Diana Nyad: Find a Way (Email #26)

Key West, Florida...

It's Monday, September 2nd 2013, just before 2PM Eastern.

Diana Nyad, stumbles ashore.

Her legs are wobbling about like a drunk, because they've not taken the weight of her body for 53 straight hours.

She officially reaches U.S. soil.

Her face is swollen like a balloon.

Her speech is slurred because her lips and tongue are blistered and swollen, a result of wearing a special jellyfish mask.

"Find a way..."

She had just completed a personal challenge, a dream.

Making her the first person in history to achieve this feat without a protective cage.

This was her fifth attempt at that dream.

53 hours earlier, 8:59AM on Saturday, she jumped into the ocean in Havana, Cuba.

... and had just crossed 112 miles of shark-infested water (with no shark cage).

The same stretch of sea where swarms a deadly atlantic box jellyfish call their home.

Jellyfish with lethal venomous stings that practically shut down your nervous system.

Diana's story is incredible and I encourage you to read the details (links at the end of this email).

But here's the most incredible part...

The journey from Cuba to Florida didn't start two days earlier.

Her journey started in 1978.

Yup, some 35 years ago...

She was 28 years old then.

The attempt was so painful, so draining, she tried to put the dream in a box and move on with her life.

But it was still there.

Like a splinter in her mind.

Feeling awkward.

Always there, talking to her.

It was waiting for the right moment.

Growing in significance and power.

It wouldn't let up.

So she tried again in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Pigheaded determination and persistence, from a burning desire to fulfill a dream.

Failure, again and again.

Then, the right moment...

"The swim wasn't easy," said Nyad.

"You have a dream 35 years ago, doesn't come to fruition, but you move on with life..."

"But it's somewhere back there. Then you turn 60, and your mom just dies, and you're looking for something..."

"And the dream comes waking out of your imagination."

Those were the slurred words Diana Nyad said after staggering out the sea on the beach in Key West, Florida.

She's 64 years olds now.

Can you imagine that?

"Find a way..."

She chanted this over and over to shut negative thoughts out of her mind.

Instead of thinking of how far she had to go, she focused on the 6 inches of open water in front of her.

She told herself...

"Forget about the surface up. Get your hands in somehow, and with your left hand, say, push Cuba back, and push Florida towards you..."

And even though Diana could barely speak from blisters in her mouth, she said to the crowd at Key West:

"I got three messages...

One is we should never ever give up...

Two is you are never too old to chase your dreams...

And three is it looks like a solitary sport but it takes a team."

She stopped thinking about all the training, how to move her arms, and just got down to...

Reach forward with my left arm, push Cuba a little further away. And push Florida towards you.

Repeat, repeat, repeat...

For 112 miles.

Damn.

Think about this for a minute...

Stay up two days in a row, then ten more hours just for giggles.

See how you feel.

(In my early 20s I tried to see how long I could stay away for. I made it to about 36 hours before calling it quits. I couldn't believe how hard it was to do.)

Now do it swimming the whole time.

Day and night.

No stop.

With sharks and box jellyfish to contend with.

And then do that at 64 years old.

Damn.

What about you?...

What dreams do you have?

Do your dreams refuse to die no matter how many times you get knocked down?

Have you tried over and over and you just don't know how you're going to make it happen?

Just know, there is a way.

There always is. Always.

If you think you're too old.

Or too young.

Or too poor.

Think of Diana Nyad.

Don't give up on your dreams.

They are what define us.

They motivate us to "give a fuck".

To push forward, no matter what.

It's what make us special, as humans.

If you have dream ... a burning desire, use it as the rocket fuel to propel yourself forward.

Focus on the six inches of open water in front of you.

In the words of Diana Nyad:

1) never give up...

2) you are never too old to chase your dream...

3) it takes a team.

... and that "team" can can be anyone that supports your dream and believes in you (spouse, close friend, mentor, or a coach).

Dare to dream.

And then "find a way" to make it happen.

Do you want to crack this internet marketing thing bad enough?

If so, you know what to do next:
http://tlb.io/join.php?v=e26 ($49.95/mo for 7-months)

You rock!

Andre "found a way" Chaperon

P.S.

Here's two news stories about Diana Nyad:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/diana-nyad-homestretch-cuba-florida-swim/story?id=20133986

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/02/world/americas/diana-nyad-cuba-florida-swim/

Half The Price of a Starbucks Cappuccino (Email #25)

I first exposed this little exercise to some of my clients in 2008.

The simple concept blew their minds.

I'm going to share it with you now.

The concept is as relevant now as it was back in 2008.

