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8 Simple Mindset Shifts That Will 10X Your Success

Your mindset controls your reality and shifting it is something that is ALWAYS within your power. So, when things feel slow, stagnant, or difficult, consider how you may be able to shift your perspective to a more empowing and success-oriented mindset. Mindset Shift 1: Time is precious. Firstly, our time is finite, but most of us live contradictory to that. Change your mindset around how you think about time. We waste years at jobs we hate, stay with people we’re not entirely happy with, and tolerate situations that don’t make us feel fulfilled. Remind yourself that time is your most precious resource. Mindset Shift 2: It all starts in the mind. All you have control over is your mindset. You can work to influence the world around you, but that strategy can have varying results. By learning to master the internal world you’ll then be able to influence your external reality and realize a far greater power. The change starts from within. Mindset Shift 3: Be Grateful. The benefits of gratitude are backed by science; it improves your well-being. Gratitude shifts the mind from “I need” or “I don’t have enough” to “I’m so happy” and “I have enough.” Most importantly, the effort to change this mindset is minimal, but the difference is monumental. By expressing gratitude, you’ll draw things to you that are alinged with this new through structure, attracting more things to be grateful for. Mindset Shift 4: Be Present. The ability to quietly be with yourself and be aware of what is occurring around you is a skill you have to work hard on. It will improve the quality of your mind. To be in the moment is a powerful experience full of benefits. Mindset Shift 5: Happiness is not in the material. We all intellectually believe that the quest for material goods will not make us happy over the long term. It was a lie sold to us, that even today, most still think material goods are the ultimate sign of success. They are not. Freedom is success – not stuff. Having money to experience that freedom is a necessary evil. Mindset Shift 6: Remember your WHY. When you’re working towards a big goal, figuring out your “why” is one of the most critical mindset shifts you need to cultivate. If you are struggling with motivation right now, lost your way, or are just starting out, this is the place to begin. With clarity around your “why,” your mindset will be primed for action. Mindset Shift 7: Make Failure Positive. It’s natural to see failure as negative; after all, you did something, and it wasn’t successful. However, you should see each failure as a valuable opportunity for personal growth. A chance to grow that will inevitably lead to more success in the future. Mindset Shift 8: Apply what you learn. Study – practice – teach is my philosophy. It is easy to consume large quantities of information and obtain knowledge. However, there’s very little connection between gathering knowledge and actual achievement. You need to make an effort to apply what you learn actively. As you apply this principle over time, it will become a part of you. Study the information, put it into practice, and teach others around you through your example of creating success in your life. ***To learn more about working with me as a coach – get in touch.

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9 Steps To Building A Successful Business

