In a hurry? Want to make some easy money? Click HERE.
After UnSeminar 6, Eric Farewell (ace photographer and internet marketing superstar) hung around the Hill Country of Texas for a week.
We had a series of informal mastermind meetings with various groups of Texas marketers. The biggest was at Bill Hibbler’s estate, but most often we ended up at the Wimberley Brew pub. Owned and operated by my buddy Bruce Collie (a former NFL star with two (2) superbowl rings) and his amazing family, the brew pub is home to the Vitale steak, great burgers, home-made garlic fries, and some dangerous beers that Bruce and his staff brew by hand in small batches.
The brew pub is also cigar friendly.
Heaven.
One afternoon, Eric and I were sitting on the patio at the brew pub, enjoying a cigar and a delicious beer, and the discussion turned to internet marketing. Actually, aside from photography (I have a camera. Eric is a photographer.) and our families, we spent the whole week talking about internet marketing.
The conversation that day was specifically about you, actually.
I know, from hanging out at my MilagroWorld forum and talking to people at UnSeminars, that the hardest dollar to make in internet marketing is the first one.
Then, the first hundred.
Then, the first thousand.
And so on and so on. It never ends. I’ve built my online business up to the mid-six-figures, and I’m chasing guys like Armand Morin, who did $20,000,000 (twenty million) last year. I don’t know what my buddy Joe Vitale made last year, but just one of the cars he bought cost about what I made…
The point is- it’s a game that never ends. It’s fun.
Eric and I spent hours talking about how YOU can play. If you’re still waiting to make your first dollar, or your first hundred, or thousand… what, exactly, could we tell you or show you that would make it easy for you to join us?
Sometimes, it just takes a word.
I remember a conversation I had on a staircase with Declan Dunn at a seminar. I’ll never forget it. It lasted less than five minutes and was mostly about how both of our cars had been stolen the night before. But, he said one sentence that made me about $30,000 extra dollars the next year. It was simple, obvious, but I wouldn’t have thought about it if he hadn’t mentioned it.
Anyway, Eric and I- eventually- realized that we should be recording our conversation.
So, we did. I zipped home and grabbed my high-def video cam and a microphone. That’s how Niches 101 was born.
Bruce let us use the top floor of his beautiful restaurant as a set. The light streaming through the windows cast a golden glow on the natural wood floor.
Eric and I sat at a table and passed the microphone back and forth for over an hour. And, during that hour, we disclosed everything you need to know about niche marketing.
Here’s a bit of what we discussed (I’m just gonna copy this from the sales page):
* How to get what you REALLY want from internet marketing… Pay your rent, bless your family and friends, even how to build something new that impacts people in a powerful “life changing” way. Pat and I both got to share a bit of the stories behind how we went from nothing to where we are today (it’s so cool to see just how far we’ve come!)
* EXACTLY how to choose a niche . . . no guesswork. No wasted “Keyword research” . . . No sweat. No tears. We teach you EXACTLY where to go and what to do to identify a hot, profitable MONEY market in 5 minutes or less.
* What Format Should Your Product Be In? Is the age of ebook over? Not at all. But I’ll let you in on simple secrets you can use to add MASSIVE value to your product and to get high quality audio or video versions of your content created fast.
* Speaking of content; Pat and I shared our secret (100% foolproof) method to get your product created for FREE and practically GUARANTEE you’ll get personal recommendations from your niches greatest leaders (even if they’re your competition!).
* Then we got into a bit about when (and why) YOU shouldn’t be the face of your product… & how to ethically and legally create a “just like your prospect” character to front your online business . . . tell a compelling story and drag in the sales.
* How to INSTANTLY gather extraordinary testimonials… The exact steps you must take to get compelling testimonials out of ANYONE by asking them a few simple question.
* JV SEDUCTION SECRETS… Exactly why you never need to worry about getting JV’s and how you can get even the “gurus” in your niche to eagerly promote you and send traffic your way while asking for almost nothing in return. If you’re “scared” of approaching potential joint venture partners you NEED to see this
* And much, much more.
In addition to the “teaching” that we did, we told stories from our niche marketing adventures. Everybody makes mistakes. I sure did. I’m not really proud of em. Well, actually, I kinda am. I teach that you should fail fast and fail often. By being fearless and not worrying about failing, you’ll try things that you wouldn’t try otherwise. I’ve never let the fact that I didn’t know how to do something keep me from doing it. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries.
The secret is: “There is no such thing as failure. It’s only data.”
If you can side-step just one mistake by learning from mine, then the video is worth what it costs and more to you. Then you can go forth and make entertaining and original mistakes of your own.
