The "Astonishing Secrets" Thread

[RogueInnovation]

Haha! That is so awesome! You are just like "so you won't give me TV slots, fine I'll become the news!" then rain anarchy down like a mixture of santa clause and the joker.
That is priceless and I learnt a few things too, like "loyalty to your brand", "connection to the impulses and curiousities of people", and "being willing to go beyond the boring silence and just do cool stuff".
How did you get so FEARLESS, haha!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Cult45]

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.

Truly a mind blowing post for me. I feel a new sense of freedom after reading this. I need to learn new ways of saying "yes" to the patients in my dental flavored ice cream shop. I have purposely shortened my menu of services over the years to accommodate MY wants/needs. Time to give the people what they want !!!

 

[Cult45]

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.

True Dat !!

 

[Cult45]

How Having Big Goals Can Ruin Your Life

Let me tell you a story about myself. When I was a freshman in college circa 2004, I worked at a retail store called Teavana. They sold 120 different teas. Yup, I was a professional tea hustler. WASSUP! I learned to sell like a madman at this job.

I actually got this job with straight hustle. I really needed some cash, but the manager didn’t want to hire me so I walked in on a busy weekend and literally started pretending that I was an employee. I started talking to customers and selling them products without even being officially hired LOL. Got hired on the spot for that wicked move.

Anyway, the store would post these ridiculous quotas that we were allegedly supposed to reach each day. $50k/day in sales…seriously, someone at the corporate office was a nutjob to think we could sell $50k worth of tea per day. The store averaged $15k/weekdays and $30k/weekends at best.

We quickly learned not to even pay attention to the ridiculous quotas because they weren’t attainable anyway.

Moral of the story: Set small ATTAINABLE goals each day and make sure you reach them. Forget about proclaiming to the world that you are inspired and will make $15M in the next 12 months. Those inspired people aren’t rooted in their reality. Can you make $100 this month? Sadly, most don’t even start. Don’t be that guy...inspired and mentally masturbating.

Make $1 this month on something you created. I dare you. Forget aiming for the $15M quota. Just start with $1.

Hustling tea for someone else was fun, but it’s way more fun to be hustling my own brand of ice cream that I created.

TAKE ACTION. GET THE ICE CREAM!!!!

Thank God it's Monday bro!

Baby Steps....everyday. I love it !!!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Cult45]

PHONE LESSON

My friend...let's call him...Tony..cuz that's his name...Tony.... Owns a vitamin/supplement B & M w/website store.
Tony has developed a new product he is whole selling to other stores and retails it in his store and on his site.
Tony has a list of 700 stores to call !

Since I was in sales for several years, I asked him yesterday what his approach is......and he nailed it !

Since he gets solicitation calls all the time because he owns a business, his approach is ..."How would I want to be called ?" ( BOOM !..there you go....put yourself in your customers place ! Ever read that anywhere on our forum ?...yep yep. How do YOU want to be treated ? Put yourself in the customer's shoes and it's all about YOU.)

Basically goes like this .."Hi, I'm Tony from Vitamin &%^#^&*.....and I don't want to take a minute of your time. Who do I talk to, to send you free samples of a product I've developed." ....He stops talking and waits........... He said the response has been great ! Most calls...the person he's talking to wants to know more about his products and have a conversation. He nailed 3 more accounts this week already.

1) He's respectful of their time
2) No B.S.
3) Offering something for free

Beyond this....he offers good margins, good product..AND...CUSTOMER SERVICE.

MARKETING LESSON

I thought this was great....We got blasted yesterday with another snow storm...NO ONE OUT SHOPPING...All day long ! This can really hurt a B & M business. What's Tony do ?

Tony puts on their facebook something like..."Snow Storm Sale !!!" ! "You don't have to drive in the storm to save $$..Just phone in your order, we'll give you today's discount, hold it for you, and you can pick it up tomorrow." BOOM baby ! I loved it.

He said the phone was ringing steady all afternoon.

That phone lesson is GOLD !!!!! Thanks

 

[Trent Kerth]

This thread is AWESOME! I have had some growing doubts as I have encountered my first problems in starting
my business but reading everything in this thread helped me readjust my mindset and get back on track!

 

[Windsurfer]

The greatest lesson of all...

