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30 Days of Blogging: Day 2- The Best “Morning Routine” Is the Anti-Routine. Here’s Mine.

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Do you have a morning routine?

You know the drill: Cold showers at five AM, writing in your gratitude journal, etc.

The idea of a “morning routine” sounds great.

There’s one problem though.

Routines are personal things. I mean, why would you want to follow the “routine” of someone you don’t even know?

While principles and concepts are certainly helpful, I believe that every person must find what works best for them as an individual.

I think cold showers are torture. And just because Tim Ferriss or the next guru says they work,  it doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.

The list below is what works for me. Take what you will and throw out the rest. [Read more…] about 30 Days of Blogging: Day 2- The Best “Morning Routine” Is the Anti-Routine. Here’s Mine.

30 Days of Blogging: Day 1- The Power of Inertia and the Levers of Change

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Lever

Waking up is hard.

You’re groggy and the sleep feels so so good.

“Just ten more minutes,” you tell yourself.

You set your phone to snooze and drift back to dreamland.

Ten minutes later and you’re startled back to consciousness. The phone goes off, again and again. And you hit snooze, again and again.

It’s easy to do. After all, getting up requires more effort than hitting the snooze button on your phone.

It’s the power of inertia at work. [Read more…] about 30 Days of Blogging: Day 1- The Power of Inertia and the Levers of Change

The Three Levels of Success:The Band, The Brand, and The Bandwagon

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 Level 1- The Band

the band

The band plays the gig. Big dreams and dive bars, year after year.

Beer money. Rent money.

It’s all good till the beer drys up and the next month hits.

… And it’s on to the next gig.

Time goes on and nothing happens. No momentum, no forward motion.

The band brings it in. “Alright guys, it’s been great. But this ain’t working. I’m giving it up and getting a real job.”

The band dissolves. The hair is shortened and the guitar strings cut.

The garage is swapped for the cubicle. Playin for the crowd is a distant memory. You play to the boss now. [Read more…] about The Three Levels of Success:The Band, The Brand, and The Bandwagon

The Five-Step Secret Formula to Crafting a Powerful Direct Response Sales Letter

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Direct Response

Dear loyal reader,

this blog post is going to dramatically improve your copywriting ability–instantly.

Say goodbye to writer’s block, forever. I’m about to give you the secret formula, the secret sauce…

In fact, you might even be a little angry after reading this. You’ll smack yourself on the forehead head and say, “How come no one told me this before?!!” Exquisite copy will magically roll off your tongue and onto the page with the elegance and grace of an elite ballet performer. [Read more…] about The Five-Step Secret Formula to Crafting a Powerful Direct Response Sales Letter

The Benefits of Starting a Writing Practice (Six Steps to Getting Started)

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Writing Practice

Writing is hard.

But there’s something truly beautiful and gratifying about it.

The transmutation of thoughts into words; the act of bleeding words onto the page is a cathartic act.

Had a bad day? Write about it in your journal.

Have a goal you want to reach, a great dream you aspire to? Write it down. The very act of writing it down makes it come alive. [Read more…] about The Benefits of Starting a Writing Practice (Six Steps to Getting Started)

7 Mental Models That Help Me Write Better Copy

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Write Better

Cracking the code to better copy

Everyone has their addictions. I’m addicted to books.

Audiobooks, library checkouts, taking books from those little library boxes in front of people’s houses–I want ’em all!

My idea of a great evening consists of large quantities of coffee and a healthy dose of inspirational reading. Yes, I’m introverted.

My reading habits go like this:

  1. Find a kickass book
  2. Highlight important concepts
  3. Write about those concepts to clarify my thinking
  4. Apply ideas from kickass book to kickass in real life

[Read more…] about 7 Mental Models That Help Me Write Better Copy

What I Learned About Success By Attending A Motivational Seminar

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Motivational Seminar

Yep, it’s a cult.

I’ll admit it. I’m one of those “self-help” people. I love consuming motivational tapes and books. Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Gary V–all of ’em.

So when I got the chance to see Les Brown in the flesh, I didn’t pass it up. The Get Motivated! Seminar made its way to Washington, D.C., and I was about to get my first taste of what a motivational seminar was like.

Just ten minutes in (Maybe less), and I got the uncomfortable feeling that I’d just joined a cult. [Read more…] about What I Learned About Success By Attending A Motivational Seminar

Aaker On Branding (Book Review And Insights)

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Aaker On Branding

Got Brand?

“Branding” is all the rage these days.

“You gotta create a personal brand!” you’re told.

Okay, but what exactly does that mean?

Am I to think of myself as a product? Am I a brand in the same way that Jiffy Peanut Butter is a brand? That sounds nuts (pun intended)!

David Aaker has some answers. [Read more…] about Aaker On Branding (Book Review And Insights)

A Simple Marketing Framework Based On Free-Market Economic Principles

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In the summer of 2016, I started working as an independent marketer for Lyft. During that time, I learned a ton about marketing, human psychology, and business development. I would go out in the swampy D.C. heat and walk right up to strangers. “Hi guys, here’s fifty dollars in free ride credits with Lyft.”

For every person who used my code and took a ride, I’d receive twenty to twenty-five dollars. At one point, I remember walking around the White House, feverishly handing out pink cards to strangers while simultaneously trying to fight off heat exhaustion. I probably looked crazy to most people, drenched in sweat from head to toe in my pink Lyft shirt. When I couldn’t bear it any longer, I’d take breaks inside local businesses to get a breather. They’d offer me water and I’d give them cards or sign them up to be Lyft drivers.

Contagious: Why Things Catch On

D.C. in the summer is very, very hot.

[Read more…] about A Simple Marketing Framework Based On Free-Market Economic Principles

Six Unique Productivity Hacks To Help You Improve Your Focus

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Productivity Hacks

Do you have trouble focusing?  If you’re like most people reading this, then you’re probably nodding your head with a resounding “uh huh.” I feel your pain. I’m the first one to admit it: I’m terribly unproductive at times.

Without systems in place, I quickly become host to shiny object syndrome: Facebook, checking news sites for the umpteenth time, that tenth cup of coffee (debatable if this is a problem, though); I’m like a bug to a light. I. just. can’t. resist…

People tend to think of productivity in the context of time management. But I think the term “time management” is a bit of a misnomer. I mean, you can’t really manage time — but you can manage yourself within time. When it comes to increasing productivity, I prefer to think of it in terms of “self-management.” [Read more…] about Six Unique Productivity Hacks To Help You Improve Your Focus