57 Lessons Learned Over 14 Years In Internet Marketing - The List I Wish I Had When I First Started

387 replies
Edit: Updated for 2013

Warriors,

I first stumbled upon the Warrior Forum back in 1999 through a free viral report written by Allen Says, the owner of this forum. I browsed through the forum, intermittently in and out over the next few years, not really giving it much of a thought. Boy, what a mistake that was.

I quit my job back in 2001 and thought to myself, "why would I ever need to go and waste my time in a forum?". Well, it took me a while to figure out that you only get out of something what you PUT into it.

When you ask bad questions you tend to get bad answers and that's what I was doing. After a lot of lurking I registered my account in 2004. And it's one of the best things I've ever done because I finally chose to look at the glass half full.

Since then I've seen a lot of people come and go. A lot. Thousands. Some have moved on and a few have stayed. But one thing has remained a constant: there's a steady stream of newbies, many whom are frustrated or overwhelmed with all the information that is out there, even a few veteranos as we like to say in my hood.

After a while, they begin to wonder who in the heck can they trust. And I don't blame them. I was in their shoes at one time, getting burned and burned again by those who had no ethics, but I was able to rise above that and you can too.

There are a lot of personalities here, an eclectic set of belief and value systems in this forum, some are bad, some are great, and others are...well....different. The diversity in here is simply amazing if you choose to focus on that instead of the few bad apples that come and go. If you don't agree with that then you're focusing on the wrong things.

If you're new to internet marketing or a grizzled veteran who hasn't really attained the success you want yet, I want to humbly share with you my many years of experience because I really think it can help you. You see, I have made and lost fortunes. I have had so many ups and downs in my life my close friends have advised me to write a book about it. Uhm, maybe someday, but not now.

No matter how rough things get, here are some tough lessons that I've learned after so many failures and successes, all those nights that I stayed up wide awake, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Despite all those failures, successes eventually came because of the things that I'm about to share with you.....

Though I've never gone without a meal or a roof over my head, I've been out of work before, I depleted my 401k to start a business and failed, I've had JV partners take all the profits and not pay me, and many other obstacles, too many to list here.

After a lot of hard work, focus, and mentoring I cracked the IM puzzle for myself. So this is the list I wish I had when I first got started......

1. You have a lot more power than you think. And don't let anyone tell you differently. Power simply means "the ability to act" and all of you possess this. You just have to decide to use it. Power is like the muscle, the more action you take, the easier it gets. Science has already proven this to be true as the neural strands in your brain get thicker the more you do certain things.

2. When I first got started I wish someone would have advised me "look, you're going to focus on ONE thing at a time and master it before you move onto the next". Focus isn't just a word, it's the ability to keep your eye on what you want to accomplish so any obstacles you see will be ignored.

EDIT: By "master" I really meant be competent at something. I didn't have to "master" PPC before I starting making a profit with it, but I did have to go through 3 months of losing money before I found a campaign that was a winner.

3. The first thing anyone should do is get clarity on what they really want. Making 10k per month is not a real goal. It's good to have, but if you don't become CRYSTAL clear on the WHY behind that goal, you're going to let obstacles kick your butt. Wanting money never got me anywhere. Now spending time with my loved ones and telling my boss to go pound sand.......PRICELESS!!!!

Focus on what money will do for you and what it will give you; in my case I wanted freedom more than anything in the world. Anytime things got tough I would focus on that freedom; it kept me from quitting when I felt lost.

4. Trust no one, at first. Yes, there are some FANTASTIC people out there that are willing to help you, but there are also a lot of charlatans. I paid a lot of money to consultant a few years ago to help increase my conversions, after the hour long phone call I realized he didn't know what he was talking about. But boy could he talk a good game. Yes, he was able to sucker someone with 20 years of business experience. Look at what Bernie Madoff was able to accomplish...... some people have the gift of being able to fool others, if only they would use that power for good.

So be careful and don't be afraid to ask for references. I didn't in the beginning and I learned this lesson the hard way.

5. Automation and software are key to running a business, but there is no such thing as a push button solution that will make you rich. Anyone who says so is selling you snake oil.

6. Hard work and persistence are great, but always take a step back so you can make sure you're going in the right direction. No sense in ending up in the south pole if your intention was to go to New York.

EDIT: It is very important to take breaks and evaluate your business from time to time to make sure you are going in the right direction. Your focus should be on providing value to your target market and making sales. If you're focusing on too many other things and notice that you are drifting away from increasing conversions and making sales, then it's time to reassess what you are doing.