LOVE THE HELL OUT OF OTHERS AND YOU WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE ALL THE ICE CREAM YOU CAN EAT.

I would like to apologize. I think I was the one who started all the drama on this thread when I talked about my marriage and I really didn't mean to. I was looking for some tips on how to bring my wife along into the Fastlane.

As a way of payback to ICK, I would like to say I took his advice (the advice quoted above, not the divorce advice) just this past weekend and week, and have found amazing results with my wife and kids. I have refused to get angry with them when they did something that ticked me off. I kept a great attitude, listened to them, and tried to find a solution. As a result in just the past five days:

• My wife ended an argument with me very quickly, walked over to me, hugged and kissed me (hasn't happened in a long time)
• My son who is very quiet (15 years old), and who has told me in the past that he doesn't feel close to me because I was out at night a lot working on my real estate business, out of the blue thanked me for helping him with everything, and that he really appreciated what I do for him.
• My daughter, who had her mind set on an out-of-state, $200K college tuition, sat down at the dining room table last night, and told me I wasn't being a cheapskate after all. She could see my point of view and will be looking at going to an in-state university, and wants to help me build my real estate business. She said it just makes more sense.

Now maybe these were just coincidence, but they sure coincided with me trying to "Love the Hell" out of my family. I kept a positive attitude no matter what, and great things happened.

I just want to say that I "Love the Hell" out of this forum and really appreciate what all you guys do for me. I am sorry if I derailed this thread. Please, 'maestro ICK'....PLAY ON!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[RogueInnovation]

zen******* Secret Exposed:

It is better to love the hell outta being wrong than to get angry when something is not right.


In a hangover induced by rediculous amounts of giving, I realised that loving the hell out of things, can break you free from the need to be right.


"Need to be right" sounded familiar, it sounded like the echoes of the zen*******
And as my confused mind put two and two together, a secret of the zen******* immerged.

"Do you wanna be right, or do you wanna be rich" zen
"GET THE ICECREAAAAAAAAM!!!" ick

I stumbled there for a moment as I connected the dots, as the two seemingly seperate thoughts merged into one zen like sense of knowing.
And as they came together, like a yin and a yang I realised, that giving like hell, is the way to totally obliterate the need to be right all the time.

Kaching, like that, my anxiety floated away down the stream, as I realised;.
I never wanted to be right.
At all.
Ever.

I'd rather, just do everything abundantly, and whenever I face something I don't wanna do, just love the hell out of it and get it done.
So now, rather than retreat and wait for a less rainy day, I am just gonna remember that I love the hell outta being wrong.

Needing to be right was a symptom of not giving enough.

Pour out the love. Get the ice cream!

 

[SteveO]

"Love the hell out of others" starts with loving the hell out of yourself.

 

[IceCreamKid]

"Love the hell out of others" starts with loving the hell out of yourself.

HOLY SHNYKIES! SteveO is that really you posting on this forum again? I'm having a flashback experience of my younger days in this forum, before MJ's book was even released.

I never got the opportunity to reach out to you and tell you how you impacted my life because by the time I was a member on here, you were no longer regularly visiting. Where did you go man?

Your success story is actually the reason why I saw the other side of the coin. I was 23-ish and fairly content with the rat race up until I read how you were climbing the corporate ladder before you encountered the co-worker who was investing in apartments.

After I read your story, I immediately devoured those 2 books that you recommended. One was by Volucci and the other was Berges.

I didn't have any money to buy apartments at the time, but I figured that if I put my sweat into it and find solid deals to team up with others on then the investors would give me a piece of equity. How wrong I was in this assumption...every single time I'd find a deal, the investor would only want to give me a finder's fee instead of equity. This was more than fair and in retrospect I understand why all of it unraveled that way.

So I decided that I had to put the apartment investing idea on hold until I could find a way to make some cheddar. After years of failure I finally have a profitable business that will help me pile the swiss cheese so I can put it towards real estate.

My goal always has been to end up in rental real estate, particularly apartments. If I stay focused then that goal should be realized sooner rather than later. It was all you and your story that got the ball rolling.

Mad respect to you, good sir.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[PeeVee]

I would like to apologize. I think I was the one who started all the drama on this thread when I talked about my marriage and I really didn't mean to. I was looking for some tips on how to bring my wife along into the Fastlane.

