The "Astonishing Secrets" Thread

[jpa0827]

So there are a few steps you can take now:
-google scented soap for sensitive skin, see what's out there
-research what causes reactions to soaps and see what makes the sensitive skin soaps different
-talk to people with sensitive skin and ask them why they don't use existing scented soaps designed for sensitive skins (if they exist)

A couple of outcomes here:
-you find that there are no scented soaps for sensitive skins. Huge business opportunity if you can figure this out! PM the soap makers on this forum and talk to them about solving this problem with them.
-there are soaps that exist, but no one knows about them. Huge business opportunity! Approach them after doing research on their compnay with ways to improve their marketing/advertising.
-people know about the scented soaps for sensitive skin, but they don't use them. Ask them why...huge business opportunities for you if you can figure out how to repackage/resell the existing soap in a way that is more appealing to buyers.

No matter how you analyze, you get awesome business opportunities. But you HAVE to talk to people (that you've never met) who have sensitive skin about these issues in order to truly uncover where the problems/pain points are. If you don't you're leaving out a huge part of the analysis.

Edit: How do you reach those people? Find online forums where people ask about sensitive skin remedies, search through twitter and reach out there, see if there are any bloggers who have done reviews of soaps, etc.

Throttleforward and everyone else. Thanks for all the advice. This clarifies what I was originally asking.

To sum it up:
Find something that people want that isn't currently out there by asking them questions and just conversing.
Come up with a way to give it to them. (research, call manufacturers..etc.)
Checkout the competition (The fact that there is no competition could mean huge opportunity or could mean no demand, which is why we should test the market and talk to as many people in our target demographic.)
Lastly, go do something.

I think that's about it. Thanks again!

The Stage is yours again IceCreamKid!

 

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[throttleforward]

A

Throttleforward and everyone else. Thanks for all the advice. This clarifies what I was originally asking.

To sum it up:
Find something that people want that isn't currently out there by asking them questions and just conversing.
Come up with a way to give it to them. (research, call manufacturers..etc.)
Checkout the competition (The fact that there is no competition could mean huge opportunity or could mean no demand, which is why we should test the market and talk to as many people in our target demographic.)
Lastly, go do something.

I think that's about it. Thanks again!

The Stage is yours again IceCreamKid!

A quick clarification-it's not find something people want, it's fund people's painpoints and frustrations. Then use that information to craft a solution. People buy solutions to problems. A subtle but important distinction.
Look up Dane Maxwell idea extraction-he walks through this process very well. I've used his techniques with great success.

 

[Option]

This thread makes me want to get drunk and make icecream

 

[Carrots]

So there are a few steps you can take now:
-google scented soap for sensitive skin, see what's out there
-research what causes reactions to soaps and see what makes the sensitive skin soaps different
-talk to people with sensitive skin and ask them why they don't use existing scented soaps designed for sensitive skins (if they exist)

A couple of outcomes here:
-you find that there are no scented soaps for sensitive skins. Huge business opportunity if you can figure this out! PM the soap makers on this forum and talk to them about solving this problem with them.
-there are soaps that exist, but no one knows about them. Huge business opportunity! Approach them after doing research on their compnay with ways to improve their marketing/advertising.
-people know about the scented soaps for sensitive skin, but they don't use them. Ask them why...huge business opportunities for you if you can figure out how to repackage/resell the existing soap in a way that is more appealing to buyers.

No matter how you analyze, you get awesome business opportunities. But you HAVE to talk to people (that you've never met) who have sensitive skin about these issues in order to truly uncover where the problems/pain points are. If you don't you're leaving out a huge part of the analysis.

Edit: How do you reach those people? Find online forums where people ask about sensitive skin remedies, search through twitter and reach out there, see if there are any bloggers who have done reviews of soaps, etc.

You really need to take this and run with it.

I've suffered with eczema all my life so my skin is one of the most sensitive out there. I've used Dove Unscented soap for pretty much all my life. Why? Because it is what my dermatologists suggest. Get the credibility of a dermatologist, a group of dermatologist, or an association of dermatologists to back up your product while marketing. I believe that most people with sensitive skin are using Dove Unscented also so when marketing compare your product to Dove.

