Consider this post part two, as promised, of “Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t”—a continuing de-brief of the Titans Mastermind from September.
You do not need to read part one to get the lessons learned from part two…but if you want to review, you can read part one here.
All the speakers were amazing.
If you read part one, you read about Stu McLaren and the magic of memberships; Eric Betuel on what it takes to become an A-List direct response copywriter, one who rarely loses, for over 25 years; and Steven Pressfield, world renown author of many books, both fiction and non-fiction, on the power of resistance and how to overcome it.
Now it’s time to hear from the rest of the speakers and presenters from Titans Mastermind, September 2022:
Chris Mason on Breakthrough Advertising Mastery
Those of you who don’t know Chris should know Chris…and you know how I feel about “shoulds.” I rarely use the word but I will use it in this case. 🙂
Chris is my marketing partner who has been with me since I started Titans Marketing, handling all the things he likes to do and does well…and all the things I hate to do and don’t do well.
We make a great team.
He is also the guy who did all the heavy lifting to get the new 500-page volume, Breakthrough Advertising Mastery (BAM), assembled, curated and off to the printer.
It should be coming off the presses very soon…hang tight if you pre-ordered.
At Titans Mastermind last month, he walked us through various ads from BAM among the 300 mentioned and not shown in Gene Schwartz’s Breakthrough Advertising…classic ads in full color…from the 1950’s and 1960’s…with call outs to where we can find evidence of states of awareness, levels of sophistication, and other concepts from the mind of Gene Schwartz.
It was the tip of the iceberg.
See the P.S. to be part of Chris’ next professorial engagement (and mine).
That’s the best recommendation I can give you to really take in our understanding of Breakthrough Advertising and how we teach all we have learned…so you can achieve a similar level of understanding.
Given that the book is one of the all-time must-reads (which also means you need to understand it) pertaining to copywriting, marketing, and human behavior, it is worth everyone’s time to study it.
You’ll be able to do that with the offer in the P.S.
David Deutsch on using AI
There is nothing artificial about David’s intelligence when it comes to copywriting…he is one of the world’s best (and he has been one of the best for a very long time)…a student of the greats including Jim Rutz and John Carlton…and a prized coach to thousands of seasoned and aspiring writers.
And he’s been a prized member of Titans Mastermind from the beginning.
I was floored when he asked to present on how he’s using AI in his writing and teaching. He is clearly not “old school.”
There was a lot to his presentation…and the thing that stuck out for me was when he shared how he is using Al to get a first draft written…a new method to avoid writer’s block/staring at a blank page…and then building on the “AI version” to make it his own.
I shared this with another mastermind I attended shortly after Titans—when we were talking about “how to protect one’s intellectual property when AI is involved”—and my take is that it will get harder to do so going forward.
However, using David’s methodology, I believe he (and many others) can stay one step ahead of the IP thieves by always improving on what you have produced previously, whether you use AI or not.
It’s the concept of “giving away your best stuff (i.e., content) because you will always have new and more best stuff” now applied to copywriting.
And this has always been true since the advent of content…and emphasized even further with the arrival of inexpensive online media and email.
Why should copywriting be any different?
AI will demand all of us to dig deeper for only the best-of-the best copy, all the time.
It reminds me of a quote from the Dalai Lama, as expressed in Steven Pressfield’s masterpiece, The War of Art:
“The enemy is a very good teacher”
Rich Schefren on stealing winners
Those of you who are unaware of “Steal our Winners” (SOW), a goldmine of marketing campaigns, promotions, funnels—in all media—are missing out.
Rich is a veteran of the marketing wars for almost as long as I’ve been toiling and fighting—yes, he is very familiar with offline marketing too.
All of his accumulated knowledge plus pent-up demand to learn what is working right now in today’s diverse marketing marketplace has become his mission…dare I say his obsession.
At Titans Mastermind, he was a fire hose of information—and no one minded getting soaked to the core—as he detailed over 20 of the greatest hits from SOW.
Two broad observations:
1) While I have always said that I hate to be first (and hate to be last even more), Rich outlined how quickly new marketing tactics fizzle out after being the next big thing…and the key is to know what is working as early in the life cycle of anything new to get the biggest bang for your buck. While that might sound obvious, it is still a basic truth.
And I have two words for you: Tik Tok. It’s time to get in on it now. You’re already a little late. 🙂
Maybe I need to be closer to being first.
Following Rich will get me, the Titans (and hopefully you) first mover advantage in the future.