As a way of payback to ICK, I would like to say I took his advice (the advice quoted above, not the divorce advice) just this past weekend and week, and have found amazing results with my wife and kids. I have refused to get angry with them when they did something that ticked me off. I kept a great attitude, listened to them, and tried to find a solution. As a result in just the past five days:

• My wife ended an argument with me very quickly, walked over to me, hugged and kissed me (hasn't happened in a long time)
• My son who is very quiet (15 years old), and who has told me in the past that he doesn't feel close to me because I was out at night a lot working on my real estate business, out of the blue thanked me for helping him with everything, and that he really appreciated what I do for him.
• My daughter, who had her mind set on an out-of-state, $200K college tuition, sat down at the dining room table last night, and told me I wasn't being a cheapskate after all. She could see my point of view and will be looking at going to an in-state university, and wants to help me build my real estate business. She said it just makes more sense.

Now maybe these were just coincidence, but they sure coincided with me trying to "Love the Hell" out of my family. I kept a positive attitude no matter what, and great things happened.

I just want to say that I "Love the Hell" out of this forum and really appreciate what all you guys do for me. I am sorry if I derailed this thread. Please, 'maestro ICK'....PLAY ON!

Seriously good stuff!

 

[stranger]

Started learning copy. I read some books and copied some sales letters by hand for a few months. My day looked something like this: Work the 9-5. Go home pissed as hell at my boss. Drink, write copy, drink, write copy, pass out drunk. Repeat for a long time until I got a good grasp of writing copy. I don’t recommend drinking to learn copy…ice cream seems to work pretty well too. Drinking is fun though…I’d rather burn as bright as a 1,000 watt bulb and burn out in 10-minutes than live life like a 10-watt bulb for the next 40 years.

How long time it went on? I mean learning copy. You said a few months. Did you want to say that after those a few months you became a skilled copywriter? Did you sell your copies? Or you just started your own business and forgot about copy-writing?
Thank you for your time.
P.S. I hate ice cream; a good strong drink is better.

 

[SteveO]

I never got the opportunity to reach out to you and tell you how you impacted my life because by the time I was a member on here, you were no longer regularly visiting. Where did you go man?

I did not go far. In fact I have been seeing plenty of some of the fastlaners in social and play. I have done a number of partnerships with folks from the forums as well. We have closed a number of smaller deals in the past 2 years. Have remained in touch for the most part.

Had some life changing events that for some reason I did not want to talk about for a while. Explained towards the end of this post .

Anyway, I am back with more tools to talk apartment investing.

I am very happy that I could have a positive impact on your life.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[IceCreamKid]

How long time it went on? I mean learning copy. You said a few months. Did you want to say that after those a few months you became a skilled copywriter? Did you sell your copies? Or you just started your own business and forgot about copy-writing?
Thank you for your time.
P.S. I hate ice cream; a good strong drink is better.

I think I spent 3 months learning copy. After the first 30 days I was already pretty skilled...the following 60 days were just perfecting the tiny details in my skills.

I didn't sell my copies. I only used my copywriting knowledge as a way for me to help filter what separates good businesses from the bad. Good copy is likely to include elements of instant gratification, social proofing, addressing concerns of the customer, and many more things. Too many to list out on here.

I basically used a lot of those elements in determining what business to start. The real work begins after learning copy. Copy is the easy part. That's why I was telling people to take action simultaneously while doing the Gary Halbert 30 day challenge. There's no point in spending 30 days to learn copy if you're not likely to do the work to get the ice cream afterwards. This is where most people get stuck, bro. They get stuck in the constant learning loop and never take action. Don't be that guy.

Sure, taking action is scarier than staying in the learning loop...but at some point you realize sheeeeit I've been learning for the past 5 years and haven't made a dime off that. Then you get angry with yourself and take action 24/7, jumping for joy and screaming at the top of your lungs while the neighbors are calling the cops because of your disturbance of the peace.

As you take action, you'll start seeing results. This is the point where you become a full blown addict. I'm serious. When you create something of value that the world is actually willing to pay money for, it is addicting. Become an addict. You'll like it.

Action is king. The learning loop is secondary. You'll learn more from taking action than by reading posts on here and doing nothing about it. Take drunken action until something breaks then fix it and keep moving.

