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My Parkinson's symptoms are not something I can hide. I can't keep them under control just because I'm in public, or on a Zoom meeting, or on a stage...They are something I share with everyone I meet, whether I want to or not.

But my diagnosis was the genesis of other struggles. The kind that can be hidden. Struggles we feel we must endure alone; perhaps because we've convinced ourselves that no one else will care, or understand...or because we're ashamed, or sometimes because we don't really even understand our own problems.

For me, I came to the realization that my symptoms (the ones the world could see) were not the true cause of my fear and uncertainty for my future. My biggest struggles were internal. Once I understood that, I knew I could make real, lasting change. I knew I could improve my life in spite of my doctors telling me that it would only get worse.

My affliction may be incurable, but the way I think is certainly not. That is something I can change...Something that can be cured. But how?

That's what this week's episode is all about.
 
Links
Read This or Die: Persuading Yourself to a Better Life - Preorder your copy today and receive a free, 6 video mini-course.
 
How You Can Help
Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will definitely mention you on this show.

Questions or comments?

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.
 
Get The Transcript
https://rayedwards.com/615

Most people are stuck in "The Loop" because somehow they think they’re going to get a different result in their life by doing the same thing they’ve been doing, only doing it harder and faster.

The Loop gives no rewards for effort. No matter how hard you work at it, you always end up back at the same place. You only break out of The Loop by making intensely different decisions. By taking a completely different path. That's the message of this week's podcast
Getting out of The Loop requires you to step outside of your comfort zone. This is almost always uncomfortable, and all growth comes outside your comfort zone. The comfort zone is where dreams go to die.

Receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease initially threw me into a dark, scary loop. Breaking out of that loop required effort and some new tactics (which I documented in my upcoming book, Read This or Die), but in the end, I broke free from it. 

To be able to experience it in the future, you must be able to imagine it now.
This is true anytime you’re trying to create a new reality for your future.
Whether it be a new career or new business, or a new relationship, or living in a new city, or a different home…

If you want something radically different in your future, you have to do something radically different in your present. And that can be scary.
I can promise the first steps will probably not be easy. But you don’t need “easy”. You just need “worth it”.

What big, scary, uncomfortable decision have even thinking about lately? If it keeps coming to mind, it is likely the one decision you need to make in order to change your life. The one decision you need to create that new life you really want.

Most of us are quite skilled at thinking about the scary decisions, and coming up with all the things that might go wrong. I suggest a different experiment this time around… I encourage you ask yourself, “What if this went incredibly right?”
What would that make possible?
Links
Read This or Die - Pre-order Ray's new book, "Read This Or Die" and get a free video mini-course, valued at $197
 
How You Can Help
Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will definitely mention you on this show.

Questions or comments?

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.
Get The Transcript
https://rayedwards.com/614

The latest earnings statistics still show an obvious gender bias in Corporate America, but why do we so often see this same phenomenon in the entrepreneurial space? How can women, running their own businesses and setting their own rates, be getting paid less than their male counterparts?

That's one of the big questions I had for this week's guest, Dawn Apuan. She is a successful entrepreneur who does amazing work, and charges accordingly.

Tune in as we explore the costly practice of undervaluing one's self - and how women are seemingly more susceptible to it. 
 
Links
DawnApuan.com
Dawn on Instagram
 
How You Can Help
Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will definitely mention you on this show.

Questions or comments?

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.
 
Get The Transcript And Video
https://rayedwards.com/613

For those who have wondered, this post will explain what I work on and how I function as a “million-dollar writer.” It is my hope this will stimulate you into taking the required steps to earn significantly more income than you do now. After I spell out how I manage to create a million dollars in revenue, I'll give you a simple 3-step roadmap to increase your own income.

(By the way, even though I am describing the life of a writer, virtually all of what I'm about to share will work for any freelancer or business owner.)


Links
My Copywriting As A Million Dollar Business April Workshop - Want to work on building your business together, live and in person? There are a few seats remaining for my upcoming workshop this April. These seats will sell out - Click Here For Details and Availability. 

Read This or Die - Click to preorder my soon-to-be-released book, Read This or Die.
 