7. Mediocrity rules the marketplace. I don't care if it's improving your golf swing, finding the mate of your dreams, curing sweaty palms, or saving for retirement.......you will almost always win if you truly EXCEED your customer's expectations.

In the words of the late Cory Rudl, "Take care of your customers and the competition will take care of themselves."

8. Ranting and complaining never made anyone rich. Take any negative energy and go outside for a walk, hit a punching bag, or double your promotional efforts for your business. Complaining and ranting accomplishes nothing.

9. You can't please everybody and to try is folly. Stay true to yourself, throw your heart into your business, and stand firm in your beliefs and good things will happen to you (as long as your heart is in the right place).

EDIT: Some people have PMed me stating that one should always try to please everyone because that's what customer service is all about. And I agree with that. But that's not the point I was making. For example, I have a very specific type of writing style that I have when I talk to my subscribers in the various niches I'm in.

I've had people write me and tell me that I should write this way or that way, but ultimately, I like to write to people like they are people and I like letting my personality shine through. Some people don't like that and that's okay.

Don't be afraid to be yourself when your run your business. Take a look at Brad Gosse, that guy is a great example in how to brand yourself and be yourself. Also look at Ron Douglas, Kay King, Paul Myers, Willie Crawford, just a few Veteran Warriors who aren't afraid to be themselves. And it works.

10. Always take income claims with a grain of salt. Remember, they are not YOU and.....you are NOT them.

11. Embrace fear and don't let it rule your actions. Even the late Johnny Carson, the master public speaker and entertainer, got nervous before each show.

12. Adopt the "student" frame and always keep it. Nobody knows everything. I promise you, if you have this mindset you will never stop learning and growing and life will bring you good things.

Even masters at something have mentors (and so do their mentors).

13. Learn to help others anonymously once you make it, it WILL come back to you ten times over. And if it doesn't, you still made this world a better place.

(EDIT: People have been asking me about this one. What I mean by this is that my philosophy is that one should help themselves and their families first. This way they'll be in a better position to help more people later on.).

14. Making money is simple, but it's not easy. Yes, it's simple, almost ridiculously so, but it takes W-O-R-K in the beginning. A lot of it. Are there exceptions to this rule? Very, very few.


15. If you don't write down your goals, you're running a hobby, not a business. Just remind yourself daily that virtually all profitable corporations plan out their year(s) ahead of time. IN Japan they plan out 25 to 50 years ahead of time......

EDIT: Yes, I realize there are people out there advising people to rip up their "to-do" lists and that setting goals and writing them down is counter productive. But study after study have shown that writing down a goal increases the chances of you achieveing that goal significantly.

On the flipside of that, if your to-do lists aren't working for you, then find something that will.

16. If you don't write a deadline by your goal, by definition it's not a goal.

EDIT: Same philosophy here: some people don't believe in setting deadlines. Some people advise that you should "do it as soon as possible". Hey, if that works for you, then do it. But for me, writing down a deadline gives me clarity.

17. Internet marketing techniques will always change and evolve, but business principles will remain constant.

(EDIT: people have been asking me about this one too. This topic alone would take up another thread. A few examples would be the ability to create effective sales copy, basic market research, knowing how to price a product / service, how to deliver value to your customers as efficiently as possible, investing in oneself, giving back to your community, solving a specific problem, providing great service, promoting your business, etc.).

18. Run a principled-based, purpose-driven business and you will radically increase your chances at long-term success. (EDIT: it could be as simple as under-promising and over-delivering for your customers and having that as your core purpose).

19. Follow results, not sales copy. Here's one example of following someone who GETS results: Tony Robbins "gets it". He's a good mentor to have because he can help you understand HOW your brain works and once you learn that there is nothing that you will not be able to achieve. His paperback books or digital books are very affordable.

From a personal stand point: no single mentor or guru has had more influence on me than Tony Robbins. Why? Because he has the amazing ability to take the best of the best and put it into a concise format that anyone can use. And it makes sense because this has been his life's focus.

He helped me lose unhealthy weight, to understand the social matrix, how to build wealth, lower my blood pressure, and make my doctor grab me and exclaim, "how did you do all this without prescription drugs?" (I used to have super high blood pressure, high fat content in my blood, and high cholesterol and I lowered it all naturally without using any drugs. I did it all by permanently changing the way I eat).