Get the ice cream.

 

[MattCour]

I think I spent 3 months learning copy. After the first 30 days I was already pretty skilled...the following 60 days were just perfecting the tiny details in my skills.

I didn't sell my copies. I only used my copywriting knowledge as a way for me to help filter what separates good businesses from the bad. Good copy is likely to include elements of instant gratification, social proofing, addressing concerns of the customer, and many more things. Too many to list out on here.

I basically used a lot of those elements in determining what business to start. The real work begins after learning copy. Copy is the easy part. That's why I was telling people to take action simultaneously while doing the Gary Halbert 30 day challenge. There's no point in spending 30 days to learn copy if you're not likely to do the work to get the ice cream afterwards. This is where most people get stuck, bro. They get stuck in the constant learning loop and never take action. Don't be that guy.

Sure, taking action is scarier than staying in the learning loop...but at some point you realize sheeeeit I've been learning for the past 5 years and haven't made a dime off that. Then you get angry with yourself and take action 24/7, jumping for joy and screaming at the top of your lungs while the neighbors are calling the cops because of your disturbance of the peace.

As you take action, you'll start seeing results. This is the point where you become a full blown addict. I'm serious. When you create something of value that the world is actually willing to pay money for, it is addicting. Become an addict. You'll like it.

Action is king. The learning loop is secondary. You'll learn more from taking action than by reading posts on here and doing nothing about it. Take drunken action until something breaks then fix it and keep moving.

Get the ice cream.

I wonder if the 30 day challenge guys have considered learning the basics of copy( Cashvertising for example) and outsourcing it to a pro.. Elance has a few really badass people for hire to do copy and landing pages.. Just a thought. That could free up time to focus on RPA's revenue producing activities.

 

[DeletedUser2]

That could free up time to focus on RPA's revenue producing activities.

Learning copy is a FUNDAMENTAL skill. it is a RPA. the point is, once you learn copy, it will give you a better mental filter through which all your business descsions pass. and by adding that filter, you will start to see HOW it affects your business, and HOW FAST it can help you build one.

Z

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[IceCreamKid]

Learning copy is a FUNDAMENTAL skill. it is a RPA. the point is, once you learn copy, it will give you a better mental filter through which all your business descsions pass. and by adding that filter, you will start to see HOW it affects your business, and HOW FAST it can help you build one.

The number of filters that I learned from copy is insane...I just grabbed my journal where I wrote down all of them. Want to know how many filters I have? 57.

Imagine that...57 FILTERS. That can save you so much time from starting businesses that were destined to fail from the start.

 

[throttleforward]

The number of filters that I learned from copy is insane

Do you mind explaining exactly what a filter is and how you use it? I don't recall seeing that term previously. Thanks!

 

[IceCreamKid]

Do you mind explaining exactly what a filter is and how you use it? I don't recall seeing that term previously. Thanks!

A filter is sorta like a list of requirements that a business must satisfy if I were to invest my time in starting it. 57 filters would take me waaaay too much time to discuss on here, but it's fair to say that your business which we discussed over the phone satisfies the majority of the filters.

p.s. hope your are well.

p.p.s. every time I use the Starbucks card that you sent me, I am reminded of our phone conversation. I have $11 left on the card. Man that was such a powerful gesture. Wanna be remembered? Do something that nobody else has done...even if it's a small token like a Starbucks card lol it works

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[throttleforward]

A filter is sorta like a list of requirements that a business must satisfy if I were to invest my time in starting it. 57 filters would take me waaaay too much time to discuss on here, but it's fair to say that your business which we discussed over the phone satisfies the majority of the filters.

p.s. hope your are well.

p.p.s. every time I use the Starbucks card that you sent me, I am reminded of our phone conversation. I have $11 left on the card. Man that was such a powerful gesture. Wanna be remembered? Do something that nobody else has done...even if it's a small token like a Starbucks card lol it works

Thanks - it was my pleasure. It's the least I could do to compensate someone in a tangible, non-cash way.

BTW, I plan on using that principle (do something unique, be remembered) for the concept I discussed. Free beer for runners at the finish line of a race we are setting up a booth at in a couple weeks. I don't care if we're selling dog poop, people will happily stop by and check us out in exchange for free beer!