9 Simple Steps To Build A Successful Business

Leadership, Management, Marketing, Strategies / Drew

Follow these nine simple steps to build a business more effectively, efficiently, and with less wasted time and money. Step #1 Get super clear on your BIG “Why” The most important secret to having a successful business is to be very clear about why you’re doing it. If you have a thorough understanding of what this business means to you on a personal level, it will motivate you and see you past the stressful times. Step #2 Have a solid, yet flexible plan You wouldn’t drive across country without a map. It’s even more important to chart your course when you’re starting your business. Of course, you need the traditional elements of a business plan like your company’s description products and services, strategy, market analysis, financial projections, etc. You also need to think about some other things like It’s critical to set very clear goals so that you know what you’re working toward in your business. Otherwise, it’s too easy to get distracted and lose sight of your goals. Step #3: Understand your numbers. Treat your business like a business and not an expensive hobby. You’re in business to make money. You started your business to do what you love, but you have to remember that you can’t accomplish any of it unless you’re bringing in cash. Your numbers don’t lie. Either you’re bringing in cash which means you’re making more than you’re spending, or you need to make some changes. You might need to change your prices, increase your marketing, cut some expenses, or rethink your products and services. Know how much money you want to be making each year. Divide that by 12 and you have your monthly goal. Be smart about where your expenses are going. Will you get a clear benefit from the money you spend? Step #4: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Drew says that he’s always been a big believer in shortcuts. If someone else has already done something that he wants to do, he will model what they’ve done for himself. He doesn’t have to start from scratch – research others in your field, study their companies and model that behavior. Research successful people in general – success is success. Here are some timeless principles of success: For Drew, working with a coach or self and being part of a mastermind group has helped him build a business. This might or might not be the best strategy for you. Decide what is best for you based on your own personal needs, what motivates you, and what conditions will set you up for success. Step #5: Focus, focus, and more focus. A successful business requires intensive labor and focus. You will need to cut out of your life anything that is not moving you in the direction of your vision. Exactly what that is you decide in your own personal life, but anything non-essential has to go. In a corporate job you’re basically paid for putting in hours. As an entrepreneur, it’s all about results. Excellent time management is critical. You may need to build a support system with your spouse or your parents or housecleaner or babysitter or personal assistant. You might want to shop online or use a grocery delivery service. Look at all your current activities to see where you can find some extra time to devote to your business. A lack of time is really a lack of priorities. Revisit your ‘why’ statement, then take another look at your priorities. Make sure you’re focusing on the tasks that are delivering your results. Step #6: Get comfortable with self-promotion. In order to be successful with your product or service, people have to be able to find you. As an entrepreneur, marketing must be your top focus, especially in the beginning. You need to get out there and market yourself based on a solid, well thought out strategy. Marketing and sales is something you do for people – not to people – because you have the answer to their problem. An authentic way to market your business and sell your services is to demonstrate to potential customers that you do care and that you have a solution for them. You can get this point across to potential customers without being pushy. Here’s how Drew phrases it:“Just so you know, I’m here and I have the skills to help you stop struggling and to reach your business and lifestyle goals. So, if it feels right for you and you think that working together would be a good fit, I’d be more than happy to help.” Sounds like the right approach, doesn’t it? Step #7: Done is better than perfect. Drew calls himself a lifelong perfectionist, so he struggles with this one himself all the time. But he’s learned to let go a little because if he didn’t, he would still be in the pre-launch stage. He puts it this way:” Don’t let analysis paralysis hold you back. Just implement, implement, implement.” Take action, then take the next logical step, and continue to make forward momentum every day. If you’d like more on combatting perfectionism, check out this post: https://alphadogsuccess.com/blog/perfectionism-procrastination/ Step #8: Fail fast and forward. Sometimes the only way to know what will work and what won’t is through trial and error. Failure is an essential component to success. Successful people know this, and aim to fail quickly. The key is to learn from your mistakes very quickly and make the necessary adjustments. You need to course correct right away either by tweaking your approach or by taking a different route altogether. For instance, if enough people are not signing up for new a program, is it the copywriting that needs improvement? Is your page user-friendly? Do you need to edit your video? Is the pricing off? Nothing is permanent – especially in the online world. You can change things very quickly. As the head of your company, it’s your responsibility to do so and there’s no corporate red tape to cut through.

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How to Overcome Your Fears and Step Out With Courage