2) The combination of media being used to create these “winners”—YouTube, Tik Tok, Facebook, email, text/SMS and every tool in our respective toolboxes, were on display during Rich’s mind-blowing presentation. That is, it’s not just one thing but a melding of similar and disparate things into a unified campaign.
Note: Even the hottest 20+ campaigns Rich shared with us—and gave us free access to (being a Titans Mastermind member has its privileges!)–are already cooling off, ready to be displaced sooner rather than later.
It’s the nature of the beast.
Todd Brown on the big idea…and much more
Todd is one of those marketers who is hard to put a label on…because he is such a student of the fundamentals of direct response…while questioning them every step of the way…which leads to his unique spin on everything.
For example, we all talk about differentiation…but he has taken on this core concept as it pertains to your offer, your persona, and the product itself. He laid out a step-by-step approach on how you can achieve real differentiation that is too detailed to go into here…but I might decide to send you a link to his presentation in the future because it is so profound in its simplicity.
And I am not saying Todd is simple.
How we formally met is an interesting story…some years ago, I was sent a video of him from a Titans Xcelerator member talking about his “Top 10 Marketing Books” …and of course his top choice was Breakthrough Advertising…and while I had followed his career for some time, I never had an opportunity to connect with him.
So, I sent him an email with the subject line:
Todd…why aren’t we best friends?
After all, I need to know (intimately) everyone else who puts Breakthrough Advertising at the top of their reading list.
Safe to say that I consider Todd one of my best friends today.
And check out the P.S. how you too can become one of my best friends in the future by becoming a Gene Schwartz groupie…and student…if you are interested, that is. 🙂
When I told him how much I respected him (for a lot more than his love of Gene Schwartz), he simply said:
“Brian…I am a good pillar.”
I looked up the definition of “pillar”:
“A person (or thing) regarded as reliably providing essential support for something.”
That’s Todd…supporting the marketing community with unsurpassed leadership.
Lee Richter on “mentor moments”
Our final outside speaker at the event was the one-and-only Lee Richter…someone who defines entrepreneurship…because she is a student, a teacher, a collaborator, and a mentor.
And a kick-ass businesswoman.
Everything she does she takes it to the max…as she has done with NFT’s…creating a course in “NFT’s 101” (which includes more than just the basics) …making sure everyone she touches knows enough to be dangerous…because she is positive that this is an area we all need to be aware of even if we don’t take part in it today.
She gave us a quick and informative class on the subject.
Her signature line is:
“I never enter a room in need of anything”
I find that refreshing and I try to emulate her in that sentiment.
And the truth is, when you are not looking for anything, everything happens.
Now that’s a “mentor moment” which Lee shared with me, the Titans…and now you.
Here’s to having lots of mentor moments every day.
Warmly,
Brian
P.S. This week I’ll be sending out invites for you to join me and my marketing partner Chris Mason for our FOURTH Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp.
The first three have been magnificent with each one better than the previous one…we always practice continuous improvement.
I cap the group at 60 people and last week we opened seats up to the waiting list… and we have filled almost half the seats already.
If you’d like to spend two weeks on LIVE Zoom calls with me and Chris while we personally teach you how to embed the concepts from Breakthrough Advertising into your business and your brain, through discussions, worksheets and concrete examples (like the ones Chris shared at Titans Mastermind), then you don’t want to miss this bootcamp.
It’s only $197…and if you’d like to secure your spot today, you can do that here.
This bootcamp will kick off on November 8 and run through November 18.
We have had hundreds of students go through this unique program and you can read about their experience at the link above.
You don’t have to be on every call (there will be replays and a private Facebook group just for this Bootcamp) …but it helps to be on most of the calls.
And speaking of help…while you could enroll in the Bootcamp without reading Breakthrough Advertising, I don’t recommend that…so it’s not too late to get your copy of this must own classic before November 8th.
Click here to do that right now.
And…if you want to pre-order a copy of Breakthrough Advertising Mastery (BAM), the companion volume, 500 pages, hardcover, with over 300 ads in full color, click here.
BAM is the book to own after you complete the Bootcamp…to always keep the concepts fresh.
What are you waiting for? An invitation? 🙂
Sign up for the “Breakthrough Advertising Quickstart Bootcamp” here.
P.P.S. The next live and in person Titans Mastermind meeting will take place in April (the 19th, 20th, and 21st)…and I am opening up some “a la carte seats” to select members of my online family (you!).
They will be sold at $7,500 each (less for a “Zoom only” option)…and you will need to apply and then partake in a Zoom interview with me to qualify.
If you liked what you read in this post and the previous post about the September meeting–and if you think you can contribute to such a room–send me an email expressing your interest in attending in April.