Go fetch a pen and notepad.

Do it now.

Draw a line down the middle.

In the left hand column write "living expenses". In the right hand column write "lifestyle expenses".

Now write down all your recurring living expenses in the left hand column.

Everything.

If you have to pay for it on a recurring basis, get it down.

Next to each living expense, work out the DAILY dollar amount you pay for it, and write it down.

If it's a monthly expense, multiply it by 12 then divide it by 365.

If it's a yearly expense, divide it by 365.

You get the idea.

Igal, a previous student, sent me a picture of his list:


Now...

Focus on your "living expenses" column first.

It's the most important one.

Afterwards you can have some fun and do the same for your "lifestyle expenses" column.

Here's a real lifestyle expense example...

In November I'm attending a Mindvalley event in the Dominion Republic at a 5-Star all inclusive resort.

Costs (me and the missus):

Flight: Spain to Miami (return): $2,333
Flight: Miami to Punta Cana (return): $1,570
Accommodation: $2,160
Tickets: $1,699 (each)

Total: $9,461 (or $25.92 per day over a year)

So I would write down "AwesomenessFest: $25.92" in the lifestyle expense column.

(Note that lifestyle expenses can still be tax deductible if they're a businesses expense.)

The process is simple.

Do it now.

(I'll wait...)

Cool, all done?

Now to put this all into perspective for you.

Here's a list of my living expenses (if you can't see the image then you'll need to enable images in your email client)...



Yup ... $88.92 pretty much covers everything.

Now the total daily figure is really not that important.

It's just there to give you the big picture number.

What's important are all the little amounts.

Now here's the key...

Build out multiple mini-income streams to support each item on your notepad.

(Or one that starts off small, and then with daily nurturing, grows bigger each day.)

Think about this for a second.

I'm not suggesting you go out and try and build a $10,000 per month business out of thin air, right out the gate.

Especially if you've never even made 100 bucks in your life before on the internet.

You'll fail.

That's for damn sure.

No ... I'm talkin' small, baby.

You think you can build something that earns you 10 bucks a day?

Back to your notepad.

What you need to do is look at each item on your list as its OWN mini goal.

Now, one by one, you build out these little mini-income streams to support all the items on your notepad.

For example:

A little $10 a day campaign would cover these items for me:

1. Electric - $5.71
2. Water - $1.23
3. Car Insurance - $2.78

Total: $9.72

See how easy that is?

Now so long as I keep this little $10 a day campaign singling along, I NEVER have to worry about the electric bill.

... and the water. And the car insurance.

Ever.

Hope that all makes sense.

I'll end off with one final example to demonstrate this.

I have a little new "TLB" campaign that's just 68 days old.

As I write this email it's August 26, 2013.

... and it's 13:11pm local time in Spain (or 04:11am Pacific Time).

Meaning, because this is a ClickBank campaign, it has only been running for 4 hours 11 minutes so far today.

(So still another 19+ hours to go.)

Here's the Facebook Advertising results so far today:
http://tinylittlebusinesses.com/images/email/260813-fb-4354.png

Here's the ClickBank commissions after 4 hours today:
http://tinylittlebusinesses.com/images/email/260813-cb-4354.png

Spend: $23.26
Commissions: $128.22
ROI: 551%
NET Profit: $104.96

That one tiny little campaign, after just 4 hours, has already paid for ALL MY LIVING EXPENSES.

... and (almost) also my trip to Punta Cana.

I don't touch this campaign either.

This particular one is a set-it-and-forget-it kinda business.

Hope this was a helpful exercise.

Once you have your "living expenses" list written down.

... join TLB and we'll help you with the income streams part.

http://tlb.io/join.php?v=e25 ($49.95/mo for 7-months)

Andre "break it down" Chaperon

P.S.

Come to think of it...

TLB costs $49.95 per month for 7 months, right?

What's that? ... $349.65 in total.

Or around $1.67 per day (for 7 months).

Do you know that a Starbucks Cappuccino (grande) clocks in at around $4.32 a pop.

Whoa! ... that's over double the price of TLB.

So with your little $10 per day campaign you can join TLB, and wipeout two grande Starbucks Cappuccino's per day.

Imagine the buzz? :)

Behind the TLB Curtain (Email #24)

Before I pull the curtain apart...

Here are four questions and concerns we received this week from people.

I'll use them as the context for my response about what we teach (and why) with our TLB training.

First question (from Lisa Bogle)...

"Is TLB really orientated only towards affiliate marketers?"

Lisa has her own product.

She's a coach and teacher in the parenting niche.