Leadership, Management, Mindset / Drew

How to Overcome Your Fears British adventurist Sir Ranulph Fiennes has been called the world’s greatest living explorer. He’s navigated some of the world’s most challenging and inhospitable places on earth including trekking the Antarctic and both North and South Poles, unsupported and on foot. When Fiennes was in his 60’s, he decided to overcome his severe fears of heights by climbing Mt. Everest. On his second attempt, hundreds of feet short of the summit, he suffered severe chest pains, at night, dangling from a rope on a near vertical ice wall at 29,000 feet. Frozen and in pain, he turned around and somehow managed to descend. He lived to tell the tale, running a marathon a mere 16 weeks after his near fatal heart attack. When it comes to facing your fears how daring are you? Do you turn tail and head in the opposite direction? Do you waver and hope the feeling passes? Or, do you, like Fiennes, stand firm and always face your fears head on? Picture what your life would look like if you consistently faced off against your fears, both big and small, with the fearlessness of someone like Sir Ranulph Fiennes. What would it feel like to boldly stare down and confront your fears, never letting them interfere with what you want to accomplish? Imagine what you could achieve if you never again let fear get in your way. The truth is, the closest most of us will get to scaling Mt. Everest is flying past it en route to a comfortable vacation destination. But there is good news; you don’t have to be an adrenaline junkie, risking life and limb, to be fearless. Life offers plenty of everyday opportunities for us to face our fears. Whether it’s asking your crush out on a date, speaking in public, or asking for a raise, no fear is too big or too small to challenge – and we all have within us the potential to be fearless. The first step to overcome your fears and become more fearless begins with understanding fear. What it is, what scares us (and why), and how fear holds us back from living a full and fulfilling life. Once we gain some insight into our fears, fearlessness can become second nature. If you want to be more fearless, more often, let’s start by exploring what scares you. “Don’t be afraid of your fears. They’re not there to scare you. They’re there to let you know that something is worth it.” C. JoyBell C. We all know what fear feels like – dread, tension, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, sweating, racing thoughts, and ‘butterflies’ are just a few of the feelings we associate with fear. It’s no wonder so many of us choose, one way or another, to sidestep our fears. After all, who wants to feel those uncomfortable feelings? What if these fears aren’t designed just to scare you? What if, instead, your fears were a doorway into new and exciting prospects? Could fear be an opportunity for personal growth in disguise? What is Fear? The word ‘fear’ derives from the Old English word faer, meaning sudden attack, peril, or danger. Simply put, fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat. It’s primitive, powerful and universal. Fear is like an internal alarm, it’s design warns us and protects us from danger. There are two types of fear responses: biochemical and emotional. Biochemical Fear is a natural emotion resulting from a perceived threat and its design makes us more alert and responsive as a way to survive. When this happens, our bodies respond in specific ways such as sweating, increased heart rate, increased awareness, and high adrenaline levels. This state of fear is often referred to as a “fight or flight” response. Emotional Fear differs from person to person. Because fear involves some of the same chemical responses in our brains similar to happiness and excitement, feeling fear under certain circumstances can be seen as fun. For example, the fears you experience with watching a scary movie, riding on a roller coaster, or venturing into extreme sports, create emotional fear. Some people like emotional fear, however, there are others who have negative reactions to emotional fear and try to avoid fear-inducing situations all together. Although the physical reaction is the same, this type of fear may be perceived as either positive or negative, depending on the person’s perspective. What are We Afraid of? While most of us aren’t facing the same threats our ancestors did, we still face threats in our day-to-day lives that cause us stress. What are we so afraid of? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Public speaking, flying, and death are often touted as the things we fear the most and, while those fears are real, our dread go much deeper and wider than a potential bruised ego, gravity, and our inevitable demise. According to The Chapman University Survey on American Fears, our biggest fears of 2018 include: government corruption, the state of the environment, danger befalling loved ones, and personal finances. Fears that didn’t crack the top 10? Public speaking (#59), death (#54), and flying (#82). Regardless of ranking, the survey suggests there is no shortage of fears to keep us up at night. The survey also suggests more people than ever are afraid, and fear, in general, is on the rise. All this dread is having a significant negative impact on our lives. For example, fear can make us; hesitate, procrastinate, experience creative blocks, and be averse to risk, all of which can lead to low accomplishment. That can cause stress. That stress can lead to cognitive impairment, an increased risk of heart disease, premature aging, relationship conflicts, depression, and more – and a cycle of fear is born. That cycle can leave us feeling like we’re just going through the motions of life without really living. “My life has been filled with terrible misfortune most of which never happened.” –Michel de Montaigne Putting

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Master Your Inner Critic to Be Successful