Trust me when I say I would buy soap that is okay for my skin AND actually smells great, too.

Looks like you'll be competing with these two who appear on page 1 Google:

http://herbalsoapworks.com/soap/
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/helpchoose/chsoapsensitive.aspx

You can massacre these two with some killer copy/marketing.

 

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[limitup]

Eeek, I shudder to think about newbies reading this type of thing ...

9 times out of 10, if there's no competition that is a VERY bad sign. The odds of you doing something no one else has figured out how to do is just tiny. It's infinitely easier to sell something you KNOW people are already buying than it is to convince them that they need your new product.

It's quite the challenge, and quite rewarding, to "create" a new niche or market successfully, but that's not something that 98% of people on this forum should be doing. At least not until they are financially free and can afford to lose 9 times out of 10 (probably more like 99 out of 100).

This just means that you take any news as bad news. You need to change your mindset.

"Two shoe salesmen were sent to Africa to see if there was a market for their product.

The first salesman reported back, “This is a terrible business opportunity, no-one wears shoes.”

The second salesman reported back, “This is a fantastic business opportunity, no-one wears shoes.”

The only question that I have is, when confronted with a problem or challenge, which salesman are you?"

 

[jpa0827]

Eeek, I shudder to think about newbies reading this type of thing ...

9 times out of 10, if there's no competition that is a VERY bad sign. The odds of you doing something no one else has figured out how to do is just tiny. It's infinitely easier to sell something you KNOW people are already buying than it is to convince them that they need your new product.

It's quite the challenge, and quite rewarding, to "create" a new niche or market successfully, but that's not something that 98% of people on this forum should be doing. At least not until they are financially free and can afford to lose 9 times out of 10 (probably more like 99 out of 100).

I'm glad you posted this limitup, because that was the school of thought that I had. Every now and again some comes up with the next big thing, but I'm not swinging for home runs, just consistent singles and doubles. As I have been looking into this over the past couple of months I have PM several people and it seems there are 2 schools of thought.

The Dane Maxwell strategy of finding new pains or at least different and then the strategy of going into existing markets with lots of competition and elbowing your way through like zen******* does in supplements. That has been something I have seen. I guess there is more than one way to skin a cat.

I would love to hear your thoughts and other experienced entres opinion based of how you would enter a market. Maybe using my soap example above just for consistency. (Just fyi this is not a business i am planning to get into, just wanted an example for conversation)

 

[AlexanderV]

I am genuinely curious to see if a soap mastermind group is gonna pop up

 

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[IceCreamKid]

What...the...hell?

I was away for the day maintaining the ice cream machines and when I come back, the whole vibe of the thread has completely shifted.

The whole focus was the astonishing secrets of zen*******, where I would dissect mindset...and now the thread is about soap.

I'm gonna get drunk.

 

[jpa0827]

Yeah that whole soap example was supposed to be about mindset and finding pains in the market. I was Just trying to use a soap business as an example.

So much for that.

 

[nitroheadz28]

What...the...hell?

I was away for the day maintaining the ice cream machines and when I come back, the whole vibe of the thread has completely shifted.

The whole focus was the astonishing secrets of zen*******, where I would dissect mindset...and now the thread is about soap.

I'm gonna get drunk.

I just gave you everything I had in my rep bank. Please continue to share your wisdom at your leisure, I'm sure I speak for others here when I say you are having a profound impact on our lives. You as someone I've never met or directly spoken with are a beacon of hope, inspiration, and strength. I really do wish I could do more to actively contribute to this thread!

 

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[DeletedUser2]

@IceCreamKid

awesome thread. and a lesson.

when you help others, sometimes you just have to sit back and watch what they do, in search of the ice cream.

congrats on surpassing @Vigilante and me in the cash rankings! awesome job!
its a direct response to the contributions you make here.

you have started a snowball, in your ice cream dreams,
and now its time to watch it gather, and grow as it rolls!

you have done it right.

Z

 

[RogueInnovation]

I like the sound of this zen dolphin guy!