Next question (from Tom Wall)...

"Does affiliate marketing still offer an opportunity for newcomers to understand how it works, put together a business from home and avoid being sucked into an endless sales funnel?"

"It's easy to get a course or read a book about how to start a business, but how many succeed?"

"In other words, if a person implemented what you say to do in your course, would that person be able to generate a consistent income?"

"Do this, now do this, and then this and so on, and the spigot turns on and now it becomes a matter of upkeep and tweaking and the money flows in. Right, or wrong?"

Tom has a few concerns here. And judging by the questions we get each week, his concerns are echoed by others.

Next question (from Jared Kimball)...

"First off, let me answer the question 'What is your biggest fear about affiliate marketing?'..."

"I fear failing. I also have a hard time believing affiliate marketing still works. Unless you have a HUGE ad budget."

"Maybe because I lack experience in affiliate marketing is why I doubt myself and whether the system you guys have will work for me."

Jared's fear of failing is a common one.

The other big concern we see is "the fear of wasting time" going after something that just won't work.

We hear ya, Jared.

Last question (from Joe Sulima). This is a short one...

"Can you tell me what is included in this program?"

Roger that, Joe.

So there you have it.

I'll start with why we teach affiliate marketing as our core framework.

The simple answer is that affiliate marketing happens to be the path of least resistance to having a presence in any market.

It's fast.

Requires zero product development and creation.

Which means means minimum risk.

It's the fastest way to "test the waters" before jumping into the shark tank.

Starting with affiliate marketing allows you to FIRST:

1. validate that an audience (pocket of people, or POP) exists (targeting).

2. validate that you can easily reach that POP (traffic).

3. validate whether the problem you've identified is even a problem worth solving (as in, will they PAY for the solution).

There is no faster way to validate these three points than doing it using affiliate marketing.

It's all about minimum risk to you.

Once you have a winner, meaning you're generating consistent and predictable sales, there's nothing stopping you from THEN creating your own offer.

This is why we focus the training around affiliate marketing.

Our TLB model is universal in the sense that you can ultimately sell anything.

We personally prefer digital information products because the margins are so high (50 to 75%).

But, so long as there is a problem worth solving, there's no reason why you can't sell, for example:

* supplements to body builders.
* yachts to the rich.
* luxury submarines to the super-rich.
* humidor's to cigar connoisseurs
* hammock's to err, ... well hammock people.

You get the idea.

Moving on...

Jared reckons unless you have a HUGE ad budget, he has a hard time believing affiliate marketing still works.

Seriously?

Showing results that are eye-popping crazy high doesn't typically work well as a demonstration.

The numbers are too high.

They don't look believable.

Certainly not attainable.

So no use really for us to show 'em.

So instead...

Here's the latest results from a new (just over a month old) little affiliate marketing business (sub-niche within the weight loss vertical):

Dates: Sun 08/04 to Sun 08/11
Commissions: $2,397.60 (71 sales)
Ad Spend: $959.88
ROI: 250%
NET Profit: $1,437.72
Clicks: 13,771 ($0.07 CPC)

That's around $120 per day in ad spend to make $300 in commissions.

We started this campaign at just $20/day in spend. Then gradually scaled up as we saw things working.

Believe me, affiliate marketing is alive and kicking.

... and you don't need to have the budget of a small third world country to come to the party and play.

Lemme ask you ... do you have a fear of failing?

The fear is fine.

So long as it doesn't paralyze you from moving forward.

You know who Richard Branson is, right?

The billionaire.

The dude has a list of failures longer than your arm.

Failing is the only path to success.

Which is why we teach you how to fail fast and fail light.

Every single new "tiny little business" that we build, fails early on, in one way or another.

That's completely normal.

Because success is simply a process of iteration.

Iterating from from crap to good ... and good to kick-ass.

That's how we roll.

And it's what we teach.

We have students that are happier than a two peckered dog.

Because when you know the skills we teach, success is almost inevitable.

So what exactly do you get when you join TLB?

Here's the feature list...

7 month badass training program.

One lesson per week (28 lessons in total).

Much like an MBA degree, there is a beginning and an end.

This is by design, because it works.

There is no "fast-track" option.

The main lesson is made up of text.

Then there is video to visually demonstrate the "how-to" part.

Then you get a list of tasks for the week that you need to execute on, and notes that help you at a glance.

It's step-by-step stuff.

Go and do this, then that, and the next thing.

Then the next lesson rolls in.

And so on.

You'll also get access to 'TLB Tribe'...

It's our private community of like-minded people, all hustling to make a difference (collaboration, masterminding, success stories, questions, partnerships, and challenges).

