5 Unusual Steps to Power Up Your Business

You may be on the verge of creating the best website, the hottest copywriting, the cheapest and most abundant traffic… and the greatest product or service on earth…

…BUT without gas in your tank and the fire in your belly to power your dreams, the pieces will come together slower than molasses in January.

In other words, they’ll sit on your computer as the internet morphs into something you won’t recognize by the time you’ve finally “got it all together.”

And there’s no denying… it’s tough out there.

So the entrepreneurs with the best ways to maintain their motivation have a serious advantage.

That’s why Zig Ziglar said:

“Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis.”

So let’s look at some powerful strategies (#5 is my favorite) to keep yourself fired up and on track, including an embarrassing personal story.

#1: Your Escape From Prison!

Although most of us have heard of Viktor Frankl’s unbelievable book that was written in 1946, called “Man’s Search for Meaning,” few know about the sequel.

Of course, if you haven’t read the original it’s an absolute MUST.

In fact, in a survey before Frankl’s death in 1997 at the age of 97, “Man’s Search for Meaning” was voted one of the 10 most influential books in the United States.

Briefly, Frankl chronicles his experiences in the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II, where against all odds…

… He was still able to find meaning in life and a reason to live, EVEN in the most unimaginable circumstances.

Then, after being released from the horrors of the camps, he spent the rest of his life traveling the world and teaching the principles he’d discovered.

And the so-called “sequel?”

At Frankl’s request, it was written by two of his long-time students, Alex Pattakos, PhD, and Elaine Dundon.

The book is called, “Prisoners of Our Thoughts,” and it will take you even deeper into Frankl’s work and give meaning to your life… even in the most dire circumstances.

But you don’t need a crisis to benefit.

If you’ll work to incorporate the principles nearly every success teacher of the last 50 years has leaned on heavily…

… From Stephen Covey to Tony Robbins… from Jim Rohn to Brendon Burchard…

… You’ll create a foundation that will dramatically serve you and help create unshakable motivation for your business.

That’s why, as strange as it sounds coming from someone who focuses on list building and online strategies for simplifying and quickly expanding their business…

… Creating deeper and more tangible “meaning” in your business is something Daniel has been emphasizing for years.

In fact, here’s what he said at a recent training…

“A sense of meaning is like medicine for your body and soul. That’s when you have the power to break through any and all barriers to success and finally start building a hugely profitable email list and business.”

So if you’re struggling at all in your business, make sure your efforts are for the right reasons.

And grab one of the original books on attitude, perspective, commitment, authenticity, managing stress, and fulfillment.

#2: PROVE ‘EM WRONG!

Here’s another way to tap into the energy all entrepreneurs need…

… Especially if you’ve ever had that surge of anger or defiance when someone (like well-meaning family and friends) laugh at your plans or roll their eyes at your dreams.

You’re best to react like entrepreneur extraordinaire, Gary Vaynerchuk.

Because Gary, as you probably know, gained popularity as a wine critic, then grew his family’s wine business from $3 million to $60 million.

And if you go to YouTube and type in, “Prove Them All Wrong,” you’ll see his passionate rant about ignoring the critics and naysayers.

It’s strong medicine and powerful motivation.

Here’s how it helped me personally… despite the embarrassment.

A QUICK CASE STUDY!

Back in the day, when I was still working as a chiropractor and learning to write copy in my spare time…

… I was royally roasted at a “free” Gary Halbert seminar in Florida called, “1000 Points of Light.”

FYI, the seminar name was a parody of George H.W. Bush’s speech at the Republican National Convention.

Anyway, Halbert was big on hot seats and I volunteered to have a project analyzed on stage in front of about 100 experienced entrepreneurs.

My being an absolute newbie at the time didn’t elicit the slightest pity from Gary.

His no-holds-barred approach almost trashed my entrepreneurial ambitions … especially when he tore apart my copy, my strategy, and ruthlessly proclaimed…

“You are NOT a copywriter!”

Ouch!

Of course, I was embarrassed and discouraged, and it took me a while to resurrect my battered ego.

But a week later I scribbled Gary’s pronouncement on a 3 x 5 card and taped it to the wall above my desk.

Over the next couple of years, I looked at it many times every day.

And I thought, as I was creating ads for my chiropractic practice, “Oh yeah, Gary? Watch this!”

Then one day I saw an ad I’d sent to Dan Kennedy for evaluation appear in his monthly newsletter.

Dan said it was great and I was astonished.

Sure, the ad was bringing patients to my practice, but I had no idea it was actually that good.

And I took off inspired to dig in even deeper… to read, practice, study, and continue learning from experts who knew more than I did.

Then a few years later, when I was on a conference call with a dental consultant and Dan Kennedy, Dan asked me how busy I was and if I’d be willing to do a copywriting project for him.

Take that, Gary!

So the moral of the story?

You may be on the right track and just not realize it.

You may only need an outside set of eyes to give you the perspective and feedback to breakthrough the worst obstacles.

If that’s something you think you’re ready for, apply here (no strings attached).

#3: Kill the Bear!

If you’ve ever seen the movie with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin called, “The Edge,” you know about the scene where they’re trapped in the Alaskan wilderness being chased by a killer Kodiak bear.

They’re also unarmed, so Hopkins consults a survival manual that describes how the author also killed a dangerous bear with a makeshift spear.