Leadership, Management, Mindset / Drew

Our inner critic says, we get told the world is the way is and you just have to live your life inside that world as best you can. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. Don’t step on toes, don’t be too cocky. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call ‘life’ was made up by people that were relatively no smarter than you. So, if you want to change something in your world… you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use too. You are more useful than you know. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again. This is the advice I learned from Steve Jobs. You know that billionaire guy with the Apple fetish? He rocked. And more than that, he knew he did. That was the biggest secret to his success on and offline – like you, he initially thought ‘I don’t want a job. I want to be an entrepreneur’. Most of us end there and then let self-doubt cloud any potential of getting any further. We make a few bucks, we live pretty comfortable and we dream realistically. We see the obstacles. But obstacles don’t stop us from going further, as we may think – it is actually how resourceful we are in dealing with them. We can’t let a few trials dictate to us where our ceiling of success is. And while being safe instead of bold is a good strategy if you like this life… there is no harm in a little self-love. It is this that creates the boldness, and ultimately the desired results. If you wonder what being bold has to do with being successful or you think that talking about self-love is a little too ‘new-agey’… then let’s get scientific. 55% of all of our communication (that is how we present ourselves to the world) is not what we say or the words we decide to use. It is our body language. It is what we do with our face and our tone. The words you say are a side note. And so, it is essential to believe in yourself each day before you ever set foot online thinking you’re going to make a million because – heck – if you don’t believe it and you are not congruent, not one customer is going to believe that you’re the one to solve all their problems either. So next time your inner critic says ‘I don’t want to sell myself’ or ‘I’m not sure people will like my product’ or ‘Am I charging/asking too much?’, make sure that the answer to that is in line with how much you value yourself. Be the value and people will pick up on it. Tell yourself you have lots to offer and that you can do it. And why not… many people talk to themselves negatively all day long and have nothing to show for it. So why not try looking at things differently? I’ll say it one last time… you want to succeed. Do it from the inside out – believe you can first. Don’t let your inner critic run the show. Believe you are worth that money. It is from a place of fear and worry that most people never pick up that phone and call when they should, most people never ask for what they want (at the price they want) when they know they should. That’s what separates the people that do things from the people who just dream about them. It’s up to you to take action. You must be willing to fail. You’ve got to be willing to crash and burn. And when it is all done and it’s time to get up, it’s not your legs that will lift you… it’ll be your self-belief, not your inner critic. Take a deep breath and say it out loud – “I am worth it!” Now get to work.

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Focus is the most powerful magnet for success

Focus on The Most Powerful Magnet for Success (or Failure)

Leadership, Mindset / Drew

“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” ~ Mark Twain Remember old fashioned cameras (or any that weren’t in your phone)? They had intricate lenses you had to focus by hand. The process was very precise and technical and your results were 100% determined by… …what you focused on. If you didn’t get the results you wanted, it was because the lens wasn’t focused properly. One little tic to the right or left and you would’ve had the perfect shot. Right? The good news about that is that you had the power to shift the focus (and the result) of the image. Today I’d like to explore something that you can do, just like shifting the focus point on a camera… …to shift the results of your life. We all want the “tack sharp” beautiful, abundant, fulfilling life of our daydreams, right? Here’s how you get it: Focus As many coaches and inspirational leaders so often say: “What you focus on determines your results.” And they are right. I’ve been using this principle in my life, very successfully, for decades. And I’ve seen it happen with other people, over and over again, with terrific results. In order to get what you want in life… …you must focus your mind toward what you want, and away from what you don’t want. Your brain is a very powerful magnet – and it operates like a search engine. It acts like a heat-seeking missile, drawing to you whatever it is you are focusing on. And the more energy, vibrancy, and passion you conjure up in your imagination… …the harder your brain works to make those thoughts your reality. Whatever you focus on most – the failure or the success, the love or the betrayal, the win or the loss – the more situations, people and resources you will attract to make the object of your focus a reality. The Science of Focus This isn’t just woo-woo, pie-in-the-sky thinking. There are scientific reasons and countless studies that prove this out. Your brain has a mechanism called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). The (RAS) is a bundle of nerves at your brainstem that filters out unnecessary information so the important stuff gets through. The RAS is the reason you learn a new word and then start hearing it everywhere. This is why you can tune out a crowd full of talking people, yet immediately snap to attention when someone says your name or something that at least sounds like it. It’s the reason you see BMWs everywhere, the moment you decide to buy a BMW. It’s why red flags go up when you sense something isn’t on the up-and-up. Or why you trip on the same pothole every time. It’s also the reason – if you focus too often on how hard something is – your brain automatically leaps to the obstacles and not the solutions. In effect…it attracts the obstacles, rather than the solutions. Training Your Brain As you can see, it’s very important that your mind leans toward what you want, toward resourceful thoughts and feelings that serve you, and away from those that quietly sabotage you. Bear in mind, “positive thinking” isn’t automatic or easy. It doesn’t come to us naturally. And there’s a scientific reason for that… In case you’re feeling bad about yourself for being “negative” too often. Our brain, since caveman days, had to be alert to potential dangers in order to survive. We evolved as a species by being highly aware of our surroundings. We were ingrained, for our very survival, to focus on the potentially negative… …to spend time, energy, and resources on potential dangers. This is why it’s so easy, so automatic, to focus on the negative things that may – or may not – happen in our lives. But this habit can be changed. You can retrain your brain, and make positive, resourceful thoughts and feelings become your automatic response. A side note: Don’t feel bad when you find yourself traveling down a dark tunnel of fears, doubts, and “what-ifs”. Your brain is pre-wired that way. But you can retrain your brain to lean in a new direction…toward the resourceful thoughts that serve you, instead of those that ultimately sabotage you. Keep using your Holosync, and be on the alert for negative thoughts and feelings. As soon as you recognize them, flip them over. Find the opposite feelings, the positive results, the great outcomes…and aim your brain on those things instead. You will find – with that same powerful magnet known as your brain that you’re automatically attracting good, abundant and beautiful things into your life.