It's awesome.

Experience needed?

It honestly doesn't matter.

If you're a grass-green noob who has never earned a buck online before, this can work for you.

Even if you've been at this for years, but real results that were promised by the goo-roos just haven't come.

The only real prerequisite is...

Determination (to do whatever it takes to succeed).

Desire (as in a burning desire to make this work).

You don't need some fancy-pants education.

I never went to uni.

I have no higher education certificate to hang on my wall as a badge of my academic prowess.

Screw that.

Right after school I went to work for 'da boss man.

I enrolled in the "school of hard knocks".

In TLB we do the same to you.

You'll get one badass education in the concept of "learn by doing".

Here's how it works...

We explain why you should do whatever in a certain way.

Then we show you how to do it.

Then we list out the steps that you need to do.

And then you go do it.

Simple.

End of that week you have a result.

It may just be some research.

But you'll actually HAVE that research.

It may just be creating a survey.

Or contacting someone.

Or writing an ad.

Or spending $10 on Facebook Ads to an experiment you've setup to validate an assumption.

So what else do you get?

Hmmm ... lemme think?

Weekly lessons; check.

Detailed step-by-step instructions each week; check.

Private members only community; check.

At the end of the training, if you do the work, you'll have your very own online business that makes money; check.

Anyone can do this who has the right mindset; check.

And there you have it.

That's what you get when you join a TLB.

The opportunity to learn how to build your own profitable (lucrative) online affiliate based "tiny little business", from scratch.

All that in just in 7 months.

That's 3 times quicker than getting an MBA.

Plus about $120K cheaper.

Just saying.

http://tlb.io/join.php?v=e24 ($49.95/mo for 7-months)

Andre "learn by doing" Chaperon

P.S.

On second thought, here are the big numbers.

These results are not typical.

Not in the slightest.

We're definitely not making any income claims here.

You'll prob'ly never get to this point.

Ever.

But then, saying that, you could do better.

http://bit.ly/13gSlSB

Our advice.

Start small. Like $10-$20 per day kinda small.

Baby steps.

That's how we go from earning 50 bucks per day.

To 100 bucks a day.

Then scaling up to 1,000 bucks a day, and beyond.

Here's Why TLB Is Better Then An MBA (Email #23)

(If you're currently studying for an MBA, or have one, DON'T READ THIS EMAIL. Because it will offended you.)

I can hear the cries...

"Dude, are you shitting me!?"

"How can your poxey TLB thingy be better than an all singing all dancing MBA degree?"

Simple.

Allow me to enlighten you, sunshine...

TLB is a 7 month program, in much the same way doing an MBA takes 2 years.

There's no short cuts.

You start ... and 7 months (or in the case of an MBA, 24 months) later you finish.

Simple as that.

Well ... not so fast, tiger.

You see, an MBA is all theory and studying and boring lectures and thick books (and getting drunk).

At TLB our philosophy is "Learn by Doing".

In each lesson (there are 28 in total) we teach the why, the what, and the what if, using written text.

That's then supplemented with a no-fluff-to-the-point video that shows the "how to" component.

Then it's all tied together with a list of tasks that you need to execute on.

... as in, go and do this, and this, and that, and what not.

It's learn by DOING, baby.

Meaning each week, as you progress closer to that 7 month mark, you have a "business" taking shape right in front of you.

One that YOU'RE building, with our help.

In contrast...

Each lecture of an MBA is just some overweight old fart, who has the personality of a plank of wood, spewing out business theory mumbo jumbo.

The only "how to" learning in an MBA lecture hall is the careful construction of spitball shooters.

... and then participating in war games across the classroom, all while not getting caught by professor boring fart.

Finally, it's graduation day...

YAY!

First, let's take a look at Mr MBA Grad superstar...

He has a piece of paper.

It basically states he holds "management potential".

Potential.

Nothing more.

Err ... and then there's also the fact that Mr MBA Grad is 6 figures in the hole from tuition expenses.

What a great way to be let out into the "real world".

6 figures down.

No job.

The only work Mr MBA Grad can get is as an unpaid intern.

But hey, look at bright side, Mr badass MBA Grad hotshot has "management potential".

Hmm...

In contrast...

A TLB'er will leave with a tiny little business that's actually earning money.

As in not $120K in the red.

But a little business that makes money while you sleep.

According to a recent QS 2013 survey, the average salary of MBA applicants has dropped from $44,333 in 2012 to $40K in 2013.

This salary drop reflects the current state of economic uncertainty throughout the world.