If you’re already making $10,000 a month or more from niche marketing- well, you probably don’t need this video.
However, if you’re not at the $10K a month mark yet, then you DO need this video.
When you figure what our time is worth, it would cost your about $2,500 to spend an hour with us learning how to make money with niche marketing.
However, we know that- if you need this video- you probably don’t have $2,500 laying around. So we priced it at about what a couple of cheeseburgers and a couple of beers cost at the Wimberley Brew Pub.
If you use what you learn in this video and make as much money as I think you should, buy us a couple of cigars.
Think about this: you could sit at your computer, read the depressing news for an hour, and- when that hour is up- be right where you are financially.
OR, you can click HERE and get your copy of Niches 101. Spend that same hour learning how to make money with Niche Marketing.
The opinions expressed on this blog are the opinions of Pat O’Bryan. I don’t represent any organization, and do not speak for anyone else.
Last weekend, I attended a benefit for the Tashi Lhumpo Project (called “Strings for Tibet.”) at a stunningly gorgeous home in Austin. Over a hundred people attended. There was music, a walking meditation, and information about the Tibetan Diaspora (watch the video).
The Tashi Lhumpo Project benefits the Tashi Lhumpo monastery, which is the home of the Siddhartha School.
His message is very simple: “it will be wonderful when all sentient beings are free from suffering and the cause of suffering,” is the way I remember it. In spite of the suffering Khen Rimpoche has endured, and witnessed, he maintains his compassionate belief in the Bodhisatva Vow. I can only aspire to this level of compassion.
This is me and Rimpoche at the benefit.
Be sure and watch the video above. My friend, Gaea Logan, explains how the monastery came to be where it is, and how and why Tibetans are fleeing Tibet.
Right now, the Iranian election and the resulting brave protests of that election are very much in the news. I blogged about that HERE.
I’m a fan of freedom, and it informs my choices. Freedom is the reason I created my Portable Empire. Freedom is why I bought my cabin in Terlingua, and spend so much time in the mountains. When I’m teaching you how to live the Portable Empire way, I’m teaching freedom.
I support everyone’s quest for freedom. I have high hopes for the Iranians who are peacefully and bravely marching in protest of their corrupt government. I marched against what I viewed as the corrupt government in my own country in 2003.
And, I support the Tibetan Buddhists in their quest for freedom from- let’s call it what it is- genocide by the Chinese government. As you’ll learn when you watch Gaea’s video, in their homeland, it’s now illegal to be a Tibetan Buddhist. Since almost all Tibetans were- until the Chinese invaded- Buddhists, and about half were monks who took a vow of peace and nonviolence, this creates an oppressive environment in Tibet. It’s a situation that is unsustainable, and if it continues, will lead to the end of a beautiful, peaceful culture in Tibet.
The Dalai Lama, and a growing population in exile, have moved to India. From there, they are working to negotiate an autonomous (but NOT independent) Tibetan state within China. All they ask is that they be allowed to continue being who and what they are- and have been for centuries.
China has chosen to continue its policy of flooding Tibet with Chinese, and torturing and imprisoning Tibetan Buddhists.
This creates a political situation that is, to say the least, complex. China is a huge military industrial power. They also are a phenomenal financial power. By loaning the United States money, they have us in a position where we can’t afford to officially intervene on behalf of the Tibetans.
I recorded that video with a Flip video camera that was made in China. I edited it on a MacBook pro that was made in China. Most of the things we buy are made in China.
What can we do? How can we protest this ongoing policy of genocide and torture without making it worse for ourselves and the remaining Tibetan Buddhists?
In the video above, Gaea talks about the school, and how successful it already is.
Supporting that school won’t make headlines like marching in the streets would. However, it is a way to help without doing harm. It’s a way to take a stand for freedom in a very real way.
To learn more about the Tashi Lhumpo Monastery and how you can get involved, click HERE.
Right now, there are riots in 12 cities in Iran. The State Department is getting information the same way I am, and CNN is endangering Iranians by publishing their Twitter names.
How do I know?
A service formerly known as “Summize” is now search.twitter.com - think of it as Google for Twitter.
You can search Twitter in real time for any subject.
When a group of people want to talk about a common subject, they create a “hash-tag” for it. By including the hash-tag (#) in every tweet, the conversations can be grouped and searched.
This creates a communication stream that is immediate.
During Hurricane Ike, I was watching all the #ike conversations. There were some people trapped in a building on the strand. Water was rising, and they kept going to higher and higher floors within the building to keep dry. By looking out the windows, they were able to report on fires, floods, wind damage and rain intensity.
It made riveting reading. It beat the hell outta watching newscasters in windbreakers interview each other miles from the action. It was real news.