ICK - you are holding everyone on the edge of their seats!!! Thats just before action! Keep inspiring! Icecream is not far!

More vodka?!

 

[The-J]

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1wl2nj/i_am_tony_horton_creator_of_the_extreme_fitness/cf2z9dt

Someone asked Tony Horton, founder of P90X, what he was most excited for in 2014. His response:

I'm excited about 4 things.

1. The number of people we are going to be able to help with P90X3.
2. The launch of my new book The Big Picture on February 4th, the book I've always wanted to write. The information in The Big Picture is going to help people finish X3 so they could stay fit for the rest of their lives.
3. Launching Tony Horton Kitchen in 7-11
4. Being able to connect with millions more people on my Youtube channel Tony Horton Fitness.

Number one: the number of people we are going to be able to help. Not number two, not number four, number ONE.

Maybe this 'love people, help people' stuff that IceCreamKid is saying has some value. I mean, if Tony Horton said it...

 

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[GravyBoat]

I just gave you everything I had in my rep bank. Please continue to share your wisdom at your leisure, I'm sure I speak for others here when I say you are having a profound impact on our lives. You as someone I've never met or directly spoken with are a beacon of hope, inspiration, and strength. I really do wish I could do more to actively contribute to this thread!

Same here. This guy deserves to be rich. He is a damn genius and I'm very glad this thread was promoted to Gold.

IceCreamKid, you BLEW ME AWAY with your posts here.

WOW

 

[IceCreamKid]

I Got Scammed By A Customer Yesterday And I’m Super Excited About It!

Guys I have fantastic news for you! I can now call myself a real businessman because I finally succeeded at achieving my goal to get scammed by a customer yesterday! Chyeaa!

Okay in all honesty, nobody has a goal to get scammed lol but I fully accepted that somewhere down the line I would encounter a customer that wants to rip me off.

The brand message of my business is an extension of my personality. I’m a fanatic about awesome customer service and willing to go the extra mile to make the customer feel good and get happy! People first, then money. The ice cream shop is all about saying YES to the customer. Oh you want booger flavored ice cream? YES we will make it. You want grass flavored ice cream? YES we will make it. The motto is yes, yes, yes.

This has created some dope loyalty and word of mouth marketing in itself. If you’re a broke bro and don’t want to spend money on marketing, I invite you to go the extra mile for your customers. They’ll appreciate you for it and word of mouth marketing has a neat little sense of trust embedded with it…who knows, if you do something truly outrageous for your customer then you might even end up on the news and your business will go viral.

It’s all about being authentic, honest, and real with your customer…being willing to go to the moon and back for them in a world where most companies seem to want to squeeze every last penny of profit out of the customer. It’s so easy to stand out and shine when you market from this angle.

Back to the scam story though. To sum it up, this lady had a $500 order. I shipped the stuff and she contacted me screaming at the top of her lungs that she wasn’t happy with her order. I said, “no problem we’ll take care of you right away! We’ll even pay for the return shipping so there’s no risk to you!”.

She refused. She wanted to keep the products AND get a full refund. Hmmmm

You know what I did? I LOVED THE HELL out of her. I gave her all the money back and let her keep the entire order too.

I could’ve gotten angry. Could’ve cussed her out. Could’ve told her she was a bitch. But what would that do to me? I would end up carrying negative angry energy with me throughout the day. It would’ve thrown me off balance to the point where I wouldn’t be able to focus on sales/marketing. It would put me in a position of scarcity.

As an entrepreneur, it is your job to manage your emotional state as much as possible. Fear, nervousness, frustration, anger, try to manage it all.

10% of your customers will create 90% of your headaches…why let the gremlin 10% get to you when the other 90% absolutely rock?

In business and in life, sometimes it is better to love than to be right.

The reality is that you can be the most caring and loving wizard in all of Candy Land, but there are certain gremlins who will shit on you regardless of how well you treat them.

Don’t get mad. Don’t get bitter. The truth is that the way they treat others is a reflection of how they feel about themselves at the core. You’ll never see me treating others like crap because I am super happy with who I am and where my life is right now.

