Why you need a little more Evel Knievel in your life
Archives: Daily Issues
Issue #2599
- WEALTHY: An exciting and fresh path to prosperity (Charles Newcastle)
- HEALTHY: Would you buy your salmon from a paint store? (Kelley Herring)
- WISE: Charles Kettering on success
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Why you need a little more Evel Knievel in your life (Michael Masterson)
- If you feature images on your site… (David Cross)
- It’s Good to Know… why flu season is in winter
- Add “tutelage” to your vocabulary
== Highly Recommended ==
Your “Off Wall Street” Cash Recovery Plan
Thousands of smart Americans just like you are no longer waiting for Obama, Wall Street or their employers for salvation from the recession.
Instead, they’re now taking matters into their own hands by quietly moving portions of their money into previously hidden high-profit investments “off Wall Street”.
One stake of as little as $1,000 has the realistic ability to quickly swell into a full year’s salary in as little as a few weeks time – and then repeat over and over again.
Another is currently offering the chance to gain year-in and year-out returns of 65% with 99.77% certainty – even in today’s economy.
How “The Liberty Street League” Got Its Name
Walk outside the marbled lobby of the New York Stock Exchange, and you’ll find yourself right in the heart of Wall Street.
Take a few steps away from the grim reality of “The Street”… past the offices that once housed Merrill Lynch… beyond the New York Sports Club, where finance managers now sit crying in their single-malts.
Stroll through historic Trinity Church, where investors are welcome to pray for mercy, and glance at the cemetery next door, a reminder of the ghosts that haunt this once-proud neighborhood.
Then, when you’ve had enough of Wall Street, walk north a block or two past Citibank and HSBC. And it is there, on the outer edge of New York’s financial district, where you’ll finally come to a brighter place: Liberty Street.
That is exactly where I found myself earlier this year. I was in downtown Manhattan on business, when I looked up and saw that street sign.
“What do you know,” I thought, “I’ve just traveled ‘off Wall Street’… and suddenly I’m on ‘Liberty Street.’”
The symbolism was too powerful to ignore. And that’s how “The Liberty Street League” got its name.
These days, most of us would like nothing more than to distance ourselves from Wall Street and find our way to “Liberty Street”… a place representing the desire for independence and personal freedom that’s deep in our hearts and souls.
Our forefathers envisioned an America where every man and woman could find success… where they could create a life of their own choosing and their own dreams. But now, culminating in this current economic crisis, our great country seems to have strayed off course.
That presents you with a great opportunity… to commit to taking a better route to attaining an abundant life for yourself and your family… personal financial freedom… and the pursuit of your own happiness.
In short, it’s the perfect time to go “off Wall Street”… and, instead, join nearly a thousand of your fellow Early to Risers on “Liberty Street.”
[Ed Note: If you're ready to look away from Wall Street, ETR wants to welcome you to a different place, a place that promises a new, exciting, and fresh path to prosperity. Discover how fast and simple it is to join The Liberty Street League right now!
"Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail."
Charles F. Kettering
Taking the Big Leap
Sometime in your business career, you will have a chance to do something or sell something - and it will be obvious to you that you are looking at a great opportunity. However, you will realize that you simply don't have the time, the knowledge, or the resources to meet that challenge. If you are sensible, you will probably say "No thanks," and bow out. But - if the opportunity is really extraordinary - you might want to try the Grand Canyon Jump.
I'm thinking of Robbie Knievel's now-famous motorcycle jump over the Grand Canyon. (Robbie Knievel is son of legendary daredevil Evel Knievel.) The story I heard was that the idea was based on his father's failed attempt at the same stunt.
I remember one of the very first times I took a "Grand Canyon Jump" - albeit in a much less bold way. It was nearly 10 years ago. Early to Rise was brand-new, and I was still learning how to apply my direct-marketing background to the Internet. I got an invitation to speak at a seminar about Internet marketing. Trouble was, I knew next to nothing about the subject. Certainly not enough to make a speech about it. (Number One Rule of Effective Speaking: Know what you're talking about.)
But I agreed to make the presentation, because I figured it would force me to think about this important and growing part of my business. Not only did I agree to talk, I agreed to a title for my speech ("7 Myths About the Internet and 7 Ways to Profit From It") that was - given my experience at the time - audacious.
Since then, I have made the leap many times. (This is what's behind my "Ready, Fire, Aim" philosophy.)
When I really want to do something but have no idea how to do it, I don't just agree to do it - I promise myself that I will do it very well. I set a high hurdle for myself. I suppose what I'm doing is fueling my drive with the fear of humiliation.
But it works. Most of the time.
In the case of my "7 Myths About the Internet" speech, I pushed myself because I had to. By reading about what others have done. Observing what my own employees were doing - what was working and what was failing miserably. Trying some stuff on my own. And I made remarkable progress. In fact, after only two months, I had gotten to the point where 80 percent of what I read about Internet marketing either (1) bored me because it was so simple, or (2) infuriated me because it was so obviously wrong.
