I wanted to share with you today a cool video that I watch almost every morning as I’m having breakfast with my son.

We both sit and eat our cereals while watching this – he’s only 18 months, but he really calms down as he watches it, and he just loves the baby that shows up at the end.

It’s a short video, that comes from the movie The Secret, and has everything to do with the Law Of Attraction – basically, creating a good environment to start the day right.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

WOW – What a wonderful Thanksgiving day!

It was the very first time we took baby Leo to a restaurant for such a long time (1 1/2 hours) – but as you can see on the video, our boy did not mind at all. In fact, he only complained when we had to take his plate away from him to go replenish it a the buffet.

Seriously, he ate more than my wife did

And come on – could she be more cute? Did you see how shy she was at the camera? I got her by surprise, I admit, but she’s just too cute.

By the time we left, the entire staff at the Red Sky Cafe was in love with little Leo – which made it easier to justify the mess he had made

But all in all, this was an amazing experience – HUGE thanks to Chef Wes Stepp, who invited us to his wonderful restaurant.

You can watch as Wes introduces his entire Thanksgiving menu on video here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!

My Toddler Will Have A Harry Potter Costume For Halloween

What a silly way to break the month and 1/2 break from blogging here…

But I decided to post my idea of buying my son a harry potter halloween costume for his very first trick or treat experience.

I thought about ways I could turn this post a marketing lesson, and I’m drawing blank.

Does this blog really need to be about marketing? I have long ago gave up on the whole SEO thing that says I should write about a certain theme of keywords…

I have such a wide array of posts coming out of this blog that Google probably gave up trying to index me

But back to my son’s first halloween – He’ll be 17 months in October, and he already loves candy. Not that he has much, but he knows how good a reese’s cup tastes.

And here’s another confession – I LOVE Harry Potter. When I got the first book a million years ago, I read the first chapter and put it aside, because it was too silly for me.

harry potter dementor halloween costume will be awesome!

But when Harry got around to the third book, and people were actually discussing it in public, I decided to join the hype and give it a second try. I read the first, second, third, and bought the fourth harry potter within a single week.

So I thought it’d be only fair to dress my first born muggle child with a nice Hogwarts halloween costume.

And who knows.. maybe I’ll dress myself up too.

IF you’re a J.K Rowling fan as well, and your Halloween wouldnt be the same without Harry, check out the coolest harry potter costume selection.

Trick or treat anybody?

Over the last month or so, I focused a lot on being more productive, getting rid of useless habits, and shaking off the everyday boredom.

I’ve also started dealing with more offline management people in my consulting hours, which has brought up some interesting concerns (and very funny discussions…)

Here’s a list of what I collected that I think you should pay attention to:

How to Increase Your Productivity: Get A Life

This is What Falling 20+Ft Does, And Why You Should Do The Same

Attraction Marketing: Why You DONT Want A Bigger Logo

Also, on our cousin blog, the Social Media Guerilla, I exposed one offline person’s difficult in assimilating what a blog is:

Social Media Guerilla Long Term Battle: Building a Community

Check those out, and put your comments on them!

I jumped off of a bridge today.

Heck YEAH!

A 6-meter (22ft) fall straight into the Roanoake Island waters!

To the astonishment of a suddenly-quiet wife, and the curious audience of a nearby waterfront restaurant, I jumped.

Roanoke Island Bridge, Manteo NC

Completely unplanned, coming back from an afternoon stroller ride, I took off my shirt, and despite wearing white cotton shorts, IT FELT GREAT!

I had written before about facing challenges with confidence, but this is something new.

Adrenaline Rush & Internet Marketing?

To be honest, I hadn’t experienced anything this exciting since my son was born, and his birth still was more of a mental rush than straight up adrenaline.

It’s not like sitting on the computer trying to get people to buy my stuff isn’t fun. Trust me, it’s a LOT of fun.

But routine kills people. Daily repetition is what drives Post Office employees nuts.

Routine is so bad that makes you come online every evening trying to find a way out of it.

Non-Linear Pattern (NLP)

I first heard about NLP from Frank Kern, and I’ve been reading about it ever since. NLP, in regards to customer behavior, means shocking a customer out of his/hers expected pattern of action in order to increase conversions.

A good example of this in internet marketing is the recent utilization of video sales letters, which are customary on TV (infomercials), but relatively new in our favorite media.

But what has NLP to do with me jumping off of a bridge?

Well, screwing the “routine” is a major shock to anybody’s expected  behavior, and it gives you opportunities:

• The sudden pattern break “resets” your brain, which has to scramble to catch up with the new situation. This is a major opportunity to see things from a new perspective, or to come up with new ideas.