Hmm...maybe I should include ice cream...

 

[stranger]

Passion can definately be a limit. Better to see passion in anything you spend your time on and judge if it is time well spent independant of that.
The limiting aspect of passion is the part where everyone influences you to have something that suits the ideals of a collective that is NOT your market and will only give you backpats.

Passion should go hand in hand with process. Find a process, and now TURN ON that passion! It will make everything you do, that much more thorough and awesome. Add tequilla, add ice cream, add a lotta love.

If you do want to take action on things ICK and zen******* etc have said, I suggest that you do the following;
Disconnect from everything you are doing, and commit to a frame of time that authentically will test and act on things they tell you.
Make that time frame seperate from your "grind" and "hang onto life rafts" mindset struggles.
And before you sit down to their words, calm yourself down as much as possible (so you don't talk over them), be as humble and as giving as possible (admit where they are helping and accept it, don't be bitter or arrogant or try to hide it), become determined to "see it through" and give their advice a lotta love.
Then write out the process, then write out the opportunity and key action point, keep it short and sweet, so you can remember what they are telling you and not get too distracted in anything else, and pour some passion into that mold that equal the timeframe, determination, awesomeness and humility you pledged.
Put an action list up, and put the most important ones right at the top, get some tequilla and icecream truck music... Let amazingness do its thing

You can "get back" to your grind later, but with the benefit of new actions taken.
Don't let self obsession be the thing that is stopping you from taking time out, to DO what you might usually not do. To get passionate about a process you JUST discovered, that found a market that might not be the one your ego clings to.

It is a courageous act, but it is an act that gives back.
And if you CAN manage to do this, you will get ice cream.
(looks at ick coin, and thinks... really thinks about doing it)

(I am truly contemplating it)

I'm starting to think that, this might be necessary.
Like, to remove that "home team" "suck our market dry to the bone" aspect of your business.

(starts chuckling)
Clever guys...

Yes.
Zen and ICK are totally right. They want you to do it, to shake you outta apathy, and have you act on it, because choosing to act on it makes you feel normal and chilled out.
It is MEANT to be hard, and encouraging, because it TAKES BOTH!

Yet again, another sneaky trick. (claps)
Well played.
(looks at ICK coin "hmmm")

If you really listen to their words, you might see... Their biggest trick of all.
(closes eyes, feels like walking into an arena, "I know this place")

Thank you guys for your GRIT and compassion. It takes a long time to believe, and no one wants to be this frustrating, we just are obsessed with seeing.
(damn, where is the tequilla)

Too much ice creaaam, "brain freeeeeeeze!!!"

(pushes tequilla away "no! Must stay focused!")
So much ice creaaaam.

Passion for process, comes from ice cream, because the icecream comes from you stepping beyond that place.
I can see why you guys are making so much bank!

Its an honor.

(reflects)

*chuckles, goes and gets an actual drink*
I just understood what I need to do with my business.

Guys, ACT on it.
Bring out your best. Don't just blow them hot air. You WILL gain more than just encouragement!!! This is a chance. Take it.

EDIT:
BTW, anyone worried that doing what they suggest will make you their "bitch", forget about it, cuz they are very very aware that the ONLY way you can be someone's bitch is if you DON'T listen and they have to DRAG YOU(which they won't do, which is fair).

If you listen to them, you'll find out, that they really offer what they do, as a generous thing that supports your individuality. ICK for example, endures telling you all this, on TOP of everything else he is already doing!
He is happy to see you listen, succeed, and then go back to his ice cream shop.

So don't be paranoid. Take up that chance, because they aren't possessive about it at all. It is just your mind that is tricking you (don't let it, let their trick win over its trick).

Thank you for your answer.

I think I spent 3 months learning copy. After the first 30 days I was already pretty skilled...the following 60 days were just perfecting the tiny details in my skills.

I didn't sell my copies. I only used my copywriting knowledge as a way for me to help filter what separates good businesses from the bad. Good copy is likely to include elements of instant gratification, social proofing, addressing concerns of the customer, and many more things. Too many to list out on here.

I basically used a lot of those elements in determining what business to start. The real work begins after learning copy. Copy is the easy part. That's why I was telling people to take action simultaneously while doing the Gary Halbert 30 day challenge. There's no point in spending 30 days to learn copy if you're not likely to do the work to get the ice cream afterwards. This is where most people get stuck, bro. They get stuck in the constant learning loop and never take action. Don't be that guy.