Who knows, maybe the lady just lost her job. Maybe her husband cheated on her. Maybe her kids don’t love her and she’s just frustrated. Maybe she’s just hurting inside.

Love them anyway. They just don’t know. If anything, I feel sad for her because she operates from a mindset of scarcity which completely locks the doors to owning your own ice cream shop.

She will never experience the abundant mindset, the joy, and the overall positive feelings that we feel in the ice cream shop.

The abundance mindset. Develop it. It will help you. You will not fear competition, you will not fear going broke, you see opportunity everywhere…if only you sharpened the abundance mindset.

Happy aloha Friday people! HOORAY I GOT SCAMMED SO I AM OFFICIALLY A BUSINESSMAN! LET’S THROW A PARTY! Bust out the cow bell, grab the tequila, and get the ice cream cuz we’re pumping our fist up and down since we’re developing the abundance mindset!

p.s. My dad says you’re not truly in business until you’ve been sued. When that day comes, we should throw an EPIC party in Candy Land...complete with those orange munchkins from Wizard of Oz.

 

[Bigguns50]

The truth is that the way they treat others is a reflection of how they feel about themselves at the core.

Truth. @IceCreamKid I'm backing you on this from my experiences and expanding a bit.

I've said many times to my Wife when someone's being a dick, or is rude, or shitty to a teller...whatever..."Awe, they must be so unhappy. That's sad." To expand on this.....I've told cashiers that have been treated like shit by a customer, after the incident, to not feel bad. They didn't do anything wrong. That their customer just isn't happy. It really seems to help make them feel better. I mean...I hate to see them upset especially when they have the rest of the day to work and deal with people.

BTW...I don't really get shit from people. People are intimidated by me. I mean...people say I'm a super nice guy...but one look and I can frighten people (not saying this is good or bad, just is). I'm trained in hand to hand combat so I could kick a lot of a$$ if I wanted ! I don't. Well...not outside the dojo.

Ok. A.D.D. kicking in...gotta go. Thanks for your contributions Kid ! I'm truly enjoying all the posts here.

 

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[JAJT]

I say this so often that people must get tired of hearing it from me: When you are pissed off (at a customer, being cut off in traffic, when your ice cream machine breaks and now you have to fix it, whatever), put on a huge smile. The biggest, gigantic, fake-a$$ smile you can muster.

Your brain has been associating smiling with happiness from birth. I double-dog dare you to try and feel pissed off while smiling. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Futile, isn't it? You just can't be pissed off while smiling.

And once you smile, it takes momentum to get back to pissed off - so don't bother.

 

[jpa0827]

I say this so often that people must get tired of hearing it from me: When you are pissed off (at a customer, being cut off in traffic, when your ice cream machine breaks and now you have to fix it, whatever), put on a huge smile. The biggest, gigantic, fake-a$$ smile you can muster.

Your brain has been associating smiling with happiness from birth. I double-dog dare you to try and feel pissed off while smiling. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Futile, isn't it? You just can't be pissed off while smiling.

And once you smile, it takes momentum to get back to pissed off - so don't bother.

There is definitely truth to that. I agree and practice that. Its weird, but it works.

 

[RogueInnovation]

I pledged to do three actions I would not normally do, because of this great thread.
Today I did one.

I looked up every single competitor in my market and loved the hell out of them! I was so angry with them for so long... Cons, scams, lies, bullying and laughing at people. Usually, I'd know it would get me down, but with one ICK pledged action at my back, and the fact in my face that I had been avoiding this forever, there was no other way out than loving the hell out of them.

My competitors rock! (grah vodka, mmm sweet liquor) They rock because they are FASCINATED, and absolutely in love with everything I too love!!! Ok, so they are rough around the edges, but, we gotta love the hell out of them, because otherwise how are we ever going to respect and serve all customers in our market?! We can't be bitter!!! We have to get da ice cream!
Even against great odds such as the dreaded need to sleep or do other things, we must love the hell out of what we are here to do anyways! And get it done any way we can!

No matter what! You never give up on da ice cream!