$40K, eh? ...

That's ... what, $109 per day?

So get this.

Steve and I built a "TLB" as part of a case study for our grad students.

Nothing fancy.

We just stuck to the basics.

As I write this email it's Friday (yes, "burger friday") August 9th.

Last month, July 1-31, our brand new little "TLB" produced a net profit of $3,748.59.

Or put another way, $124.95 PER DAY.

That's more then a 2013 MBA grad, who still has to figure out how the hell he's gonna live on 100 bucks a day and still pay off a 6 figure loan.

So there you have it.

Investing 7 months in TLB is waaaaaay better than a poxey MBA degree.

You'll graduate with less debt.

You'll ALREADY have a business that is earning you money.

Not just "management potential".

Hell, you never know...

Perhaps you could hire an MBA to work for you. lol

I'm having too much fun with this now.

Best I sign off.

In the next email I'll go into more detail about "what you get behind the curtain" of TLB.

But my suggestion, don't wait for the next email.

Or the next one.

Or the one 4 weeks from now.

Have the guts to roll the dice now.

Pull the pin and join a brotherhood of like minded freedom fighters...

http://tlb.io/join.php?v=e23 ($49.95/mo for 7-months)

Andre "no degree" Chaperon

P.S.

I have to be clear about one thing.

In this email I said you'll leave TLB with a business that's ALREADY earning you money.

That's not exactly true.

For some, yes.

For others, no.

We of course aren't making any guarantees.

Please remember that each individual's success depends on his or her background, dedication, desire and motivation.

And as with any business endeavor, there is no certain guarantee that you will earn any money.

Many of our grads do walk away after 7 months with an asset that is already working for them.

But of course there are others who don't.

If you have the dedication, desire and motivation, you can make this work. Absolutely no question.

Day in the Life: JACK (Email #22)

(This is Jack.)

Shark.

A fin breaks the surface of the water 50 yards out.

For a split second, my fight-or-flight response bubbles up - pushing logic out of the way like a bully.

But I choke it down.

"Ok, just a dolphin" I tell myself.

Sigh of relief.

I look back at the shoreline. My eyes confirm what I already know...

Way too far to do much of anything even if ... even if it had been my worst fear.

I turn back to see my 3 friends perched on their surfboards in a seated position. Feet dangling under their boards.

One of them sees what I just saw.

He turns to me and smiles.

I beat him to it with: "Don't even try to f@$% with me. I know it's a dolphin"

He quickly replies "Yeah. Besides, sharks don't announce themselves like that."

Thanks buddy.

It's a running joke with my surfing buddies because they know I'm afraid of sharks.

Don't waste your time quoting to me the stats and how I'm more likely to win the lottery than get bitten by a shark.

I don't care.

I suspect those stats include people that live in places like South Dakota who've never tasted sea foam in their lives and probably never will.

And frankly, it doesn't matter anyhow because if you're that one unlucky bastard ... stats don't mean squat.

And as I'm bobbing up and down on a surfboard that isn't big enough to hide my entire body from the creatures that call the ocean home - I see what I DO want.

A big wave.

And I've got this one all to myself.

There's no crowd of surfers today even though these waves are huge (by Florida standards).

You see right now there's a small tropical depression hundreds of miles away turning my Florida coastline into a temporary wave machine.

The water by the pier would normally be teeming with surfers fighting for turf.

But it's Wednesday, shortly after 7am judging by the sun over the horizon.

And if you work for "The Man" - Wednesday is just another day you trudge off to work.

If you work a j-o-b then the closest you'll get to these waves are the surf report on your smartphone while you're stopped at the traffic light.

I've been there.

It ain't fun.

(I'll be right back. Gotta catch this wave.)

Turn to the beach.

Paddle like hell.

The force of the wave pitches me up.

It's so damn steep looking down.

It seems impossible NOT to nose dive, but somehow I pop up.

I'm surfing down the face of this wave as it's trying to knock me off my board.

I ride it for 75 yards and decide to ditch instead of riding it to the beach.

Too much work to paddle back out from the sand.

I scramble to get back up onto my board and start paddling like mad to swim back out to sea ... back where my buddies are and the next wave will test me.

I've been surfing dozens of time this summer.

But today I'm reminded of how blessed I am and how good even small acts of defiance feel.

I smile with satisfaction as I run through a quick list:

Act of defiance - pushing past my fear of sharks and playing in their "hood" while I enjoy some of the best waves of the summer.

Act of defiance - being out in waves on a Wednesday when almost everyone else is driving off to a job they dread.

I used to spend Wednesday mornings in traffic.