Sure, taking action is scarier than staying in the learning loop...but at some point you realize sheeeeit I've been learning for the past 5 years and haven't made a dime off that. Then you get angry with yourself and take action 24/7, jumping for joy and screaming at the top of your lungs while the neighbors are calling the cops because of your disturbance of the peace.

As you take action, you'll start seeing results. This is the point where you become a full blown addict. I'm serious. When you create something of value that the world is actually willing to pay money for, it is addicting. Become an addict. You'll like it.

Action is king. The learning loop is secondary. You'll learn more from taking action than by reading posts on here and doing nothing about it. Take drunken action until something breaks then fix it and keep moving.

Get the ice cream.

Thank you for your answer.

My problem is, I’m in the constant taking action and couldn't cut any time for learning.

 

[DrkSide]

The F*ck It Point
People often wonder where all of my motivation comes from. They wonder how is this kid able to function off 4 hours of sleep a day. I honestly don’t know how to explain the motivation factor because it’s an overall feeling rather than something that I can put into words.
All I can say is that every man reaches a breaking point in his life. He feels like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders at this point. Frustration is at its highest, disappointment is at its peak, and worst of all is the underlying feeling that he wasn’t living up to the greatness that is within himself.
This is when he reaches the F*ck IT point. He becomes 100% committed NOT because he has something to prove to anyone, but because of who he is to become. Procrastination is replaced by action, he has no time to acknowledge the fear that exists with himself because he is moving so fast towards accomplishing his mission, and everything seems to come easily…because he has finally reached the F*ck IT point.
Being 99% committed is painful as hell. You second guess yourself. You overanalyze. You let fear paralyze you into inaction. But don’t worry…your moment will come when you are so sick of the fact that you’re getting older, you will have no choice but to take action like an ice cream addicted maniac…and that is when you will win the battle. And do you know where the battle takes place? Within your mind. Master yourself.
Don't you hate how there is such a spiritual side to this stuff? Don't you wish you could just complete steps 1,2, and 3 then a million dollar pops out of the other end? lol if only it were that easy.

This thread, the quoted post, has gotten me back to being committed to making something. I just want to thank @IceCreamKid for his inspiring, get off your a$$ mentality that he is putting in this thread.

I have had many ideas and either they got stuck with analysis paralysis or the dreaded "what if." What if it doesn't work? What if this is a crap idea? I have finally reached "The F*ck it Point"

I see the hurdles still, I just don't care.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[stefan]

I PM’d IceCreamKid earlier tonight because I’ve been in a difficult situation lately. He reached out to call me within one hour, no questions asked.

The fact that someone will even dedicate an entire hour of their life to someone they’ve never met is amazing…and it made all the difference. What an awesome human being.

He gave me all of the right advice that I needed to just gain back some damn confidence. I was extremely close to leaving college as a junior until Ryan made me realize that I’m almost done. Not to mention he helped me validate a tricky business idea I’ve been working on.

I just need to make it more than clear that Ryan truly is a great person. I’ve never even met the guy and he’s made a massive impact on my life…

 

[RogueInnovation]

I am a little tipsy right now (was writing copy, lol)
I know, I know, you are actually not meant to drink and write copy at the same time, but hey it sounded like the most fun a guy could have at that point in time, and hey, I only had a little and got stuff DONE.

I ended up with LESS THAN TEN LINES of copy for my site. That is right LESS THAN TEN LINES. And it made all the difference in the world.

Just to give you an idea at how rediculous that is, my business plan was strictly "no copy allowed", for the reason "I don't want it to be a white wash experience". But after going and working on some copy I realised, "omfg... my competitors! You sneaky sneaky geniuses! I am setting up a business in your exhaust fumes! This will not do!!!". I got to work, creating a funnel of my own, and in truth, I didn't need much, because my business plan thus far was tight so I knew exactly what to write. But as tight as my business plan was, it missed something, and with just ten lines of copy, I can say that a business that was not ready to launch a day ago, now IS. Rediculous!