Notes From This Episode
This subject seems slightly impolite to write about. Like many, I was taught from my earliest years that it is impolite to talk about politics, religion, or money. I routinely violate all three of these directives, however, so this is not new territory for me. Let’s begin…

I am not writing to boost my own ego. I am writing to answer a very frequently-asked question: “How does a writer make a million dollars?”

This is a great question, because the industry income average for freelance writers is just under $5,000 per year.

When someone asks me how, as a writer, I make a million dollars, they may not actually express it, but what they really want to know is: “How does a guy who writes ad copy, who has never published a book I've even heard of… how does that guy make a million dollars?”

And of course, ultimately, the real question burning in their heart is: “Could I do that? Or even half that?” That’s what people really want to know and that’s what I want to share with you.

Before I get to the tactical stuff like:

• How do you get paid?
• What are your rates?
• How do you get clients?

It’s imperative that I share 3 Prosperity Principles for Writers.

PROSPERITY PRINCIPLE #1: YOU MUST DISCOVER YOURSELF

Many writers and other creatives have a not-so-secret fantasy. They labor intensely for years on a masterpiece, hoping that an influential publisher or literary agent will “discover” them, and they'll be catapulted to fame and fortune.

That's a nice fantasy, but with one problem: it doesn't happen that way. It never does, or at least almost never. Okay, rarely it happens. But you're more likely to be struck by lightning on the same day you win the Powerball, than you are to be “discovered” in this way.

You must discover yourself!

You must identify what makes you different, what “special sauce” you add to this common craft (writing) that makes you a distinctly differently voice on a common subject. In what way are you a player with a unique, unduplicable advantage? We spend 3 full days answering this question definitively in our Dreamstorm Workshops, using our Core Thesis Process; obviously, if you don't already know the answer to this question, you'll need to spend some time on it,

PROSPERITY PRINCIPLE #2: YOU MUST PROMOTE YOURSELF

To succeed, dear Reader, you must realize you are not actually in the “writing business.” You are in the business of You, Incorporated.

It is your unique personality, and the fascinating persona you share with the world, that shapes how that world sees you. Done right, this can make you an irresistible character to whom people are attracted as their chosen and trusted authority. Done wrong, this can break the ties between you and your readers.

Specifically, instead of promoting and advertising your highly-developed craftsmanship as a writer, you must be in the business of promoting you. You cannot rely on word-of-mouth, or critical acclaim, or impersonal ad campaigns. You must conscientiousl

Kevin Rogers spent years on the road doing stand-up comedy. Now he makes his living as a direct-response copywriter. I had a chat with Kevin about his journey from playing comedy clubs with the likes of Chris Rock and Billy Gardell, to writing launch promotions for high-dollar clients.

There are many parallels between comedy and copy. Tune in as I explore them with someone who's been successful at both. 

Is it necessary to drop a bunch of cash on social media ads in order to get targeted names on your list? Absolutely not.

Buying ads isn't as complicated as some would lead you to believe. In fact, I may even offer some guidance on how to do it the right way in a future episode, but I think it's wise to start with the resources you already have at your disposal; specifically, your website. 

This week, I want to clearly define the purpose of your website, the purpose of your list, AND how those things work together to aid in the purpose of your business - making sales.
[00:20] Grow your list with your existing traffic
[00:42] Rule #1: The purpose of your website is to grow your email list
[01:55] Example 1: My site
[03:02] Example 2: Ben Settle
[03:28] Example 3: Tim Ferris
[04:08] Rule #2: The purpose of your list is to sell stuff to the people on the list
[04:57] Rule #3: The best way to make sales is to email the people on your list...every day
[05:36] What about Spam complaints?
[06:10] What do you say in your emails?
[06:31] The Story Formula (Hook, Story, Lesson)
 
Links
BenSettle.com - Want to up your email game? Pay attention to this man.

Tim Ferriss - I've been a fan for many years. This is another great example of a site that's focused on getting you opted in.
 
How You Can Help
Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will definitely mention you on this show.


Questions or comments?

Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.
 
Get The Transcript
https://rayedwards.com/610