I used to fight through boredom in the corporate meetings and listened to the self indulgent babble from Ivory Tower managers.

I've been shuffled from one office to another, moved like a stack of paperwork or an office chair.

A thing.

An asset to the company.

To be used as needed and replaced when worn out.

Back in 2002 I literally exploded in rage at my boss and kept running for daylight, scrambling to break away from Corporate America.

Do you remember this scene from "The Matrix" where Morpheus is talking to Neo?

"You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad."

I discovered you can only live with that splinter lodged in your mind for so long before the itch grows into a compulsion.

One day you can't take it any more and you push past the fear.

Your desire to break out of prison is greater than your fear of getting shot as you scale the wall.

Act of defiance in the face of fear.

Fear doesn't go away when you decide to act.

I still had the same thoughts I'd had a thousand days before I quit:

"What will I do?"
"Will it work?"
"What if it doesn't?"

But something changed and I know what it was.

My desire to fight for a life of choices and freedom was bigger than my fear.

And that was enough.

Just like surfing 200 yards off the Florida coast - the fear is definitely still there.

But the rush from surfing is enough for me to push that fear down and stick it in a box.

I'm living proof that you can start with one small act of defiance and with a lot of passion, a lot of dedication, and a sprinkling of luck, you can engineer your life outside the gravitational pull of the "rules" the dictate the "musts" and "have to's".

So, today's plan is to surf until we're tired or the wind switches onshore.

I've got no pressing appointments before noon.

And on my way home, my buddies and I are stopping at F.A. Cafe to have a hearty breakfast.

They don't mind that we snarf down coffee and eggs while we're still dripping wet on their bar stools.

I figure I won't be at my computer until 10:45 at the earliest but that's just a guess because I forgot to wear my watch.

(I never wear a watch except sometimes when I'm surfing.)

Later today I have a meeting with an iPhone app developer I've hired to create a new mobile app I'll be releasing in a two weeks.

Before that, I'll log into Trello to see how my coders are doing with my other web based software apps.

(Some are already spinning off monthly revenue at a growing rate and some are projects I'll be testing soon.)

And just like a set of waves coming in, some of these aren't worth riding, some of them I'll nose dive or get "closed out", and some of them I'll ride all the way to the beach.

One of the things I've discovered is that the more freedom you have, the more opportunities you get.

More opportunities means you can be pickier about which ones you jump on.

And you create a situation where you don't have to know the future in order to "win".

That's what TLB teaches you...

How to test quick, fail fast and light, and get back in position to find a project worth pursuing.

The skills you'll learn from TLB can be applied to any business venture.

And what you start today may not be your main source of income 11 years from now...

Just as I'm doing very different things now than I was 11 years ago - but it all starts with a decision.

What's going to win the battle for your mind?

Your desire for a life of choices and opportunities...

Or your fear of failure?

Fear is a holdover from the distant past where it kept us from getting eaten by sabertooth tigers.

But the ancient artifact that creates fear can't tell the difference between getting eaten by a tiger and testing a new business idea.

I know the fear won't go away.

But I hope you know now that it's an illusion.

And you can push past it.

Start with a small act of defiance.

Come join us in TLB and join a defiant brotherhood of like minded freedom fighters.

http://tlb.io/join.php?v=e22 ($49.95/mo for 7-months)

Jack "defiant" Born

P.S.

Here's a perfect analogy about how one small act of defiance can cascade into a future you hesitate to even imagine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y97rBdSYbkg&hd=1

That large domino represents a life outside the "rules" that bind most people to a future they didn't really want.

The small domino is a decision to either move on with your day, or try something different.

Join TLB and discover how to engineer your own life where you replace old rules with the ones you want.

http://tlb.io/join.php?v=e22

Day in the Life: STEVE (Email #21)

DING-DONG-BING-DONG!

It's 6:50AM and that's my Bell Tower alarm on my iPhone.

Time for another day of internet marketing.

But not before I hit snooze 4 times and roll over and give the wifey some hugs and love. (Happy wife, happy life right?)

I have to admit it is a rather relaxed way to wake up, but not quite what I was "sold" so many years ago.

Aren't successful internet marketers supposed to wake up when they want, live on the beach and fuck off all day long? ...

All while making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year?

(Truth is, my reality is quite a bit different and probably not what you'd expect.

But there's a very good reason for that. More on that in a minute.)

When Jen gets up about 7:30 to run off to CrossFit or yoga, I grab my iPhone and proceed to check my email.

It's far easier to clear out the un-important ones while slowly getting started for the day.