Right now, something even more interesting is going on.
We can watch a revolution in real time.
There was an election in Iran. It was apparently stolen by the incumbent. The people- especially the young, educated people, are determined to take their country back from the people who stole the election.
(begin rant)
Last night I watched a little T.V. The commentators were commenting. They were absolutely uninformed.
Whether it’s money changing hands, political agendas, complete incompetence, or a combination of factors, there is only one fact that we can count on when we’re talking about the U.S. media: it’s unreliable.
It’s also ridiculously archaic.
I can remember my father telling stories of the family gathered around the big old tube radio, listening to an announcer reporting a fight or a ball game. Through the static, they’d hear the voice: “it’s a swing and a miss!”
The same system reports the news today. Less static. Vivid colors. But, a professional announcer tells us what happens, and- this is the big point, here- tells us what to think about it.
“We report, you decide” is, at best, misleading.
Last night, the talking heads were telling me what I should think about the Iranian situation. I’m disinclined to acquiesce.
Why would we be curious about what some T.V. personality has to say when we can go to Twitter and talk directly to people on the ground? Eyewitnesses are reporting the situation in Iran as it happens.
We’re watching a beginning and an ending here. This is the beginning of news 2.0 and the end of mainstream media.
It’s about time.
(end rant)
You can click HERE and watch the Twitter reports in real time. You don’t need some jerk with an agenda feeding you the news. Go see for yourself.
Why am I talking about this on an Internet Marketing blog?
Between writing that sentence and this, I took a break. Drove to the Brew Pub and grabbed a Reuben and some garlic fries. It took about an hour. In that hour, there have been 13,548 new posts with the tag #iranelection. Actually Twitter is down for service right now, so the updates have stopped. (That’s a whole ‘nother story. Twitter was due to stop for maintenance last night, but decided to defer the maintenance till now- when it’s after midnight in Iran.)
My website didn’t get 13,000+ hits in the last hour.
Neither did yours.
Right now, the power of Twitter- and web 2.0+ - is focused on the Iranian situation. What this focus has revealed is a never-before realized power. Twitter + the internet = a marvelous communication machine. And what is marketing? Communication.
I’ll make a prediction. At this very moment, many other professional marketers, including myself, are visualizing how to harness this power to get our message out to the masses.
In my case, I’ve got some jazz on the studio monitors. I’m in my cigar-friendly office, with a good cigar, and- during breaks while I write this- I’m gazing off into the middle distance and picturing the machine: people on the ground in terhran with camera-phones, proxy servers all over the world, flickr, Twitter, and YouTube. All pieces of an amazing communication machine.
That machine is where we will be working from now on, if we’re smart.
Comments (0) Posted by pat on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
This is a blog post about my extended adolescence as a musician. If you’d like to HEAR some of my music, click HERE.
Last weekend, I (with a little help) cleaned out the garage.
I came upon a box of pictures, and spent a few nostalgic hours
reliving my past.
I started my Portable Empire business in 2004. From 1970
through 2005, I pursued the muse more or less professionally-
with various side-trips
as a waiter, accountaint, recording studio owner, liquor
store manager, real estate agent… but, no matter what I
was doing, I thought of myself as a musician, and spent
the weekends playing music somewhere.
I guess you could blame it on the beatles. Or the older
kids across the street. They had a garage band that
practiced- wait for it- in their parent’s garage. Right
across the street from my house.
Although I started taking piano lessons when I was 8,
I didn’t fall in love with the muse until I was ten or so.
For the next forty years, I chased that muse across three
continents and over a dozen countries.
Join me for a trip down memory lane to see just how
long you can actually extend an adolescent fantasy.
Well, maybe not you. You’re probably smarter than I am. Let’s examine how long I pulled it off.
playing a wedding at 17. I’d been playing bars
in East Texas- up and down Hwy 59, Wayside
Drive in Houston, Spencer Hwy in Pasadena,
for a couple’a years at this point.
slight detour- Laser Magic, the first laser
light-show in Texas. I was co-owner and
program director.
1978? Cactus Rose Band, Huntsville, Tx.
1970’s? Fire Creek Band, same club, different name.
1970’s, Austin.
In 3rd Coast Sound recording studio, 1980-ish, recording
“Queen of the Rodeo,” and “Louisiana Lady.” Those songs
were regional hits- i still get miniscule royalty checks for
them. Occasionally. Lots of radio play in places like Odessa,
Texas.
Actually, there isn’t any place quite like Odessa, Texas.
Lots of airplay in regional markets that don’t report to
soundscan.
Recording Session at Wink Tyler’s studio. Over the years,
I played on hundreds of records- none of which you’ve
ever heard of.