As the weeks passed and the day of the presentation grew nearer, I found myself thinking harder about the subject. More than ever, I was aware of how other media (direct mail, print advertising, etc.) reminded me of the Internet. Bit by bit, ideas were coming together.
When the event finally took place, I had come up with about a dozen useful ideas and observations that felt right. Many of these defied conventional wisdom. Then, when I heard what other presenters were saying - their accounts of what succeeded and failed for them - it all made sense.
My presentation worked. It felt good. I was full of energy when I gave it, thinking, "Hey, this really is important!" And I got a good reaction from the audience. Most important, I got what I hoped to get: a foundation of ideas that have helped me - and will continue to help me - make money on the Internet.
These days, trying to do anything in addition to holding onto your job may seem like an enormous challenge. And rightly so. But that's all the more reason to make the Grand Canyon Jump.
Think about one thing that you have not done or declined to do that could be very good for your career long term. It could be something general, like learning how to sell on the Internet... or something more specific, like making your next sales presentation or pay-per-click campaign work.
Next step is to announce your intention. Contact the appropriate parties and let them know what you've decided to do.
Finally, set a high standard for yourself. Set the standard so high that it seems foolish or pretentious - and then start thinking about how you can actually achieve it.
You can't change the laws of physics. Robbie Knievel jumped over a "narrow" segment of the Grand Canyon rather than going for its widest section. But he got over it. And it gave him not only the temporary career boost he was looking for but also a stunt that he will always be remembered for."
So what's it going to be? When - and how - are you going to make your Grand Canyon Jump?
[Ed. Note: Get more of Michael's surefire strategies for getting ahead in business in his best selling book Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat.
As a special thank you to our best customers, Michael has started a new VIP service in which he gives insider business-building advice usually reserved for his private clients - a twice-weekly newsletter called Ready Fire Aim: The Michael Masterson Dispatch. If you have bought an ETR product or attended a conference and are not receiving Ready Fire Aim, please let us know by sending an e-mail to Michael@ETRfeedback.com.
Correction: In the 2/23 issue of Early to Rise, we mistakenly attributed the Grand Canyon jump to Evel Knievel instead of to his son, Robbie Knievel.]
How to Quickly Breathe New Life into Your Online Sales…
The truth about doing business online is this: Nothing happens until someone buys something.
You may have a fabulous product, a red-hot niche, a tremendous list of subscribers… but if your online marketing doesn’t inspire people to respond – to buy from you – you might as well pull the plug!
Boosting your sales is a critical goal that 99% of all Internet entrepreneurs struggle to achieve. But now the team at Early to Rise has designed a powerful solution… We’ve partnered with the “Legend of Direct Response Marketing” himself for a small-group workshop.
In two power-packed days, you’ll learn his ultra-effective techniques for making huge profits online. In one weekend, you’ll learn everything you need to know to create money-making marketing campaigns for explosive sales growth. You’ll walk away with all you need to build your own money-making empire.
If you want ultra-profitable Internet sales – and loads of them – don’t miss this exclusive opportunity.
Reader Feedback: “I thought I just went through business school in 300 pages!”
“I’m a biology major who studied his way to medical school. My last business class was in 6th grade (about ways to save your allowance money).
“When I read Michael Masterson’s book, Ready, Fire Aim, I thought I just went through business school in about 300 pages.
“Michael, you’ve helped me start my business – and I never thought I could pull it off. Thank you!”
Koohzad K.
Laguna Hills, CA
So… Make It Bigger Already
By David Cross
When you shop online, you have to be able to see the product before you can make the decision to buy. Because images take up space and slow downloads, most websites provide small thumbnail images. When you click on the thumbnail, a large image pops up. At least, it should…
I find that on about half of the websites I visit, the “larger” image is the same size as the thumbnail. This makes it impossible to tell what the product really looks like.
If you have a website where you feature product images, listen up! On the preview image, make sure the “small to large” function works correctly – and make sure that you do, in fact, provide a larger image.
A good thumbnail size is around 100-150 pixels, and a good higher resolution size is 400-600 pixels.
[Ed. Note: What are your biggest website usability pet peeves? Let us know right here.]
Is Your Fish Color-Finished?
If you think eating farmed salmon is a good way to get your protein, think again. Farmed salmon can do you more harm than good. Artificial color is one reason why.
Because wild salmon dine on crustaceans, plankton, and algae, their flesh takes on a beautiful, rich pink-red hue. But farmed salmon – fed toxin-rich fishmeal, corn, soy, and other foods not in their natural diet – have an insipid color that’s unappealing to consumers.
So what’s a salmon farmer to do? Simply pick a hue!