That way when I roll into the office I can get cracking on the important stuff.

After I clear my email queue, it's time to get ready.

Are you thinking I'm jumping into my board shorts and t-shirt and flip flops?

Hardly.

It's dress slacks, a button down or business golf shirt and dress shoes.

Damn, almost feels like I'm getting ready for a job.

It's about 8a now.

Kids are up and the nanny is here. (We homeschool the kids.)

I get my lunch ready for the day and give lots of hugs and kisses to Brody and Ella while they eat breakfast.

"Can you come home early today daddy?", Ella asks?

As much I as I want to say yes and that I'll be home at noon or even three, I say...

"Sorry sweetie, probably not today. Lots to do, but I love you. Be good and have a great day. Be nice to your brother and make things easy for your mom."

Then I'm off.

I grab my key fob from the key box, open the garage door and think...

"Damn, I love this car."

I open my car door, sink down into the leather seats, insert my fob and punch the start button on my BMW M5.

The 500 horsepower V10 rumbles to life.

Once I back out of the driveway, I'm off to my most "important" part of the day...

Can't really get started unless I stop by my local Starbucks for a latte.

By the time I roll into the office, it's 8:15 to 8:30. Brista, Haley, Anthony and Jared are already there.

Across the hall, Darven, Jessica, Leslie, Bobby, Nick, and Todd are already in.

Ken rolls in about 10.

Gordon works from home in Colorado and our 4 people in the Philippines are already busy.

You see ... from 2007 to 2012 I went for the internet lifestyle.

But in the end I realized I spent 4 years of my life building a business that would give me the flexibility and "lifestyle" I wanted, but one I couldn't sell.

If I would have spent that time building something that I could sell - a REAL business - I'd be sitting on several million dollars.

But you live and learn.

So last year I decided to do things a bit differently.

I decided that I'd treat IM like any other business.

I'd build it like I wanted to sell it.

That way, even if I don't, I have a business that operates without me, throws off crazy amounts of cash, and ultimately gives me the lifestyle I want.

That's why I dress for business, work from an office and employ about 20 people (and growing).

It was a conscious choice.

One I made knowing the sacrifice and reality of what I was committing to.

I'm going for the BIG payoff.

Not just the monthly cash flow, even though that would be far less stress.

Now, YOU don't have to do this at all though.

You can accomplish a great lifestyle and success without ever building a sellable business out of it.

That's your choice.

It comes down to what your ultimate end game is. I'm going for millions, not hundreds of thousands.

Andre wanted me to share what and how I do things for a bit of contrast. Because what I do isn't like most IM peeps.

Most are solo players.

Marketing specialists.

Frank Kern is that way. I asked him why he does consulting instead of building a business.

His answer...

"Too many fucking headaches. Why the hell would I want to do that? It's far easier just consulting."

And he has a great point.

Because my days a far less about marketing, and far more about running a business.

Finances, legal issues, meetings, calls and managing employees.

Worrying about how I pay $90K/mo of overhead across all three businesses instead of just paying my personal bills.

But as I said earlier...

I do it by choice.

I'm going for a big payday.

I can always go back and build a lifestyle business again.

Which is why what actually happens AT work isn't near as luxurious as getting to work.

I wish I could make it sound sexy and exciting.

It's not.

It's work.

It's a job.

5PM is my favorite time.

... because that is the time when all the employees go home and I finally have time to focus on something for more than 10 mins before someone says:

"Hey Steve ... I have a question."

And from 5-5:45PM I probably get more done than I do from 8:30-5PM.

And then I pack up and see if Jen needs anything on my way home.

I hop in my M5 and drive home, thinking about which bottle of wine I'll share with Jen tonight.

Dinner is usually from 6-7PM and then we have some family time until 8PM when the kids go to bed.

Sometimes its 8:30 or 9PM.

Jen and I talk for a bit after the kids go to bed.

Maybe we'll watch a movie.

But by 11 - 11:30M its time for bed.

Because the alarm will be ringing at 6:50AM just like it did today reminding me it's time to get up an do it all over again.

Am I making the right choice?

Would I be better focusing on my lifestyle?

... and just make as much by doing as little as possible?

Who knows .. ask me in a few more years and I'll let you know.

We all have different versions of what ultimate freedom looks like.

Whatever yours looks like, I know investing in TLB can definitely be a part of you getting there.

We've got your back. It easy to start. Click the link:
http://tlb.io/join.php?v=e21 ($49.95/mo for 7-months)

Steve "latte" Gray

P.S.

We often get asked ... why do you teach affiliate marketing instead of product creation?

There's a simple answer.