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Finding Confidence To Embrace Life’s Big Decisions & Overcome Fear of…

Leadership, Management, Mindset, Sales / Drew

Confidence comes from a latin word affīdāre which means “to trust oneself”; therefore, finding confidence is just having more trust in one’s self and fear of failure. Confidence is a state of being clear headed either that a hypothesis is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. I talk to a lot of sales professionals and entrepreneurs, people starting their own businesses, and they want to learn: “How can I develop more confidence or even just get myself a bit more confident so that I can be more successful in what I do?” In order to make this happen, we have to realize where confidence comes from and what finding confidence means. Finding confidence is basically your ability to take action and feel good about yourself and the results of the action. Feeling like whatever it is you’re about to jump into, you can do a good job and you can come out of it looking and feeling good. Now, this doesn’t happen by accident. When you look at the way confidence shows up in our lives, it appears as a result of doing things over and over again and developing a proficiency from it. Confidence, in and of itself, is not something that you’re born with or not born with. It’s something that’s developed over time through practice and repetition. When you first learned to walk, at 12 or 13-months old or whatever it may be for you; you weren’t very confident at walking. In fact, you couldn’t walk at all. But you were determined to try, and determined to succeed. You stood on the side of the sofa and you pushed yourself off and you would fall. You would try it again and you would maybe balance for a bit and then fall. But you would do it over and over again. Your level of confidence in the beginning was tiny. In fact, there probably was no confidence. But you were so determined to do it, that you kept going regardless of the outcome. Eventually you took a step, you followed that with another step, and soon enough you were walking and now you’re an adult and you can walk from one room to another, you can walk for miles as an exercise or whatever, and not even think about the act of walking. It’s just something that comes naturally to you now. If someone were to ask you your level of confidence on a scale of 0 to 10, how confident you are that you could walk across the room, you’d probably say 11. It isn’t even something that you ever think to question…You just do it. The same thing goes for finding confidence in all areas of life – including your professional life. Let’s say your success right now requires your ability to sell. Doesn’t matter what it is. To sell a product, to sell an idea, to sell a service, sell a training program. I don’t know what it is for you. You might not be confident in your ability to communicate value in a way that exceeds the expense and closes a deal. So the important question becomes, how are you going to find that confidence? You weren’t born with it. Thinking about yourself going into a situation where you might have to sell somebody, makes you nervous or self-conscious. How do you get to a point where you’re confident in doing it no matter what you are selling? First, it’s natural to feel fear whenever you are stepping out of your comfort zone…it’s a biological response we have maintained from our “caveman brains”. Luckily there are many other, more evolved portions of our brain we can counter it with. So, the next time you’re feeling fearful, just try to put it into perspective. Recognize that fear is only a feeling, a chemical response to a thought. Fear can feel very, very real. But it’s only an emotion that survives and thrives when we feed it with our attention. The first step in mastering your fear of taking massive action is to remember to tell yourself that fear isn’t real – that it’s only a feeling that can’t hurt actually you. Remember, everyone experiences fear Everyone experiences fear before they try something new. Think Tony Robbins hasn’t experienced fear of failure? Sure he has, and I’m sure he would tell you that himself. Everyone has experienced fear of failure, the fear of looking like a fool, the fear of losing friends, the fear of being judged, a fear of being called an imposter, the fear of ending up worse than when you started, whatever it may be. In fact, statistics show that a whopping 85% of the population has some form of self-doubt. When a moment of panic comes over you, image your role model and remember that they too have experienced fear. But they moved through it anyway. Sometimes you’ll just have to do it afraid. Do it anyway. Take the first small step We’ve all heard Newton’s 1st Law of Motion: A body at rest tends to stay at rest, while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Notice that feeling of fear, and then take that first small step in spite of it. Fear is a natural and required part of the process. Accept your ability to work through fear and do it anyway. You’ll learn from it and you’ll make mistakes and you’ll fall on your face, just like you fell when you were first learning how to walk. But you do this once and you’ll get a little bit of feedback, and you’ll get a little bit of insight. Maybe you can even find a manager or mentor to review your work and see a couple of things that you could improve on in the future. This is incredibly valuable feedback. Go to the next project, make the corrections, make a little bit of an improvement, and you will increase your confidence. Maybe you don’t close the sale, but you go to