I am not going to rush in of course. Rather the opposite, because these lines of copy give me the confidence to sit back, to view over everything I have done and REFINE EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER DONE, I am just going to sit back and enjoy the view.

zen******* is right, this stuff helps you launch.
BAH!
All that stuff aside though, I want people to not think I just got drunk, wrote a few lines and then my business was good to go (oh no no no).
The specific point it helped me with was AUTOMATING my personal endorsement, showing the audience that I am a DOER, and letting them know EXACTLY what I am going to do, and how.

My copy has no tricks, no fuzzy white wash, it is just me and you, and for SECONDS of your time, you instantly understand better what I can do FOR YOU.

If you KNOW your product is ready to launch, automate your belief into words, and DO IT NOW.

(like I said, I am tipsy... But ick told me to get the ice cream, so f it, thats what I'm gonna do, and I wasn't going to let anything petty get in the way)

Those few lines were enough to shift the momentum of my business forever! Can you believe it! Because if you had just TOLD me a year ago, I would have told you to gtfo.

(shocked)
Sneaaaaaaaky!!! I love it xD

(now its time to sober up and get to work! Where is that coffee and tea at?! [btw, I did that in the wee hours of the morning, so looking drunk as I go out into the world will be hilarious to behold])

Get the icecream!

 

[IceCreamKid]

Ladybirds and gentledudes! The ice cream flavored marketing thread is now open...only on the INSIDE though.

You've been on the fence about coughing up $80 to show thanks to MJ for everything you've learned. Cancel a few trips to Starbucks so you can save some money and get an INSIDERS subscription. You'll learn more about business in there than you ever would in business school. Trust me, I went to business school LOL I learned nothing actionable there...and I spent thousands of dollars for it. $80 sounds more than fair, yea?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[rogen]

Ladybirds and gentledudes! The ice cream flavored marketing thread is now open...only on the INSIDE though.

You've been on the fence about coughing up $80 to show thanks to MJ for everything you've learned. Cancel a few trips to Starbucks so you can save some money and get an INSIDERS subscription. You'll learn more about business in there than you ever would in business school. Trust me, I went to business school LOL I learned nothing actionable there...and I spent thousands of dollars for it. $80 sounds more than fair, yea?

It would be cool if I could save some money, but you need income in the first place, then you can save

 

[IceCreamKid]

It would be cool if I could save some money, but you need income in the first place, then you can save

Do you want me to hold your hand so you can get $80? Here you go:

1. Sell your stuff on ebay
2. Walk into as many restaurants as possible and tell them you'll do whatever they want you to do for a week in exchange for $80. Dishwasher, cook, cashier, whatever they want
3. Ask friends or family for a loan
4. Collect cans/bottles then recycle them for cash
5. Buy a bunch of water bottles/soda to sell at sporting events
6. Start a fundraiser and market yourself as a starving college student...host a car wash day, sell popcorn/cookies, whatever just do something

Is the problem the fact that you don't have income? Or is the deeper problem the fact that you're not willing to do the work? I'm not asking you to give me an answer. I'm inviting you to be honest with yourself in private.

Seriously bro...if you're going to let $80 stop you from investing in yourself then you might want to reconsider entrepreneurship as the path for you. Starting a business requires some serious dedication.

Take action, get the ice cream...or complain about having no income. Your choice.

p.s. It's 4:30am where I live and I'm still working. Do what you gotta do. I made the choice to put the work in and you can too. Shift your mindset and just say yes to yourself.

 

[DeletedUser2]

Take action, get the ice cream...or complain about having no income. Your choice.

EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!
Z

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[IceCreamKid]

It’s 4am right now and I should probably be sleeping, but I can’t stop thinking about how many things I need to do going forward. I’m very excited to be making some moves to scale out further. @JackEdwards and I had a talk yesterday to discuss what I need to do to further my business.

I had tried for months to read between the lines of his posts to reverse engineer his thought process much like how I did with zen*******, but the JackEdwards posts were a bit more difficult to dissect and now I understand why.

Here are my thoughts and lessons learned, in no particular order:

1. First off the guy is SUPER nice. He has a unique blend of humor and professionalism to calm the concerns of the person on the other end of the telephone. This further reinforces my belief that it doesn’t matter where you come from(poor, middle class, wealthy) because all of us are essentially the same. Everyone just wants to have fun and enjoy their lives. This notion makes it fairly easy to reach out to anyone for help.