Using the Hoffman LaRoche Salmofan – a kind of artist’s wheel – salmon farmers pick the “perfect shade” (Carophyll Pink) to color-finish their second-rate salmon.
Of course, the dye is derived from petrochemicals. But Hoffman doesn’t have a corner on the market. Agricultural behemoth Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and others create coloring agents with methods that include growing red yeast on corn byproducts and gene-cloning utilizing E. coli.
Artificial color is just one of the harmful aspects of farmed salmon. To read more about it, check out my article “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.”
If you haven’t made the switch to real fish – wild fish, that is – the time is now. Wild fish is widely available and is surprisingly affordable. Try SuperTarget, Whole Foods, or VitalChoice and start eating real fish today.
[Ed. Note: With so many not-so-healthy options available, it can be hard to know what to choose and what to avoid. ETR's health experts will guide you toward the right choices in our free natural health newsletter. Learn how to get your twice-weekly dose of healthful recipes... weight-loss programs... and other ideas for achieving optimal health right here.
You can enjoy perfectly healthy desserts with a copy of Kelley's recipe e-book, Guilt-Free Desserts. You'll find dozens of delicious recipes you can easily make at home.]
It’s Good to Know: Why Flu Season Is in Winter
Winter brings not just cold weather but flu season. And until recently, nobody knew why.
But medical researchers from Oregon State University may have solved the mystery. They found that due to a combination of cold temperatures and low humidity, influenza germs live longer and pass more easily from one person to another.
(Source: National Geographic)
== Highly Recommended ==
The Best Feeling in the World
Accomplishing a simple goal can have powerful, long-lasting results…
Once you finally learn to play the trumpet, or start a business, or get promoted to CEO, or get your pre-baby body back…
You’ll notice that people start treating you differently. They’ll respect you more. They’ll compliment you. They might even try to imitate your success.
And the way you’ll feel about yourself is unparalleled. You’ll have new confidence. New happiness. Some new stress, perhaps. But new pride in yourself and your abilities.
Achieving a goal you’ve had for years… There’s nothing quite like it.
It’s time for you to feel proud of yourself.
Word to the Wise: Tutelage
“Tutelage” (TOO- tuhl-ij) – from the Latin for “to watch” – is (1) the act of guarding or protecting, or (2) individualized instruction or guidance.
Example (as used by Da Chen in Colors of the Mountain): “Many years under my grandfather’s tutelage had made me the best calligrapher in the entire school.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2009
Dear feedback,
I’d like to correct an error in Michael’s story about Evel Knievel’s Grand Canyon jump, and his leaps of faith in business.
The article titled “Taking The Big Leap” contains a fatal flaw. Evel Knievel NEVER jumped the Grand Canyon. He did attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon, but failed.
From the article: “Evel used a rocket-powered engine to get over the canyon and, if memory serves, a parachute to land. But he got over it nevertheless.”
While he did use a rocket powered engine to attempt to jump over a canyon, neither did he attempt to jump the Grand Canyon, nor did he land successfully.
In fact, upon attempting the jump of the Snake River Canyon, Evel Knievel’s parachute deployed prematurely, leaving him drifting into the canyon, eventually landing on the same side from which he launched.
While the idea of the article is great, the premise has a fatal flaw. In this example, Evel Knievel did take a leap of faith, but failed.
Reader X.
Tiny font size which cannot be enlarged. Or, if it can be enlarged, it overlaps other print, turning the page into alphabet soup. Black print on dark brown background. See webpagesthatsuck.com for other examples of poor design
For David Cross:
My pet peeve? Links at the end of David’s article
that didn’t work (sent me to the wrong place). Check the links *BEFORE* you mail ETR.
Another: “Our Mission is…” or “Mission Statement:” on a home page or anywhere on the site. I don’t give two hoots in the proverbial
place about a company’s mission statement. Neither does anyone else outside the company. (I’ve interviewed a lot of web users about this).
Such stuff is always about the company, not the customer.
Also sites where you have to click to a 2nd or 3rd level (at least) to find a phone number or address. Or find out where they’re located.
Sites that were written by 16-year-old kids or the writer doesn’t know the difference between
affect and effect, or they’re, their, and there (I saw a site once that used those words many times, and *not once* did they get it right).
And that Web 2.0 junk! Tweets twittering all over the place. MySpace/YourSpace, MyTube/YourTube (excuse me — YouTube), etc., ad infinitum ad nauseum. If I want a good mechanic to fix my car I want a web site that tells me what he can do for me. I’m not interested in knowing what he’s doing right now or how many are following his tweedle-dee tweets or whatever. I have a life and I’m not some mindless moron signed up in somebody else’s fan club.
Sometimes businesses need to act like a *business*. But then I’m an old fogie, right?
And shoot the page designers that put dark blue type on black background, or dark red on dark brown, etc. I’d like to see one of them convince me that even the *designer* can read that stuff, much less a “real person”.