I played with Hank Thompson on a flat-bed truck at a rodeo
in Snook, Texas.
He blew me off the stage- who knew he could actually play
guitar?
With “Fools,” probably at the “Too Bitter” club in San Marcos, Tx.
Fools was managed by the same outlaw who managed ZZ Top,
and opened for Cheap Trick, Heart, ZZ Top, Climax Blues Band, etc.
Lots of miles. No money.
On stage at the Armadillo World Headquarters.
My favorite gig- the W.C. Clark Blues Review. Playing with
W.C. gave me the opportunity to play with a lot of my
heroes like Hubert Sumlin, the Fabulous T-Birds,
Stevie Ray Vaughn, and on and on.
We would play Antone’s on Thursday nights, and the
blues bands who were booked for the weekend would
come to town early to hang out with Clifford Antone.
They’d go into Clifford’s office, get high, and want to
jam. I wish I’d kept a record of who-all I jammed with
there… but, I spent a little time in that office, too.
This is at the Austin Opry House- we’re opening for BB King.
Booker T. Jones came out to see the WC Clark band at
the Back Stage club.
the WC Clark Blues Review.
In Houston, around 1990, at Pearl’s Cotton Club.
Playing a concert, somewhere in Houston.
Promo picture for my alter-ego, Sideways Sumlin.
Sideways has had a good career for a guy who doesn’t exist.
Google him. You’ll be amazed. I am.
I recorded one CD as Sideways Sumlin, called “Sideways
Sumlin’s Greatest Hits Volume 2.” It’s big in Japan.
1998ish. Promo pics for “Trains and Angels.” T & A was by
far my best and most popular CD. You can still find copies
on Amazon or eBay. Or eBay.de.
Recording “Trains and Angels.” That’s the late Stephen Bruton,
who was a joy to know. He’d played with Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, and many other stars.
Great player. Good guy.
David Grissom also contributed to “Trains and Angels.”
He’s played with everybody from John Cougar to the Dixie Chicks.
A class act and amazing guitar player.
Early 90’s. Gruene Hall.
This is what the last set looks like, folks.
Not pretty.
On the radio in Monterrey, Mexico, with Andres Cantisani.
The radio station is at the University in Monterrey, which is
a modern, technologically advanced place. Blew my
stereotypes away.
BTW, Monterrey is very much a blues town.
There’s this little bar in the mountains outside Monterrey…
We were driving on a dirt road in a 4-wheel drive truck between the mountains
outside of Monterrey, and we saw this “Pepsi” sign. It marked
a little trail that led up a mountain.
Adult beverages were being consumed, so it made sense to
follow the trail, which led to the most unlikely beer-joint in
the galaxy. The guy who owned it (middle) played us old
Mexican folk songs. We played him some blues.
More adult beverages were consumed.
That night there was a full moon, and I stood on the
back bumper of the truck as we drove home through the
mountains, and that moon turned the mountains
bright silver. Gorgeous.
Monterrey- the barrio antigua. There is no roof… playing under
the stars.
Cibilo Creek Country Club.
“Stau.” That means “traffic jam.”
The autobahn in Germany is a hiway where you can
drive real fast. Sometimes. It’s also a hiway where
you can spend hours not going anywhere at all.
On the way to a gig in Germany.
3,000+ happy people at the Zweibelmarkt Fest in Weimar.
This is my drummer’s bathroom.
Old East German phone booth.
No heat.
German reviews. They tell me they’re good ones.
During this period of time, I was on the road a lot.
Made no money at all, but got to see the world. Recommended.
I take some credit for the environment and the vibe. I’m pretty careful about who I invite to speak, although I still get surprised occasionally. I do what I can to keep the energy in the room positive and nurturing…
But, it’s all about the people. UnSeminars attract the BEST people. I know that UnSeminar 7 will attract a mix of previous attendees and new people who are “right.” I know that it will be magic.
The best way for YOU to understand what you missed, or re-live what you experienced, is to just take a few minutes and enjoy these pics and videos. Then, start making plans to attend UnSeminar 7 in October.
Once again, it’s all about the people. I gave 4 flip cams to 4 random attendees and dubbed them “cinematographers.” I asked them to video-tape (video-hard/drive?) testimonials. I didn’t have any idea what was on that flip cams until I loaded the video to my MacBook Pro a few days later.
Here come the videos:
My staff and I are getting better at putting on UnSeminars. We learned a lot at this one. For example, it’s possible to have too many speakers.
I’m just a guy who can’t say “no.” People kept asking me to speak at UnSeminar6. I kept saying “yes.”