2. He possesses a VERY good grasp of human psychology. This is the part that I couldn’t quite grasp when reading between the lines of his posts. He somehow has a natural gift at understanding what “buttons” to push in order to get the other person to willingly say YES. He does this by crafting situations where it is almost a no-brainer for the other party to say yes. Don’t be greedy, make it a win-win for everyone involved. Being greedy might make you more money on the first few deals, but it will destroy the possibility of the additional 10 deals that you could’ve made after.

3. Slow down to really think things through. What I found most shocking was that in only a short conversation, this gentleman whom I had never met was able to help me pinpoint some of my greatest weaknesses. The funniest part is that I didn’t even realize these weaknesses were there, but now that I know they exist I can take corrective action.

Many of us get lost in this fast paced environment so we forget to slow down to really analyze the different scenarios and angles that we can pursue to further our business. This was my biggest weakness that I didn’t even realize was there.

I had a lot of the answers for how to take my business to the next level right in front of me, but they were so glaringly obvious that I ended up not even noticing them. If I had taken the time to sit back and really think things through then perhaps I may have realized they were there. It was a huge “WELL DUH!” moment and it was quite humbling haha. Big lesson: be very aware of your surroundings because sometimes the most obvious opportunity is what everyone overlooks because it seems almost too simple.

I remember seeing him post about chopsticks and how there’s probably some millionaire who created his wealth by importing chopsticks lol sometimes the answer is so simple, but overlooked because it seems almost too simple. The JackEdwards lens sees far more angles than most, but luckily I think all of us can train our lenses to get there too.

4. The first $100 is the hardest. It’s quite humbling to hear someone who built many successful businesses say this. Don’t think about the millions just yet, young grasshopper!

5. Cash is king at my age(27). At my age, it is very easy to succumb to one’s ego and end up doing some pretty foolish things. If you don’t let the ego drive your decisions, it’s VERY possible to retire decades earlier than the rest of the minions in Candy Land.

6. It’s hard to spend all of your money once you’ve made it big. I found this one a bit unusual because we always hear stories about athletes who made millions and ended up bankrupt.

7. Focus on mastering how to leverage systems and people’s talents. The numbers play a big role here. DELEGATE. DELEGATE. DELEGATE.

8. The numbers are everything. This is one of my greatest weaknesses because I was so busy trying to keep up with the backlog of orders that I didn’t even take the time to analyze the numbers behind how powerful scaling out can really be. Ok yeah I already knew on some level that scaling was important thanks to MJ’s book, but having Jack break down the numbers to the lowest common denominator made me realize how powerful the numbers really can be. I’m going to buy a pocket calculator to carry with me everywhere. I don’t like the calculator in my iPhone.

9. The guy is incredibly passionate about what he does. I really enjoyed feeling his energy through the phone because it’s quite contagious. It reminded me of why I spent the majority of my W-2 money in my younger days to see entrepreneurs speak. That’s the cool thing about hanging around superstar people…they’re switched ON, alive, and ready to make some moves. When you’re constantly around that type of energy, making moves of your own becomes almost inevitable. This is one reason why I always stress to you guys to step away from the computer and pick up the phone. You can’t feel that energy by reading words on a computer screen.

10. Expand your psychological "wallet". I told myself I'd be pretty satisfied if I got $5-10M by the time I retire. My psychological "wallet" is tiny compared to some other people. I need to aim for bigger numbers.

11. Give back to the people. It’s quite humbling that someone would be kind enough to offer their time with me. It makes me feel an underlying sense of moral obligation to start a domino effect and give back to others. Paying it forward is fun.

I have a lot more thoughts to type out about what I learned, but I can’t stop thinking about the actions I need to take so I must stop typing here. This game is so much fun once you start gaining momentum.

Hey Jack, thanks for being gracious enough to share some of your time with me. I understand you are a really busy guy and it means a lot to me that you’d be so giving. I really enjoyed your energy and will definitely be taking action on your advice, bro!

Get 10 scoops of ice cream for yourself, good sir!

 

[JEdwards]

Did we talk on the phone yesterday? I must of been way drunk cause I don't remember. Scratch everything I said..

All the money to be made now is in Social Networks and t-shirts.