Hopkins is inspired and keeps repeating the mantra…

“What one man can do, another can do!”

That simple phrase sums up all the inspirational stories we turn to for hope.

In other words, “If someone like me can figure this out, why can’t I?”

Case in point is one of my favorite true stories that’s almost beyond comprehension.

Check it out and see if it doesn’t make you believe that YOU can do the impossible, too:

Gasoline Explosion Kills 9-Year-Old Farm Boy, Leaves 7-Year-Old Brother Crippled — Amputation Feared…

It was bitterly cold in rural Kansas on a February day in 1916, when two young boys arrived early to start the stove and warm the schoolhouse before the teacher and students arrived.

But someone had filled the kerosene can with gasoline, and the boys didn’t know it.

So when they soaked the logs as they usually did to help the fire along, instead of burning slowly, there was a violent explosion when they lit the stove.

Nine-year-old Floyd was engulfed by flames and died soon after. His 7-year-old brother Glenn was horribly burned on the lower half of his body.

Glenn was unconscious for hours but miraculously lived.

The doctors thought amputation would be best since Glenn would surely never walk again.

He’d lost all the toes on his left foot and the arch was nearly destroyed.

The right leg was misshapen, two inches shorter, and both were badly scarred.

But Glenn’s mother didn’t let them amputate — and that made all the difference.

Because two years later, after hundreds of hours of excruciating stretching and rubbing to try to get life back into his legs — Glenn’s mother found him up and out of his wheelchair and dragging himself, hand over hand along the fence, trying to get his legs to work.

And gradually, to the amazement of the doctors, Glenn Cunningham’s legs came alive.

He found that walking was actually more painful than running… a sort of fast, hop/shuffle… didn’t hurt as much.

So Glenn ran everywhere. He said…

“I didn’t go more than 10 feet without breaking into a run. I ran and ran and ran.”

Eventually, Cunningham joined the high school track team and became a miler.

In fact, in the last race of his senior year, he set the national record for the mile.

Then he went on to set college, national, and even world records in the mile. His story is incredible and inspirational.

After retiring from his celebrated running career, Glenn and his wife started the Glenn Cunningham Youth Ranch in Kansas that went on to help raise 10,000 underprivileged kids.

Talk about creating meaning in your life!

#4: Massive Inspiration — All In One Place!

When I first heard of him a few years ago, frankly, I dismissed this author as just another LOA hack jumping on the motivation bandwagon.

Been there, done that.

But recently a friend, who’s not into hypey stuff AT ALL, told me she follows Tim Ferris.

That was all I needed.

I Amazon Primed a copy to myself the next day.

The book is:

“Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World”…

And I love it!

I now have this massive tome by my side… 600 pages… for just $14.33 in paperback (NOT Kindle for this one).

I use it for mental variety and quick-hit inspirational breaks during the day.

Tim’s done a remarkable job of assembling an amazingly-diverse group of uber-successful people who give you success insights and instant inspiration.

Imagine being influenced by this “mastermind” tribe of mentors on a daily basis:

Gary Vaynerchuk, Arianna Huffington, Brené Brown, Larry King, Ben Stiller, Neil Strauss, Jimmy Fallon, Greg Norman, Steven Pinker, Jim Loehr, Tom Peters, Dan Gable, Temple Grandin, Tim McGraw, Dita Von Tesse…

… PLUS 115 other luminaries answering Tim’s brilliant questions.

Actually, that’s how he created the book… by sending out questions to hundreds of people he thought wouldn’t respond.

But taking his own advice, Tim asked questions like this anyway…

>>> How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?

>>> What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three of the books that have greatly influenced your life?

>>> When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?

>>> In the last 5 years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

>>> What is the most unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?

Let’s face it, we all need to get out of our own heads on a regular basis… even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Tim’s book is an easy and efficient way to absorb different and unexpected viewpoints from a wide variety of professions.

And even if you don’t want to buy the book, when you’re stuck, ask yourself 2 questions from the introduction:

“How would you approach your project if you KNEW it would be easy?”

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

#5: The Easiest, Most Sustainable Business Motivation!

Frankly, none of us at Levis International Marketing Inc. go hunting for challenges.

We don’t have to… they find us.

Like when Google or Facebook do an unexpected about-face with their algorithms… and our clicks cost 5 times more overnight.

Or our content management system service provider whimsically decides to upgrade its platform and we suddenly have weeks of work to transfer all our members to the new-and-improved version.

Or… when out of nowhere, a brilliant ad campaign suddenly “fatigues” and profits dry up like a snail on a hot rock.

So what’s the greatest motivator of all?

For my money, it’s waking up to find that a massive project or task you struggled with can now be done automatically for pennies.

Suddenly, when freed from drudgery, you get a burst of energy and creativity that generates a virtuous circle of enthusiasm and motivation.

In other words, it’s finding tools or people or strategies that make life simpler, faster, and easier.

That’s why we use, and recommend InfusionSoft for our CRM platform.

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And one last bit of encouragement.

It’s an oldie but a goodie… for all online entrepreneurs who face new challenges at every turn.

It’s part of Teddy Roosevelt’s famous speech that’s worth framing and hanging above your desk:

“It is NOT the critic who counts; NOT the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions…

…Who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Wishing you meaning, motivation, and prosperity!