Consequently, it was 9:30 Sunday night before the last speaker was through. And yes, the last speaker was Craig Perrine, but in this isolated instance, it’s not his fault.
About a dozen attendees spoke, in addition to the “pro” speakers. That’s something we’ll do again. The attendee/speakers were uniformly entertaining, informative, and one of them out-sold several of the “pro” speakers in the back of the room.
That was an experiment that worked.
The dance contest (see pics at the top of the page) also worked. I had a guitar, and every speaker signed this guitar. I knew I was going to give it away, but I didn’t know how. Finally, the idea for a dance contest just appeared- and we judged on “Unique-ness.”
Since I don’t dance, we got Wendi Friesen, Colin Joss, and Bill Hibbler to judge the contest. As you can see from the pictures, there were people dancing on tables, people throwing money at judges, and just general fun craziness.
That worked.
We all liked the new location- the Crowne Plaza on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. I like to get comfy with a hotel. Once I’m comfy, I like to do all my events there. I like getting to know the staff. I like getting to know where the cool restaurants and coffee shops are.
This was our first event at the Crowne Plaza, and they liked us and we like them and that’s where the Portable Empire Mastermind event is going to be in July and UnSeminar 7 will be in October.
What else did I learn from this event?
Well, it really hammered home the fact that I’m human and not a kid any more. I’ll be offering scholarships for the next UnSeminar: 1) roadie and 2) sound guy. I had a gorgeous suite that I didn’t get to see much of… and the hot-tub I only looked at longingly from a distance. Next time…
LEAVE A COMMENT- watch the videos, look at the pics, and then talk to me about what you want to hear and see at UnSeminar 7.
The videos from UnSeminar 6 are being edited right now- I’ll let you know as soon as they’re ready.
Comments (3) Posted by pat on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
FREE VIDEO: Dr. Joe Vitale explains- finally- what he means when he says “clearing.” Click HERE.
Before we get started- get your UnSeminar 6 ticket before they’re all gone. Click HERE!
It’s the calm before the storm. 10 days until UnSeminar6.
Saturday, I joined the rest of the “Pluckin’ Idiots” for an outdoor show at historic Luckenbach, Texas.
If you’re of an age, you remember the song: “let’s go to luckenbach, texas, with Willie and Waylon and the boys…”
Luckenbach is still there. Willie and Waylon and the boys were conspicuous in their absence.
.
Of course, one of the joys of having a Portable Empire is the luxury of setting your own schedule. I don’t have to play music anymore. I CAN play music any time I like.
Now, it’s an opportunity to get together with some friends, entertain some people, and have a no-stress musical experience.
Luckenbach is special. The first time I went there was in the 70’s. Hondo Crouch was living there, and there was no dance hall. No tourists. Just a little shack with a wood-burning stove, and a little old gray-haired guy with a cackling laugh and a tub of beer.
My bass-playing buddy, Dave, and I piled into his Ford Pinto and drove over to Luckenbach from Kerrville, just to see what was going on.
When we got there. Hondo was there, feeding wood into the stove. And Jerry Jeff Walker was there. They had been at it a while. Dave and I started chugging beer- just to get in the same time zone as Hondo and Jerry Jeff. They were definitely amphibious, and they weren’t slowing down.
Dave had his mandolin, I had a guitar, Jerry Jeff had his guitar, and Hondo had his cackle. Tunes were sung. Jokes were told. It was magic.
It was also about 30 years ago.
Today, Luckenbach is a major tourist destination. There is a large dance-hall. An out-door stage. You can find pickin’ and grinnin’ most any day of the week, and on the weekends- especially this time of year- there will be more guitar-playing guys and gals with cowboy hats and grins than you can shake a stick at.
Marketing lessons?
Well, talk about a brand. Hondo is long gone, and I have no idea who “owns” Luckenbach- but they provide the shade-trees and sell the beer. The musicians- for the most part- play for free. The crowds come from all over Texas- and all over the world- to experience the laid-back hippie/cowboy vibe.
You say: “Luckenbach,” and anybody from this part of the world knows exactly what you mean. Big oak trees, no adult supervision, a gorgeous little river that runs behind the stage with a scenic wooden bridge that leads to more private locations. Guitar music and beer.
What can you do to make your “brand” that immediately recognizable?
Comments (4) Posted by pat on Monday, May 11th, 2009
Before we get started- get your UnSeminar 6 ticket before they’re all gone. Click HERE!
Pat with the Twenty Million Dollar Man- Armand Morin
.
Last weekend, I took my Portable Empire in for a tune-up at the “Armand Live” seminar in Arlington, Texas. “Armand Live” events have just one speaker- Armand.