20. Don't be afraid to create your own products, there ARE people out there that want to buy from you, over and over again....and again. At least 20 to 33% of them from your existing customer base.

(EDIT: you don't have to create your own products, people do really well with affiliate, CPA, and adsense marketing. I have a bias toward product creation because I like having more control over the products I promote, the sales process, the follow up, etc. But if you want to create your own products, then I say go for it).

21. Feeling overwhelmed is a very common feeling, but don't let it rule you. The best way to deal with it is to have your goals WRITTEN down and then focusing on one of them at a time. Remember, Rome was not built in one day. And it took 30 years for the Taco Bell triple stack to come to market......

22. Don't try to be someone you're not. Whether you believe it or not, you have some AMAZING things about you. Find out what those things are and use those things to find the Unique Selling Proposition for your business. And remember, mediocrity abounds on the internet, you can usually compete on value and service.

23. Never, ever compromise your CHARACTER. Integrity, honesty, and wanting to give value will ALWAYS make your business stand head and shoulders above everyone else. This isn't my opinion, it's the basic law of the attraction universe.

(EDIT: when you're a person of integrity your customers will see it come through in the way you run your business. In the long run it will increase your customer base dramatically).

24. Talent recognizes talent, and you have much more of it than you think.

25. If you have 2 or more solid info products on how to make money online in your hard drive then you probably have enough information already to make 6 figures by next year. No, I'm NOT kidding.

The list of Warriors and other enterpreneurs who have proven this theory would be longer than the Twilight Trilogy.

26. Education is key. Invest in yourself, always.

27. After submitting thousands of pieces of content in the form of articles, videos, podcasts, original blog comments, etc. I've come to learn that CONTENT marketing not only works, but it will be around for decades to come. Applications might rule the next decade, but after that something else will rule.......but people will always demand quality content, regardless if the format it comes in.

28. Remember, to make money you have to SELL something. Whether it's a click, a product, a link, a service, etc. and everything else is just mental masturbation.

(EDIT: what inspired me to write this one was watching clients spend endless hours on things that did not make them money. If you're not selling with some consistency then you either need more traffic, better conversions, more products, or you're not promoting your business enough).

29. It is very difficult to build a multi-million dollar organization on your own. You should out source as soon as you can afford it (and it might be sooner than you think). Yes, I advised to trust "no one" in the beginning, but once someone earns your trust you better hold onto them.

30. Once someone earns your trust, don't be afraid to make them part of your mastermind / group/ or business.

31. One-product launches are a recipe for disaster. Start off with at least 3 and you'll more than triple your chances for success. This is based on pure mathematics.

(EDIT: I got a lot of questions on this one. All I mean by this is that you should have an effective product launch strategy. What's going to be your first product? What are you going to up-sell or cross-sell? What mix of products or services are you going to market to them AFTER you've made the sale? This goes hand-in-hand with building a list).

32. Build your own network of people who "get it" and you will NEVER be poor. Whether it's building a list, a Facebook fan page, or a forum like this one or a membership site, focus on building your own network of people that KNOW and TRUST you and you will have wealth for as long as they are with you.

I have a neighbor that lives on my block who stills makes a very nice living marketing with post cards. When I asked him why he uses post cards to get his marketing message out, his reply was simple:

"The mail doesn't have spam filters".

(EDIT: one of my mentors has a customer list of 300 people that earns him over $100k per year, every year. They stay with him because they've "latched" onto him. They like the value he brings and they trust him and his advice. It took him about 3 years to build his first list. It took him 2 months to build his 2nd six figure list).

33. You can build massive wealth in one year, though it will most likely take you 3 to 5 years.

34. Reinvest your profits, don't buy things, initially, and if you don't believe me, read the book by Andrew Tobias called THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED, it costs less than a large pizza and it's entertaining too.

35. Once your WRITE down your goals they are not set in stone. You can always change them as needed.

36. Your friends, family, and even your significant other might not understand what you are doing. That's okay, as long as they don't inhibit your progress. Tell them to give you 2 years as that should be enough time to prove them wrong.

(EDIT: When I first started IM I had been with my girlfriend at the time for 5 years. She became very "jealous" of my new business, despite the fact that I still spent a lot of time with her away from my computer. It got to the point where she was actually holding my dreams back.

I had to end it with her and even though it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, it was one of the smartest things I ever did. I also stopped spending time with friends who were energy vampires. When you hang around people that are negative or unsupportive, they really have an effect on you. Sometimes you have to ask yourself what's more important........and only you can decide that for yourself.).