So, as I sit here looking upon so many ice cream stands, I say to myself "why frown!", you only need luv, and it is everywhere! I lift my deep rooted, years long annoyance with these people, and I make this place in my mind and in the real world, a land of ice cream.

I have the most amazing competitors in the world! And even cooler, my products will help every single one of them, and their customers SHINE! Because I will sprinkle fairy dust their way!
Everytime I feel sleepy about my competitors, I know what to do now. Not let the love escape!

Everytime I feel low, I only need one thing, to pull myself out.
GET DA ICE CREAM.

I'll be patient with my competitors, I'll leave them bread crumbs, and I'll help them when they do good! If they make a mistake, thats ok, I'll love the hell out of them anyway!
I can already feel the change!!!

 

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[rogen]

Im thinking about everyday about this f-reaking thread, and Im still doing nothing, FFFFfFFf....

 

[benh]

Just wanted to say thanks for this awesome thread. It's helping to motivate me with my business. I like the emphasis on love. I'm glad the product I am currently working on is a pain point. It's interesting to realize that yes I am going to be charging for this but in the end I am helping my customers. Love your enthusiasm for customer support. I want that to be a huge focus of my business. My competitors actually charge for customer support and I've heard it's still not that great.

 

[Enki]

Thanks for the call last night. It’s hard to put into words how much I want to thank you for all of the advice, words of wisdom, and just the overall sense of genuine caring that you somehow radiated 2000 miles towards me.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

In a short period, you managed to teleport me to a future place in time, A place where I saw myself walking through the line of my own ice-cream factory. In the future I had applied all of the secret wisdom of producing ice-cream for the masses. I stood in awe at the processes that were tuned to work marvelously, the processes that I designed to create an overwhelming abundance of ice-cream and goodies. To see the smiles that candyland’s citizens wore as they joyfully accepted my flavors, to see them happy and joyous because my ice-cream somehow made their lives better……. It was such a humbling experience.

Ryan,

You are a true leader! I can’t imagine a future world without you on top living your dreams. I took some heavy action and began to reach out to the world and figure out its problems. I’ll admit I’ve always been in the money money money mindset. After last night I see the fog clearing.

Thank you for the quick tutorial on copy. It’s too bad I focused on my problems more than the copy. I have some notes and a good idea to start mastering it. I think too many people in this thread think copy is the solution to all of their problems. Although you could probably sell a lawnmower in the desert (Look how this thread exploded!), Copy is just a great tool in your toolbox. You taught me that knowing copy without being able truly experience people’s emotions, is like having a pen without a checkbook, Like having only plastic at a cash only establishment. You taught me that the real key is keeping a burning desire to solve people’s daily struggles and frustrations.

I wish I could say more, But I feel like I’ve been rambling. My brain literally hurts from the overload of positive energy that you dropped on me.

 

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[Chris R]

What...the...hell?

I was away for the day maintaining the ice cream machines and when I come back, the whole vibe of the thread has completely shifted.

The whole focus was the astonishing secrets of zen*******, where I would dissect mindset...and now the thread is about soap.

I'm gonna get drunk.

Hey bro- you got ten bucks I can borrow so I can get a pack of smokes and a 40? I can get you back after I post like two, five... uh carry the three.. 7 times? I can grab you an ice cream sammich???

 

[IceCreamKid]

Copy is just a great tool in your toolbox. You taught me that knowing copy without being able truly experience people’s emotions, is like having a pen without a checkbook, Like having only plastic at a cash only establishment. You taught me that the real key is keeping a burning desire to solve people’s daily struggles and frustrations.

Dude is a poet with his words. Just so you all know, I talked to this guy for 4 hours last night and I have a funny feeling he had one of those mindshift moments.

He will make it. He is definitely at the F*ck It Point and will be making it rain ice cream shortly. He is one of the few taking action. Respect.

Thank you for the amazing talk. Forreal bro it was super entertaining hearing your life story lol I swear you need to make a movie out of it.

 

[IceCreamKid]

Im thinking about everyday about this f-reaking thread, and Im still doing nothing, FFFFfFFf....