Arlington, Texas… well, it’s not exactly a garden spot. Mostly concrete, chain stores, the same restaurants you’d find in any other concrete jungle. However, I wasn’t there for the scenery.
.
If you’ve read my books and blogs, you know that I recommend that you follow just one guru for each Internet Marketing skill. Don’t try to follow two copywriting teachers at the same time, for example. You’ll just get conflicting information. It’s confusing.
Find one person who does what you want to learn to do, and model them.
Well, for raw making money, Armand is the guy to follow. He was the number 1 guy in Internet Marketing five years ago when I first started out, and he’s still the number 1 guy, in terms of dollars, strategy, and market share.
He reminds me of a genial, well-dressed shark, scanning his ocean for food.
I like the guy. He’s focused. He filters through different filters than I do. My goal was to get a closer look at his filters, and find out what he’s learned that I can use. Approach it with a “beginner’s mind.” Forget what I know, and learn what he knows. I can always apply my own filters later.
So, I loaded my backpack with t-shirts, jeans, Stephen Mitchell books, and computer… and my Bose speakers. I’ve discovered that I really like having my hotel room feel right, and a big part of that “feelin’ right” feeling is the music. My iPod hooked up to the speakers really helped the ambiance.
Tossed that backpack into the Volvo and drove North to Arlington, which is, I believe I mentioned before, a total and complete dump, to spend the weekend with Armand.
You may have noticed that I’m not a geek. My nerd index is negative seven.
One of the reasons I enjoy Armand’s company is that he is an Uber-Nerd. His nerd index is +23.173. He tests everything. From the fonts and font sizes of his sales pages to which kind of border around which colored opt-in box will increase conversion the most to how many graphics to have on an opt-in page and what the alt-text should be…
Personally, I couldn’t be bothered. I’m tickled chartreuse that Armand can be bothered because I (and you) can just piggy-back on his testing.
For example, there are a million ways to write a sales page. Here’s Armand’s way:
intro - start with shocking statement. tell your story
problem
agitate the problem
solution- intro to your product
bullet points
features and benefits
bonus
guarantee
order area
PS
Here’s Armand’s formula for an Opt-In page:
opt-in page components
Logo
Headline
Description
opt-in box
bribe
armand believes strongly in logos.
the opt-in page copy works like this:
headline
bribe
tell them what to do
tell them what will happen next
tell them what to do
don’t wait
tell them wait to do
(shut up)
I like it.
Simple and to the point.
Here’s an Armand quote for you-
“Don’t think in terms of products. Think in Terms of product lines.”
Here’s another:
“The objective in most marketing is for you to NOT think. If you think, you’ll screw up.”
Now, you know that my philosophy is that there is SO much more to running an online business than making money… having a large list and a voice online gives us the opportunity to influence people, and hopefully, change the world into a better and better place.
That’s the plan. My reading of the Tao te Ching leads me to believe that it’s an unrealistic goal, but what the hell- ya gotta do something with your time on this spinning globe.
The inverse of all that is that if you have a business, and that business doesn’t make money, then you are part of the problem. You are NOT part of the solution.
My business did just under half a million bucks last year, gross. Armand’s did just over twenty million. The conclusion I draw from this is that Armand knows at least forty times more about making money than I do. I’m pleased to learn.
I’m also delighted to implement what I learned.
The most important lesson for me was the AdWords course that Armand presented. He also recorded the lecture “live,” turned it into a product, wrote the sales page (with way too much help from the audience. Leave the guy alone. If you can make twenty million a year, you can spell words any way you want to.) He then recorded the sales page as a camtasia/powerpoint flash video. Live.
Armand has tested every aspect of adwords. He’s tested stuff that you don’t think can be tested.
He showed us some tricks for getting the best quality score- which gives the lowest cost-per-click.
As soon as I got home, I set up a meeting with my web guy and we started implementing what I learned. Today, I’m turning on my first adwords campaign.
(That’s right. I did almost half a million last year without any paid traffic. That’s why I think it’s possible to quickly double my income this year.)
I’ll report back, I promise. I’ll tell you what I learned as soon as I verify that it works. For my testing, I’m using the kind of budgets that a beginning marketer might use.
We’ll talk about google analytics, keyword tool, and spy-fu.
But, not now. I don’t want to teach something I haven’t mastered. Adwords is a little scary. If you screw it up, you can lose your ass. Fast.
I’ll get back to you.
In the meantime- Google has some cool videos on the subject. Here’s a good explanation of quality score and cost per click- enjoy!
Comments (0) Posted by pat on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
Today my neighbor and I rented a jeep and found my 20 acres. It took a while, but oh my was it worth it.
This is me proudly standing on my 20 acres.