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An Entirely New Way to Look at Criticism

Leadership, Mindset, Startup Basics, With Audio / Drew

Almost any marketing coach can tell you stories of students who came to them for help in launching their product. The student has the product ready to go. Maybe it needs a few tweaks, but they are small things that could be done in a few days or maybe even in a few hours. We’re talking about products that in many cases are better quality than 90% of products out there. But they won’t launch the product. They keep telling themselves their product/service isn’t ready, that it needs improving, the time isn’t right, etc… They’re deceiving themselves. The real reason they’re not launching? FEAR. Stark terror that someone, somewhere, will dislike them or say something BAD about their product. Or worse yet – people will hate their product AND the product won’t sell. But here’s the fact to focus on instead: A product that is never launched makes no money. Period. Yes, someone might not like your product. So what? In fact, there could be HUNDREDS of people who don’t like your product. So what? If the product is selling, does it matter that some people don’t like it? Look at radio talk show hosts and commentators. They have thousands or in some cases hundreds of thousands of people who don’t like them. Yet they also have LOTS and LOTS of loyal followers willing to pay to hear them or jump on their recommended products. So how do you get over the fear of launching? Here’s one way: Agree with yourself that your product isn’t finished. That’s right – it isn’t done yet. But you’re going to launch ANYWAY. As you improve your product, you will send your customers updated versions. What’s that? You forgot to add a section about managing gophers to your gardening product? Add the section and send it out to buyers. Then add it to the product itself so all new buyers get it automatically. And then add a couple of bullets to your sales letter that let prospects know you cover gophers, too. Easy, right? In fact, this gives you an entirely new way to look at criticism. Instead of cringing and wishing you had done the product differently, you can objectively look at the criticism and decide if you want to make a change based on that feedback or not. This is a much more empowering point of view than hiding in the corner, fearful of any negative comment that might come your way. Now then, let’s look at a worst case scenario: You launch your product and the very first feedback you get is, “This product sucks, I want a refund!” If this happens, there is one of two things going on, and the next few days will tell you which one it is. If more people write back with similar comments, then maybe you do have a poor product. In that case, pull it, fix it and relaunch it. Or pull it and create something else. But if sales are good and refunds are low, then what you encountered on that first feedback was likely a chronic ‘refunder’ – one of those people who buy products with the intention of finding a miracle/instant fix…who immediately quit and ask for a refund. Don’t waste your time trying to help those people. Just know that the overwhelming majority of buyers don’t do this. Most buyers are good, honest, decent people. The few who do chronically refund are just a minor annoyance that ALL product sellers have to put up with, including the big names in your niche and elsewhere. So don’t sweat it! Give them their refund and if you have the capability, block them from buying from you again, just to avoid aggravation down the line when you launch your next product. Fear of launching your product is a fear of leaving your comfort zone. Comfort zones are… well… comfy. Cozy. Warm. Secure. Safe. But sometimes you have to take a deep breath, hit the button and launch your new product to the world. Don’t worry – it gets less scary each time you do it. And you’re never alone. Even product creators who have made millions still get plenty nervous when it’s time to launch their new creation. It’s a natural reaction. The point is, you can’t let a case of nerves, no matter how bad they are, get in the way of moving forward and launching your product. Find out what you need to use to get yourself to launch. Is it a reward? Blackmail? A psychological trick? A reminder of WHY you are doing this? I know one marketer who imagines hurling himself into battle each time he launches. Another one keeps photos of his family at his desk to remind him of why he needs to overcome his fear. And a third bribes herself with a 4 day vacation for each product she launches. Whatever it takes to get you to launch – just do it. Of course, it always helps to have a coach or mentor on your side – so if you don’t have one of those yet – get one! ~Wishing you success!Drew