37. Your 5 predominant habits will predict what your future will be like. So take some time and write them down. If any of them have anything to do with habitual complaining, blaming others, drugs, too much partying, spending too much money, or being negative in any way, then you already know what you need to change.

38. Change is a lot easier than you think, you simply need to DECIDE that it is so.

(EDIT: this is why it's so important to write down your goals and review them daily. It will help you stay focused so you can make the changes that you need to make).

39. "There is no such thing as a 'normal life', there's only life Wyatt." - Doc Holiday.

(EDIT: what inspired me to write this was a friend of mine who spends a lot of time worrying about living a "normal" life because his IM business is taking a lot of time investment and opportunity cost. And I told him that quote from the movie Tombstone. There's no such thing as a normal life. There's just life).

40. Check your ego at the door. Nobody likes a know-it-all. If you stay teachable your rewards in this business will be monolithic despite what some people will tell you.

41. Get a third opinion, really - it can't hurt in most cases. The worse thing that can happen is that you now have 3 opinions to work with.

42. There should be an opt-in form of some kind on every single web page that you own. Yes, even "your contact us page."

(EDIT: I've been experimenting with this for years now. I get a lot of free leads this way. Yes, it does leave a "foot print" that people can find, but personally, it's never been an issue for me).

43. A proven viral marketing secret is this: give more value consistently than just ONE of your top competitors and you'll be raking it in. With the internet having more and more people share things with people they know, word-of-mouth advertising will never go out of style.

44. Seth Godin is one smart cookie; read everything he publishes, your marketing efforts will be better for it.

(EDIT: we all have our favorite authors. I like authors that make me THINK, even if I don't agree with them on some things. Seth makes me think and my business has been better for it).

45. If you want traffic to your website realize that the following will never go out of style:

a. Providing REAL value to your prospects and customers.
b. "Original, valuable, but INCOMPLETE content will always get visitors to your website."
-Jimmy D. Brown.
c. Marketplaces and devices are growing every year, whether it's Amazon, Nook, a Kindle device, the iPad, iTunes, Lulu, Clickbank, Digiresults, etc. - if you continue your presence in more of them you are increasing your chances of more exposure which will get you more leads, which will lead to more sales.
d. PLR content does not get the job done, in the long run.
e. EDIT: Advertising: you can always buy traffic. Start small and scale up with your profits.
f. EDIT: Free publicity: press releases, appearing as a guest on TV, radio, or online radio will continue to work as long as we have media. Study and learn about publicity and how it works. Millionaires have been created in a very short time frame by utilizing the power of the media.

46. Press releases will continue to work as long as we have a media such as the news, TMZ, radio, television, entertainment, talk shows, etc. I suggest submitting at least one per month per website / business.

47. Learn to PROTECT your wealth.

(EDIT: Ask your financial professional about Living Trusts, Corporations, and other ways of protecting your assets. Remember Rick James @#$%!!. ).

48. Warren Buffett didn't get rich because he's so smart. He got rich because he stuck to a proven system.

49. Test, track, and tweak because 99.8% of your competitors are too lazy to do this.

50. Niche research is a lot easier than you think, do these TWO things and you'll never run out of profitable niche ideas. Niche research is something people over complicate:

a. Ask people (known or strangers) what's important to them. I found my most profitable markets by doing this (this is my favorite way to get new niche ideas).

b. Follow the money. Where are advertisers spending their money? Where are people spending their money? There are ads everywhere, pay close attention to them.

51. Screenshots are pretty worthless. And not because they can be faked. It's primarily because what they earned has very little to do with what you'll earn.

52. Don't kid yourself. A blog is just a website with a different name. Should you have one though? Probably.

53. Social networking is just the beginning. Collaboration is going to increase in the coming years and beyond. And it's only going to get better from there.

54. After millions of transactions I've learned one essential truth: honor your refund policy, in the long run it can only bring you good will.

(EDIT: there are some definite exceptions to this as some products or services, by their very nature, are not refundable. But if you have a refund policy, you should honor it).

55. One tequila shot once in a while won't kill ya.....

(EDIT: by this I mean make sure you go out and do something fun at least once a week, no matter what that is for you. I just happen to love fine tequila and enjoy it from time to time).