The voice of fear is a loud roar into your ears at the beginning. You know what lowers the volume of it? Action.

Action clears the fog. Action brings you the answers. The voice of fear will still call to you, as it does to me, but its volume will lower to only a quiet whisper as time moves on.

Or you could just keep sitting...waiting...for that day...when your ship will come. My uncle is 62 and still waiting for his ship to arrive. Damn.

Ready. Fire. Aim.

Bro, just let go. Let go of the analysis. Let go of the nervousness. Let go of it all.

SHUT OFF YOUR BRAIN...and do it. Stop thinking.

After you give yourself permission to fail, you're going to take action. You're going to like who you'll become. You'll feel more confident. You'll feel stronger. You'll feel CLARITY.

You'll have the Lambo.

You'll have the early retirement.

You'll have the gourmet food.

You'll have the ability to take care of your family.

You'll have the ability to impact society.

But only if you take action.

Or you could stay in your little cubicle, listening to your boss that you secretly hate, hoping for a raise, hoping that your 401k doesn't crash, hoping that you can afford that vacation you always wanted one day...

I want you to get the ice cream. I want you to have everything you always wanted...but you can only get there if you take action. Every day. Like the tortoise.

You know what you need? An accountability partner that isn't going to baby you.

 

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[benh]

You know what you need? An accountability partner that isn't going to baby you.

I'm starting to think this is very important. My dad and I agreed to be accountability partners a little while ago. I just got him to buy TMFL he hasn't started reading it yet though. When you have someone who asks, "what did you accomplish this week" it drives you to always take action every day.

 

[amp0193]

After you give yourself permission to fail, you're going to take action. You're going to like who you'll become. You'll feel more confident. You'll feel stronger. You'll feel CLARITY.

Love it. In 2013, I failed to the tune of $10k down the drain. What's funny is how ALL of my peers, friends, co-workers, family, can't even fathom the existence of $10,000, much less the "horrific life-ruining apocolypse" of losing it all. Yeah, it was pretty rough, and it took me around two months to come to terms with each $5,000 loss. But through the "grieving" and reflection process, my mind transformed from the initial thoughts of blame and revenge, to taking ownership of my errors, vowing to learn from my mistakes, and feeling like a bad-a$$ for even being capable of risking such a sum of money.

I'm grateful that I have had the opportunity to experience failure at such a young age. <-- writing this in my "things I am thankful for" notebook now.

 

[Enki]

IceCreamKid is the raw deal. After talking with him on the phone an Idea came to me almost spontaneously. I used a little copy to market the Idea, I landed my first customer ChaChing!

Things to note:

1.) There are a lot of people with problems (Most of them don’t even know it, they don’t know why they are frustrated or how to make life easier.)

2.) Said people are willing to pay to solve said problems

3.) There are always solutions

Only you can build your system to be a problem solver, no one can truly take you step by step. There is a reason why everything above is abstract, if it wasn’t there would be no such thing as an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur is willing to take the abstract idea of problem solving and forge it into a sword. The average person is scared by the risk of taking a hunk of metal and turning it into a fierce, sharp, and polished weapon of problem solving. Too many what if’s pop up for the average person. What if the molten metal doesn’t shape right? What if no one likes my sword? What if I can’t get the fire hot enough ? etc.. The entrepreneur takes a leap of faith. He casts the what if’s that don’t serve him aside. While the entrepreneur is busy beating and shaping the hunk of metal, people pass by. Most of the passersby only see the metal for what it is, not what it will become. They look at the entrepreneur with curious but judgmental eyes. After the fascination wears off they cast judgment and declare the entrepreneur as a madman instead of a visionary.

 

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[nitroheadz28]

IceCreamKid is the raw deal.

This post is exactly the transition in mindset that I've been struggling with for the past 6 months. I'm so happy that he had such an impact on you!

ICK dropping ice cream bombs all over the place.

 

[rogen]

I used a little copy to market the Idea

Sooo... You dont even have product, YET you made money, is that correct?

EDIT: just saw your post on other thread, it was a training course ok