A lesson in how to use your Competition against themselves. I have to catch a flight soon to go direct a video shoot, so let's get to it. There are 3 massive mistakes most people make when it comes to their Competition: Denying they exist Ignoring them Copying them Even if you're not making any of these, I bet you're not using your Competition as you should. More on that after I break down the three mistakes. Denying they exist Any time I hear "I don't really have any competition," all I hear...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Did you win the lottery when you were born? I feel that way sometimes. Certainly not in the financial sense, but in the tribal sense. You see: Your influences shape your reality. Positive. Negative. It doesn't matter. The concept that you "you are the average of the five people you hang out with most" is true. In life. In business. In everything. I was thinking about this while driving back from Colorado with my family yesterday. We were discussing Father's Day, and I was still reflecting on...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Real money lives outside your head "You can't see the label from inside the jar." This is one of the most common expressions for describing the psychological phenomenon called "Solomon's Paradox." In short, it works this way: We're really good at giving helpful and rational advice to others, but terrible at giving the same helpful and rational advice to ourselves. Solomon's Paradox is why: Designers struggle to design their own websites Copywriters struggle to write their own copy Coaches...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Countless doors are waiting for you. Let's cut straight to the chase today. There's effectively no Positioning that cannot find opportunity in the right marketplace. Today alone, there are BILLIONS of opportunities that will arise across this beautiful planet. Opportunities for: Beginners Experts Low-budgets High-budgets And everything in between No one started out as an expert who could rake in big budgets. When you look out at those top performers you admire, all you're seeing is someone...
3 months ago • 2 min read
What every successful founder knows. My wife and I enjoyed a nice dinner at a new Indian restaurant last week. The food was delicious.Their service was excellent.The price was surprisingly low. And they'll be out of business in less than 6 months. How am I so confident about this? Because they're making the single-most common mistake in entrepreneurship: They believe that talent is enough. I'll use them as an example for why that same belief will screw you too if you don't learn how business...
3 months ago • 3 min read
You cannot afford to be like everyone else. No client is perfect. But, some seem to be sent from the depths of Hell with the sole purpose of making your life miserable. While it may seem this way, don't fall for the mistake of believing that some clients are just nightmares you have to endure. It's a little narrative that absolves you of the responsibility you have to the client/provider dynamic. I'm a big fan of taking total responsibility. Even when a client is legitimately being an idiot,...
3 months ago • 2 min read
An undeniable truth about business. Take a guess. What's the most common mindset issue I see among entrepreneurs? Is it work ethic? Ignoring quality? In a market with no opportunity? Nope. Most work hard, care about quality, and exist in markets with $ billions in opportunity. It's something else. Something few people talk about: They fail to recognize that a successful business requires a combination of factors that must ALL work sufficiently in order to make their business thrive. It's like...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Fear controls what you ignore. You know how everything seems easier in retrospect? Well, that's normal. You have the gift of hindsight—something unavailable to you when you were in the trenches fighting for every last bit of sanity as you worked your way through each difficult challenge. The next time you face those same challenges? They're easy-peasy. You already have what you need: Real-life experience The steps that brought you success The confidence that you've done it before Now, let me...
4 months ago • 4 min read
They just want to know your rules. Not everyone is right for you. There are lots of people who might think they're right for you. But, what do you think? If you haven't defined what "right" means, you're going to keep attracting and taking on anyone who shows up. At best, these people might might turn out OK to work with, but they never help you attract truly great clients. At worst, they might be evil Lizard People who are hell-bent on draining the very life force from you and your business....
4 months ago • 7 min read