What you do with your Portable Empire, and the profits from, are your business. This is what I’m doing with mine.
I’ve discovered that I LOVE this part of the world- the Big Bend area of Texas. So, in addition to my house and life in Wimberley, I’m developing a life out here, too. I’ve already got the Portable Empire West- see below. That’s where I’m writing this from. It’s a cabin in the desert, far away from the distractions, with fiber-optic internet access.
This blog post celebrates my new acquisition. 20 acres of verdant desert right next to the Big Bend Ranch State Park. In some of the pics, you can see the Mountains of Mexico in the background.
I’ve got a lot to say about how to build your own Portable Empire. The best way- right now- is to attend UnSeminar6. This post and these pics are for my family and friends- and you- to show you how I’m living my dreams in this moment. Enjoy
The above is a view from my property, with an Occotilla bloom in the foreground. I’ve never seen them bloom before. Right now, the desert is filled with red dots. They’re ALL blooming!
Below is the road to my property. You need 4 wheel drive and cojones of steel to get there. The first part of the trek is down a huge river bottom. Then, it gets interesting. Here’s where you turn off.
Once you make the turn, the road gets a little better. For a while.
This is our trusty steed that got us there and back safely.
Standing on the land and looking East, this is what you see- the mountains on the other side of the river bottom.
This is the view South. Those dark mountains in the back are Mexico.
Looking SouthWest, more mountains.
To the West, near the border of my property, is a pretty impressive mountain range. It’s an easy walk.
A cactus rose.
The Yucca are blooming, too.
Below is a picture of a sight that has generated a lot of conversation. My first guess was that it was a grave. An empty one. Later, over dinner, we asked some of the locals what they thought. It was unanimous. It’s an old bathtub.
Back in the mining days, the miners and their families would make a hole in the ground- like this one- and wait for the rain to fill it up. There are lots of streams and rivers on my land when it rains.
Sounds like a muddy bath to me, but let’s wait until the rains come and see.
Lots of geographic variation-
The pic below represents quite a temptation. It could be an Indian burial mound.
I won’t desecrate it. I will look for arrowheads and other artifacts near it, though. Lots of adventures ahead.
On the road back, on the other side of the river bed, is a crumbling old adobe mansion. When this was built, the only way in was by horse or mule. The bricks are made from the excellent adobe mud that fills the riverbank.
Now, I’m going to pack up the truck, clean the cabin, and head back East. In my case, “back east” means Central Texas.
Comments (0) Posted by pat on Monday, April 13th, 2009
Last night, there was a big “Green Fling” to-do in Terlingua. The Ghost town was rocking, I hear. Somebody built a tent city next to the Boathouse Bar.
I passed through on my way. There were some sleepy-eyed, tousled headed people wandering around the ghost town and towards the porch.
I didn’t stop for long. I was on a mission.
Yesterday, we established where my property was, but not how to get to it. I figured that would be good information to have.
On Google Earth, there is a road that intersects HWY 170 and goes straight back to my property. In the real world, it’s an old mining trail that a mule on crank couldn’t navigate- but I had to find out for sure.
So, leaving my trusty truck - and cigars, water, cell phones, etc- parked on the hwy, I grabbed one bottle of water and my GPS unit and headed off down the mining trail. It was rough. I learned immediately that it was unusable, but I was curious to see if it intersected any other roads, or maybe the river-bed that we drove down yesterday- and maybe even if it got better further in.
It got gnarlier and gnarlier
I followed it until I found where it intersected with the river bed. Cool. Then, with my face flush to my GPS unit, I followed its guidance down a tributary dry river bed.
After a LONG time of this, I looked up and saw a water tank. Even in my weakened, thirsty and exhausted condition (I’d been at it about 2 hours at this point, 3 months after a knee replacement surgery, and with a 500ML bottle of water. Dumb.) I could figure out that they didn’t haul that big water tank down this river bottom.
So, I climbed up the side of the river bottom, verified that there was indeed a water tank, and on the other side of it, the road I was looking for.
Eureka! This road will work. I walked a ways toward my land, and it was truck-friendly the whole way. Now, how to get on it?
Turning back in the general direction of the truck, cigars, and water, I followed it to where it intersects the river bottom… right where my GPS took me off down the tributary river bottom.
There’s not much more to tell. I managed to get turned around, even with the GPS contraption, and ended up (after a little slippy-slidey drama and twisting my ankle) walking the river bed back to the highway, and then a mile up a 45 degree hill against gail force wind to where my truck (with contents) was waiting for me. The last mile was where it stopped being an adventure and started being a pain in the ass.
But, it was worth it.