• When there’s adrenaline involved, the hormonal discharge makes you feel like Superman; increased confidence leads to bold moves, which often result in … greater rewards.

• It’s just as good as a break - but with a complete shift in mindset.

How do you plan on Breaking the Pattern?

Whether jumping off of a bridge or offering your customers a revolutionary experience, what are your plans to break the routine?

Post your comments, and be sure to specify if indeed it RESETTED your brain…!

Phi-Theta-Kappa Member

All American Scholar Award

Who's Who Among Students In Junior Colleges

So there’s this young college kid who’s got a great GPA, is very sociable, and does very well in his classes.

His family is very proud of him, they say, ‘what a great future he’s bound to have!’, and they see him wearing his suit and working in some big office, with subordinates, doing important stuff for a nameless corporation.

Little do they know all that this student sees is a commitment to give his best in all aspects of life, and his academic experience is merely the means to achieve the end purpose of creating credibility not only within his peers, but within the faculty, the staff, and the local business leaders who support the college.

So, how can academic life and entrepreneurship combine?

In a recent post, Jim Yaghi detailed why most college students will not become entrepreneurs, and the major reason is that they’re only there because they have to.

Think about it: whether it’s society, or family, or good-old boss pressure, most college students are there against their will. Because of it, they tend to offer their least, since there’s zero motivation.

Now, when a student realizes the relationship between income and studies, there’s a much higher change of strong dedication. At this point, that student has the potential to assimilate academic efforts as a personal investment to be recovered at potential job interviews, in informal conversations with superiors, or even in personal relationships.

And that is where academic life and entrepreneurship converge, and studying becomes an investment in personal development.

Take Charge Of Your Academic Investment

Classes are nothing more than a portfolio of the skills a student-preneur sees as the most benefitial to their enterprise. I, personally, would steer away from exact sciences – even though I appreciate the logical thinking that comes with math and physics, there’s very little return on that investment.

Here are some ways you can turn your academic investment into entrepreneurial opportunities:

Students offer networking and leadership opportunities

• Take advantage of the exposure and develop a network beyond ‘beer-buddies’
• Explore the possibilities within each class: copywriting skills out of English, leadership skills out of History, etc..
• Be on your teachers’ good side by raising critical questions - reference letters are particularly powerful when meeting Venture Capitalists, Banks, and initial customers.
• Find and explore the small business center/junior business/business department and develop contacts – it might turn out into a speaking gig
• Make use of the career center to find cheap qualified labor - again, cheap outsourcing!

If you’re not in college

I realize the average reader of the LifePath of a Network Marketer is not a college student, but the same concept applies: entrepreneurs are opportunity-obsessed and their success depends on knowing when, where, what, and WHO to invest their time with.

Learn how to turn adversity into opportunity, and you will have no unecessary experiences.

Hello there, loyal readers!

I wanted to start off today’s post by saying THANK YOU, very much. Each one of my readers motivates me to learn more just so I can share more valuable stuff here on the LPNM.

What today’s post is also about is your initial setup running a network marketing business. As you know, I’ve made tons of mistakes – have I ever stopped? and it’s my mission to prevent you from doing the same.

Or at least not as bad as I did

I put together this video to clarify basic, yet fundamental, aspects of a network marketing business strategy that took me a while to figure out and that I still see going on with plenty of marketers out there.

The video will explain 5 concepts regarding the regular operation of your business that will take any newbie off-guard.

For example, the video explains why you should NOT say “Hi, This is Joe with Amway” when you’re on the phone with a prospect, and how to avoid trying to “convert” prospects into your business.

I know this may seem basic to some of you, and I appreciate the fact that I do have readers well-positioned in this industry, but I defend a strong position in the video, one that most marketers would take different stand on.

Which stand are you going to take?

Get more results by facing your fears

Do you know the feeling of accomplishment you get when you – well, accomplish something MAJOR?

I have my heart pumping right now because I’ve completed a goal that took me 8 months to finish, a lot of sweat, tears, and MONEY, and now it’s finally finished.

There were plenty of times when I considered giving up, when I doubted myself, the entire book, my capabilities…

There were days I wouldn’t even want to be reminded of it – I’d avoid looking at the document icon on my desktop, and would occupy myself with a million other things.

Eventually, there were no excuses left and I’d concentrate on it for hours on end; or I’d assist somebody in my organization with a specific concern, and decide to include it in the last minute.

The saying “you are your worst enemy” applied to every step of the way, and I struggled with my own mindset more often than I like to remember; for me, it’s 1000 times easier to find defects than to praise the benefits.