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How To Overcome a Fear of Taking Action

Leadership, Management, Mindset, With Audio / Drew

Fear of taking significant steps towards our dreams is a common experience we all share. It’s essential to understand that fear is a natural reaction to leaving our comfort zones. However, acknowledging fear is different from allowing it to immobilize us. To transition from fear to action, consider these strategies that can help you gain perspective and move forward effectively. Understanding Fear as an Emotion Fear, while intense and sometimes overwhelming, is just an emotion. It’s a relic from our ancestral past when physical dangers like predators were a real concern. Today, our fears are often psychological, rooted in concerns about social acceptance or financial stability. By recognizing that fear is an internal response rather than a reflection of external reality, we can start to diminish its power over our actions. Universal Experience of Fear Remember, you’re not alone in feeling fearful. Even the most successful people, like Tony Robbins, have faced fear of failure or judgment. This universal experience means that fear isn’t an insurmountable obstacle but a common hurdle that everyone encounters. When you feel fear creeping in, think of those you admire who have pushed through their fears to achieve great things. This realization can be a powerful motivator to act despite fear. Initiating Movement with Small Steps The hardest part of overcoming fear is often just getting started. Inspired by Newton’s 1st Law of Motion, taking the first small step can set the stage for continuous progress. This initial action, no matter how small, can shift your mindset from fear to empowerment, sparking a cycle of positive actions and outcomes. Once you start, the momentum you build will make the next steps easier and more exciting. Seeking Support When Needed If fear seems too daunting to tackle alone, it’s okay to seek support. Reach out to friends, family, or professionals who understand your goals and can provide encouragement. A simple conversation can offer new perspectives, alleviate fears, and strengthen your resolve to move forward. Having a support system can be incredibly reassuring, providing the extra push needed to take action. In conclusion, transforming fear into action requires self-awareness, understanding, and a willingness to take small, consistent steps towards your goals. Remember, fear is a common emotion that can be managed and overcome with the right strategies and support. Embrace the journey of personal growth and let your actions define your path to success.

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How Successful Affiliates Are Making More Commissions Than Their Competitors