Tomorrow, my neighbor and I are going to rent a jeep and confirm that the road is truck-friendly all the way to my property. Then I get to decide what to do with 20 pristine acres of verdant desert. I’m thinking an antique airstream.
‘lest you think all I do is impersonate Lewis or Clark, remember that my Portable Empire West cabin has internet access. I’ve been doing some writing, communicating with the speakers for UnSeminar6, working on that sales page, and having some great online discussions with friends back in the ‘hood.
I always do at least one thing to increase my Portable Empire every day. Out here, I find that I get a lot done in less time. No distractions.
Next weekend, I’m attending two seminars- both in Austin- and playing with the Texas Chainsaw Vigilantes Blues Review at the Wimberley Brew Pub. Stay tuned.
Comments (2) Posted by pat on Sunday, April 12th, 2009
I was either drinking or not, I really don’t remember, and I was browsing eBay, which is a fact. I remember that part.
I found 20 acres near Terlingua. I like Terlingua. This appeared to be within 2 or 3 miles of the Ghost Town, and I bid a stupidly low price for it. There was no way that 20 acres that close to Terlingua was going to sell for what I bid.
It did. I won.
Now, all I had to do was find it, right?
Out here, it could be totally inaccessible, or just have 4-wheel drive access, or be the side of a mountain. It could’a been anything.
So, as soon as my doctor would give me the OK, I scooted West. Got here yesterday. Today, my neighbor and I got into my truck- after long discussions via email, many hours on Google Earth, and a few phone calls to local surveyors- we thought we knew where we were going.
For the first 3 or 4 hours, it appeared as if you couldn’t get there from here. Or anywhere.
We traveled was back into the desert, up the mountains- at times my truck was at a very scary angle driving sideways across a mountain.
That’s when we decided to regroup. Mexican food was definitely called for. I’ve found that most problems become less daunting after a good #1 Mexican Dinner.
In the “Chili Pepper,” which is a surprisingly good restaurant run by a happy family, we ran into the Amazon. Betsy and I had met the Amazon at Lajitas resort last trip. It turns out that she used to live near my land. “Have you tried the riverbed,” she asked?
Well, no. It hadn’t occurred to us that we could drive down a dry riverbed. So we all trekked back down hwy 170, took a right at the riverbed, and drove a few miles… which took a long time. 6 or 7 miles an hour was pushing it. There are rocks in the riverbed that could easily puncture a tire or an oil pan. There are cactus that can pierce a radial tire. We took our time.
We had loaded the co-ordinates for my property on the GPS, and- amazingly- the riverbed took us within a quarter of a mile of my property. An easy walk. Unless you’ve recently had a knee replacement surgery.
I tried. But it was just too vertical, and the thought of being cut on again kinda melted all my macho, so I let my neighbor and the Amazon go ahead. I walked around the river bed, took a few photos, and listened…
I lucked out. The property is gorgeous. When it rains, there’s a waterfall! It’s green, water should be relatively close to the surface, and it’s flat enough to be useful- and looks out over some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen.
I am pleased.
As we dropped the Amazon back at her car, I asked her what she wanted for helping us find the land.
“A Mexican Coca-Cola,” she said.
It turns out that the Study Butte store has Mexican Coca-Colas, which apparently are made with real sugar, as opposed to whatever is in the American ones.
The Amazon got back in her little car and drove off. The neighbor and I headed back to the Portable Empire West office (see below). I pulled up the photos and decided I’d share.
What’s the marketing lesson?
I’m thinking.
The only pattern I see is that when I cruise eBay and make stupidly low bids, I occasionally buy something that I wouldn’t otherwise buy. In this case, I bought twenty acres of fabulous desert for much less than I’ve paid recently for a guitar.
I’m not sure there is a lesson in that.
(added later) There probably is a lesson there. Most of what happens in my life happens in a dimension that I don’t have conscious access to. The law of attraction never sleeps. I don’t know, exactly, what the desert has in store for me. The Universe, presumably, is working on it. I’m just following the flow, walking the path that appears in front of me, and enjoying the trip.
Apparently, the universe was of the opinion that I needed 20 more acres near Big Bend National Park. The reason for this will be revealed, or not.
So far, it’s working out just fine. Maybe that’s the lesson?
Comments (0) Posted by pat on Saturday, April 11th, 2009
to get the latest update sent to your computer for free.
Welcome Note
Thanks for visiting Pat O’Bryan’s Portable Empire Blog.
Spend sometime to look around and check
out some of my posts. I would love to hear
feedback from you and enjoy your stay.
If you like it here, don't forget
to bookmark it (press Ctrl+D).
Pat with the Twenty Million Dollar Man- Armand Morin
