): “At his trial, Ferrars argued that he had always been of such choleric disposition that, at times when his blood was up, he knew not right from wrong.”

[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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

Example (as used by Clayton Makepeace today): “Since offering to reveal a secret appeals to us humans on so many visceral levels, it’s no wonder that many of the most successful direct-response promotions of all time have used it to boost attention and readership.”

[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 Words to the Wise CD Library.]

The Human Microbiome Project is dedicated to identifying and cataloging all of the microbes living on and inside the human body. They will be analyzing their link to various ailments, as well as how to promote the growth of “beneficial” bacteria that help fight disease.

(Source: Discover Magazine)