Leadership, Startup Basics, strategy, With Audio / Drew

Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to make money online, without having to create your own products, build a formal website, or design a sales page with integrated payment processing. So, why is it that most affiliate marketers never make nearly what they could make? Anyone has the potential to make HUGE money in affiliate marketing, yet > 90% or more of affiliates make a pittance. Think about this: If you earn an average of $50 on each sale in a sales funnel you promote, and you make 6 sales, you’ve made $300. Sounds good, right? But guaranteed, there is something else who made 600 sales and walked away with $30,000. Why did they make 600 sales when you made just 6? There are reasons why a handful of affiliate marketers do amazingly well, and everyone else barely makes a profit. And marketers who understand this will always have a tremendous advantage over marketers who don’t. 1. Build a Relationship I know you’ve heard it before, but are you doing it? People buy people, not products. If you want them to open your email and click your link, or visit your Facebook Group and click a link, you’ve got to have a RELATIONSHIP with your people. This is so simple to do, yet few marketers take the time. Start with a blog post that is all about you, and then send new opt-ins to the post so they can get to know you better. Make the post silly, funny and most of all REAL. Talk about the stupid stuff you’ve done, the mistakes you’ve made, where you live and what your goals are. Don’t even think about affiliate marketing yet. Do you have a strange hobby or unusual taste in food? Include that. Do you have 17 pets? Talk about them. Do you work until 3 in the morning and sleep until noon? Mentions that too. Reveal the real you. Not the details people don’t want, but the ones that amuse and interest. You’re looking to make a real connection, not apply for a job, nobody wants your resume. And above all else, don’t make your life seem like a series of magnificent accomplishments. No one is going to relate to someone who turns everything they touch into gold. But they are going to relate to the time you bought Bitcoin when it was worthless and sold it just before it took off, or the time you thought you could fly and jumped off your parent’s back deck into the pool. And don’t stop with your ‘about me’ page, either. Use this relationship building in your lead magnets, your emails, your other blog posts, etc. Always inject a little bit about yourself in everything you do. Not so much that you bore people, or make everything seem about you, but just enough to keep it real. Think about relating an event to a friend. Aren’t you going to give your own perceptions of what happened, as well as tell about how you got out of your car and stepped into the mud puddle just before your big presentation? Use this same method of personal, one-on-one friend communication with your readers and followers. Post on your blog as often as possible, at least once a week, but as much as every day. Encourage your list to follow you on social media or subscribe to your list so they know when you add a new post. Your readers will realize you’re a real person who isn’t out to pitch them a new product every 5-minutes. So, they’ll gladly read your sales emails much more readily when they know there is a real live human being who is sending them these messages. 2. Use Your Own Voice Just because you’re doing affiliate marketing, doesn’t mean you need to act like someone else. How many emails do you receive that say something along the lines of, “Buy this product – this product is the greatest product ever – you will be sorry if you miss this – this is the one thing that will help you create success – but it now.” Yeah. Same old stuff, over and over again. There is a marketer (or maybe several, but I’m thinking of one in particular) who sells MASSIVE quantities of this exact type of emails as a swipe file to new marketers. Like a brand-new marketer couldn’t write their own 25-word email that basically says, “buy this magic product now.” People don’t like getting sold to and are TIRED of seeing this crap. You’re tired of getting these emails. I’m tired of getting these emails. Same phrases, same message, same B.S. If you’re not going to stand apart from the crowd, then you’re going to have to share the same crumbs they’re getting. Here’s what to say: Instead, take 30-minutes and write your own promotional email with your own voice. You can even do this by dictating and having a free software like Google Docs to type the email for you! Forget about all the hype. Be sincere, be honest. “Hey, this product isn’t for everyone. I don’t even know if it’s for you. But, if you have this problem, then maybe this is your solution. Check it out and decide if it’s right for you, because I know it’s worked like crazy for some people, including me.” I’ve written emails where I basically tell people not to buy something unless they really really want it or need it. “Don’t buy this if you already know how to do XYZ.” “Don’t buy this if you’re not going to be doing this type of marketing.” This is only for people who want _______. It’s like I’m trying to talk them out of it, which paradoxically often results in more sales, not fewer. But the point isn’t tricking people into buying, it’s to be honest. You know this, but the latest, greatest product you’re promoting isn’t for everyone on your list. Some of them sure, but

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Perfectionism is Really Just Procrastination

Leadership, Management, Mindset, With Audio / Drew

Let’s explore how perfectionism is really just another form of procrastination. If you continue finding yourself locked into being a perfectionist, it will waste a lot of your time and energy. At a certain extent, the more energy you put into making something perfect, the less real productivity you’ll experience. Everyone has some measure of perfectionism within them. We set our own high goals and then push ourselves to achieve them. We have high personal standards and integrity, and that always makes us want to do our best. This dedication to perfection helps us get the results we want and enjoy the success that comes with achieving our goals. But perfectionism, in an extreme sense, has more negative repercussions than positive results. Some examples of how perfectionism aids procrastination: Math shows perfectionism can turn into procrastination. A bell curve is commonly divided into standard deviations. There are 3+ standard deviations in each curve, where each standard deviation takes the same amount of time/energy to accomplish. So, in order to reach 70% it’s 1 standard deviation, from 70% up to 95% is the 2nd standard deviation; and the 3rd only brings you brings you from 95% to 99.7%. With that knowledge, we can see that it will take us the exact same amount of time to get 3 products/offers to 70% completion, as it will to bring 1 product to 99.7% completion. Nothing will ever actually reach 100% complete. There will always be something you can do differently. This is why many large companies, like Microsoft or Apple, have been shown launching products at that 70% point, and then making additional refinements and updates as they learn of different bugs or issues. I’m sure you can see why they may take this strategy! Now, surprisingly, we’re not saying that you should stop being a perfectionist. But you should, however, be aware of when your perfectionist tendencies go overboard. Keep tabs on yourself so you can be honest when you are instead procrastinating by using the excuse of wanting to make something perfect. Always keep a balance between perfection and productivity, and procrastination will become a thing of the past! This starts by increasing your awareness and empowering your mind. This free course is a great place to start. You may also enjoy this blog post on the power of focus.

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