Affiliate marketing happens to be the path of least resistance to having a presence in any market, ... and doing it at light speed.

Which means minimum risk.

Because it is the fastest way to "test the waters" and validate you can sell to an audience before jumping in, hook, line and sinker.

Creating your offer comes later.

Day in the Life: ANDRE (Email #20)

It's 2:07 PM.

As I write this email it's Friday.

I have a beer in front of me.

And I'm waiting for my "regular" ... one badass spicy burger.

Best in Marbella.

(I'm writing this on my iPad.)

July has just clocked over to August.

Meaning that summer here on the southern coast of Spain is hot as hades (a nice hot, 30C/86F).

People are everywhere, mostly tourists.

I got here on my little 125cc scooter.

Driving a 4x4 in this wild traffic is bananas, and takes twice as long.

Just an hour ago I wrote an email and clicked "send".

Took me 20 minutes to write it.

It's letting a segment of my email list know about an offer (a service for AWeber) that goes up in price on Sunday.

It's one of my responsibilities of being a trusted adviser to the thousands of people on my lists.

It's a really honest to God deadline. And they always work the best.

People hate to miss out on a "deal". And this is one heck of a deal for them.

Come Sunday midnight I would have "prob'ly" sold 100 or so (more) copies of AW Pro Tools.

That's worth an extra $1,000/mo to me in recurring commissions. From a "20 minute to write" email.

I love email.

It's one of the ultimate forms of leverage.

Do somethin' once and get paid over and over (and over).

Even though I've been doing email marketing for 10 years, I still have to pinch myself whenever I see the money generated as a result of it.

I still remember when I used to bust my butt to earn 38 thousand pounds Sterling a year (this was back in the UK).

I think my take home money was around £2K/mo.

I was sold a 9-5 job but got lumbered with a 5 to 8 deal when commuting was factored in too.

For the pleasure of standing room on the train (only the crowd upstream got the seats) cost me like 280 bucks a month.

So £2K "take home" wasn't really take home at all.

Fuckers.

It's why I still pinch myself, some 10 years later...

I never forget the bad.

Because it makes the good taste so much sweeter.

Having the guts to roll the dice and take a chance in life wasn't an easy ride early on.

But I don't think it's suppose to be.

Burger has just arrived :)

I'll be back in a bit.

[fade out...]

I'm back in the home office.

Just checked email.

There's a notification of a new post on 'TLB Tribe' from Mary (she's in the June/July Hot Seat that's ending soon).

She's just posted about the success she's having in connecting with her audience.

Her success seems to follow a predictable pattern within the TLB community, when someone is determined to do whatever it takes.

I'm happy for her.

She deserves all the success she gets.

She's worked damn hard to get there.

If you do join TLB, here's the link to the Hot Seat:

http://tlbtribe.com/discussion/874/june-2013-hot-seat-mary

... where you can see for yourself how to iterate from head banging frustration to the "Hell Yeah!" of seeing results.

Friday's are normally lazy days for me.

You know, time to wind down for the weekend...

You know what I mean?

I've got a new toy to "test drive".

A new WordPress theme that was released to the market yesterday.

Today I get to play with it.

Oo-rah!

I reserve Monday to Thursday for real "get shit done" work.

Where I execute on a list of tasks that sometimes seems a mile long.

Friday's are reserved to learn ... to sharpen my marketing chops...

To respond to emails.

To "test drive" new tools/services and what not.

And of course, to enjoy burger Friday.

That's the work part of today.

Anita has just strolled into the office and laid down a set of instructions.

I know what's good for me so I'm just nodding and agreeing.

I'm told at 6 PM we're going to the beach for a swim.

Then a drink while on the sand while we watch the sun set.

Problem is it's summer. Sun sets at like 10:00PM.

By the sound of it we'll be out for a while.

But who am I to argue :)

I'm about done with this email.

I'll be uploading it in about 5 minutes after a quick proof read.

Means at some point shortly you'll be receiving it in your inbox.

Hopefully on some level it'll connect with you.

To give you the desire to want "your version" of this for yourself.

That's why we created TLB.

Because we believe making money is a byproduct of trying to do something great...

Something worthwhile.

Something that'll change real lives for the better.

Something that other people will care about being a part of.

That's TLB.

We created it for you.

Join the thousands of TLB'ers making a ruckus:
http://tlb.io/join.php?v=e20 ($49.95/mo for 7-months)

Andre "spicy burger" Chaperon

P.S.

Steve's turn next. His workweek is very different to mine.

Showing you the contrast is important because what we do isn't all glitz and glamor.