I received this email from a member of my Titans Xcelerator Mastermind letting me know he wouldn’t be renewing: I had some mental health issues over the past year that lead me to suspect I’m on the ADHD spectrum. Short term memory issues, inability to focus, procrastination, and an almost total lack of time-sense are some ...

How did we advertise in the “good old days” when there was no email, Internet, product launches, VSL’s, Facebook and a myriad of other media? And if you were a small mom and pop retail or service company, how would you know how to advertise if you never read a Dan Kennedy book or ...

Whenever someone in one of my mastermind groups (or anyone else) says, “I should write a book,” my first reaction is, “there are no shoulds.” Since the notion of “writing a book” has so many permutations and dimensions…and there are experts everywhere (some good and some not so good) to coach you on how ...

I found this in my archives this week…and whether it’s still true or not, it doesn’t matter because it supports my thesis for today 🙂 : According to a fact sheet from the Small Business Administration, [a] substantial amount of family wealth is in business ownership. On average, the self-employed are wealthier than the ...

“Envy is an issue of self-worth. When you feel like you’re not enough, you fear you’ll never obtain what others have.” -Sean Stephenson #Sean365 I’ll take Sean’s quote a step further: When you experience envy, it will make you ill. And not being healthy, physically or emotionally, will make it impossible to obtain what ...

“If you can’t advertise yourself, what hope do you have of advertising anything else?” -David Ogilvy As marketers, copywriters and entrepreneurs, it is critically important to never lose our confidence…and to be able to talk about our passions, expertise and accomplishments in a way that conveys trust so that people will buy from us ...

The legendary newscaster, journalist, and Renaissance Man, Hugh Downs, passed away four years ago at 99 years old…and it was the fullest 99 years of life of anyone I have ever known. As you know I am committed to remembering those who have contributed to my life and career on a regular basis…with special ...

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln I attended my fifth Rolling Stones concert last week…yes, those Rolling Stones…better known as the “lucky genes club.” Two of the original members (Mick Jagger and Keith Richards) are still rocking at 80 years old…while Ronnie Wood (who joined the group in 1975, almost ...

Have you ever heard of a “forever sneaker?” I don’t know about you, but my sneakers age by the month…rarely last a year…so when I was sent an article from a friend a couple of years ago from The Wall Street Journal titled, “The 100% Recyclable Running Shoe That’s Only Available by Subscription,” I was intrigued. A ...

When I was a lad, fresh out of college and working my first job in the hustle and bustle of New York City, it was an exciting time. Everything was new…not all “good new”…given the fact that I wouldn’t have a month off from Christmas until the end of January anymore. 🙁 But new ...

Today’s topic is one that I’ve had decades to think about…which based on the subject line, means this will be a shorter blog post. I can hear many of you applauding already. 🙂 That is, I get some “complaints” each week that my Sunday posts are too long. Not to worry…I have thick skin. ...

Two years ago, I wrote a blog post to celebrate my mom’s 97th birthday. And sadly, a month later, she passed away (in her sleep, peacefully). Those of you who have been part of my online family for a while know about my mom, an expert in direct response marketing (and the concepts covered ...

Growing up in the world of direct mail in the 1980’s, I had many role models. Most were personal mentors; but many were companies (led by amazing leaders who became mentors) who I paid close attention to and watched everything they did. We just lost one of those marketing leaders…and he deserves a lot ...

Basking in the afterglow of my daughter’s wedding, a quote came to mind…one that seems to come up all the time in my mind…so why not immediately after one of the most amazing experiences of my life? “Marketing isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” I am not trying to diminish the experience when I ...

In October of 2019, after suffering a near fatal stroke earlier in that year, I got back on the horse and did a series of speeches and presentations to continue to fulfill my obligation to teach what I know…and I am so glad I am still here to do it. I called it my ...

The recent Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp ended with a crescendo…with the last call being all about how Gene Schwartz “created” his copy. We showed a portion of a presentation Gene gave in the 1990’s…where he spoke his classic line: “Copy is not written. Copy is assembled” And assemble he did. From “assembling” an environment suited to do ...

If you are someone who only seeks fame and the roar of the crowd, this blog post is not for you. However, if you are someone who gets total satisfaction from being the world’s best at what you do–whether anyone sees you do it or knows you are doing it–please read on. In marketing, ...

When I joined my first mastermind group in 2009, it was called “The $25,000 Group” …which seemed odd at the time (i.e. naming a group by its price tag). But looking back, it was Genius. In 2010, there were far fewer high-priced masterminds…$25,000 was at the highest end…and its founder (my good friend and ...

Death is part of life…but you know that already. 🙁 But how do you/we make sure the people who pass are always remembered? Well…by documenting the remembrance. I’ve written numerous times over the years about my favorite children’s movie (that is really for adults…I love when that happens) …called Coco. The premise of the ...

There is good news and bad news about being someone’s “partner” in business. Being with someone in a business marriage that is symbiotic, where both parties benefit from that marriage, with little sniping and even less “trying to get the advantage” every step of the way, is always blissful. However, most people only “talk ...