Being critical of your own work is important, and recognizing your flaws allows for a honest, humble assessment. However, it was dangerously easy to let criticism be an obstacle to my workflow – I was blocking my own success.

Finally, when I had my back against the wall, with no where else to run, I had to fight myself, and I won. The obstacles are still there, the criticism still surfaces every so often, but I am a master of my own domain now.

I GOT IT DONE!

The Expand Your Income manual is on beta launch at this moment, as the grand launch will take place in May. Limited copies will be available, and a special gift follows every purchase.

And here’s what the future holds:

• A fully functional backoffice for affiliates -
  
• massive 80% commission programs -
  
• and much more!

Stay tuned, because as I fight my demons,  you’re the main beneficiary.

To powerfully clean mindsets,
Leo Saraceni

MLM Duplication Is A Legend

When I first started, I did believe that a magical system would find my leads, close them, and just send me the money.

That’s exactly why I signed up with a premium company, because I thought they had the most magical system.

When I realized there is no “automated money system”, I converted my faith to my sponsor. I thought that was the guy who was going to share with me the secret and take me by the hand to the millionaire land.

And he did. He explained everything he does, how he does it, and he even GAVE ME LEADS! I listened to him talking to prospects, I looked into his Adwords campaign, and asked all possible questions.

I applied everything he taught me. I ran my first adwords campaign – on a replicated company website – until my credit card maxed out at $1500. I still go back and look at that first adwords account – I actually paid $11 PER CLICK on a certain keyword.

I did generate leads, and I called all of them, following the script my sponsor passed on to me, only to achieve ZERO results.

So I narrowed my errors to the company-replicated website – I went out and got a decent site. I also decided that 15 minutes of Adwords training weren’t going to cut, so I bought Jim Yaghi’s PPC Domination.

Now, I had a great site, and quite a bit of knowledge regarding PPC. Exactly how my sponsor did.

Still, I had no results – few leads, ZERO conversions, NEGATIVE profits. How? How?

When I contacted my sponsor, the guy I was trying to copy, he looked over my entire marketing and said:

“dude, you’re doing everything I do. There’s nothing else to say! Try to find better keywords, and practice your phone skills”

That’s when it hit me: I CAN’T BE MY SPONSOR. There’s no CTRL+C and CTRL+V when it comes to running a business – even McDonald’s’ franchises have different results. And I should’ve known this, because my father owned a restaurant franchise for almost 10 years and he only succeeded when he opened his own.

There is no Duplication. When I hear marketers talking about “keep it simple, so others can do the same” or “blueprints to success” it bothers me for two reasons:

1. Do they actually believe their success can be replicated? How many of their downlines actually did?
2. Are they a duplicated product? If so, what would keep me from going straight to THEIR upline? To the source?

The concept of duplication is nothing more than a legend.

If you’re new to network marketing, or if you’re a veteran training your team, FORGET DUPLICATION and focus on EDUCATION. Learn (or teach) as much as you can, from as many different sources as possible, and apply it in a manner customized for your business.

To paraphrase that common saying:

“give your prospect a formula, and he may eat today; give him the tools to create his own formula, and he will feast forever”

honest copywriting is fundamental

This is something  I came across, and if I weren’t educated on the law of attraction, I would consider a coincidence:

Well, first of all, I believe that if I want my words to sell a product,
that product should be strong enough to do so without tricking the buyer. I
know that if I trick someone, I may make a sale — but I’ve lost a customer
for life! Whereas if I show the merits, back up my claims, and focus on the
way this product solves a problem, eases a hurt or fear, or satisfies a
need, I will build that lifetime relationship.

Oh, and one more thing. I like to look in the mirror and see someone who is
doing good for the world — and I don’t think lies and trickery will
accomplish that. I happen to have a gift for writing, and I use that gift to
make the world better. That includes being honest with myself and with my
readers.

This quote, from Shel Horowitz, touches a very personal aspect for me – I have lied way too many times, not just on my copywriting. Because I always considered myself smart enough to control the outcome of any lie, I never actually bothered to prevent it.

As long as I can defuse the bomb, why would I not plant the bomb there in the first place?

Well, the bomb went off and it affected more than just me.

I learned a valuable lesson, and the consequences are taking rapid control of my actions:

My Your Income Potential project has been changed, and it does not have any more “hyped” statements – it does not mention WEALTH, or MONEY, or RICH. It does not mention my finances or what I can do for yours.

What it does say is how much value I have to offer to serious business partners, and how much I dedicate myself to empowering other entrepreneurs in their journey.

And that is how I will address all copywriting – honestly.

I invite you to join me.