56. It's OKAY to do your own thing. No, really.

57. Build Your Own List / Network. If you build your list and/or nework of people who love your content / products / service/ etc. you will never go broke.

Thank you for taking the time to read this list. If it helps one of you it will have done it's job.

Warmly,

RoD
#learned #lessons #list #started #years
  • Profile picture of the author D Sam Smith
    Oh, wow. So, that's how you contribute to a forum...

    Great Stuff, Rod.
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  • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
    Venturing into the unknown can be a very daunting task for those just beginning with IM. Inundated with hundreds of blogs, thousands of products, and tens of thousands of words to read, there's no surprise why someone could feel overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information available both online and offline. Figuring out where to begin--what COAs (Courses of Action) can maximize profit the best--can be difficult and can lead many to give up all together.

    These are some great lesson over those 11 years, Rod. (Now, I will proceed to cut, paste, and add this to my ever-growing folder of WF posts that require saving. I'm sure I'll re-read it several times over in the next days and weeks. Good stuff.)
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    • Profile picture of the author tantivy
      Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

      ...Now, I will proceed to cut, paste, and add this to my ever-growing folder of WF posts that require saving. I'm sure I'll re-read it several times over in the next days and weeks. Good stuff.)
      I've bookmarked this page ... for easy reading in the coming days. It will take more than one sitting to really learn, absorb and transform these lessons into action.
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  • Profile picture of the author Art.Remnet
    Now that is a contribution for everyone. Thanks Rod - real wisdom in there.

    I especially like #6, #8, #12, #27, #37, #44 (amen), and #50

    And #25 is sobering and likely very true.

    Thanks for the dose of reality and wisdom Rod - Happy Holidays to you!
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  • Profile picture of the author theemperor
    Rod,

    This is one hell of a smart list. Thankyou

    For me the big takeaway is this one:

    If you don't write down your goals, you're running a hobby, not a business. Just remind yourself daily that virtually all profitable corporations plan out their year ahead of time.

    I need to be better at this, and also write more realistic goals in terms of what I can deliver instead of how many $ end up in my pocket.
    Signature
    Learn to code faster, and remove the roadblocks. Get stuff done and shipped! PM me and I can help you with programming tutoring, specialising in Web and the following languages: Javascript ~ HTML ~ CSS ~ React ~ JQuery ~ Typescript ~ NodeJS ~ C#.
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    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Great post Rod! This is the type of posts we used to see on here all the time.

      I also believe content marketing will be here for another 2 decades and that apps won't take over completely in a few years.

      Cheers

      Jan
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

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      • Profile picture of the author mattdrish
        Very inspiring for a newbie. I wish I could PM you, I am curious if I could ask for some tips.
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        • Profile picture of the author mattdrish
          Originally Posted by mattdrish View Post

          Very inspiring for a newbie. I wish I could PM you, I am curious if I could ask for some tips.
          Thanks for the PM, I am trying to message you but it says I need to post 50 times first. I will send the message as soon as possible!
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          • Profile picture of the author tpw
            Originally Posted by mattdrish View Post

            Very inspiring for a newbie. I wish I could PM you, I am curious if I could ask for some tips.
            Originally Posted by mattdrish View Post

            Thanks for the PM, I am trying to message you but it says I need to post 50 times first. I will send the message as soon as possible!

            Ask here.

            Someone might answer.

            But if you have any doubts, reread what Rod has already written here, and you will be light years ahead of most people.
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            Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
            Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author Peggy Baron
    Rod,
    You had me at #1.
    Thanks for such a thoughtful post. I found myself shaking my head up and down as I read.

    You da man.

    Peggy
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    • Profile picture of the author thewizard
      Nice post Rod. Great piece of wisdom here. You're right, writing goals and setting deadlines is key. Most of us forget that (especially since we have no bosses), and easily allow ourselves to be distracted from work. Thanks for the tips!
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael D Forbes
    Much appreciated Rod, it's very easy to lose sight of the truth in many of those points. Best post I've read in a good long while.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Hugall
      That was awesome. I wish I had had that 5years ago Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author jivens
    Banned
    i especially like the mental masturbation tip, truest thing ive seen
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    There is too much in this post to agree with...

    The one that stands out most heartily in my mind is this one:

    14. Making money is simple, but it's not easy. Yes, it's EASY, almost ridiculously so, but it takes W-O-R-K
    I suspect that those who dream about getting rich, so that they will have more time to sit around, are the people who will never be rich...

    I will stop W-O-R-K-I-N-G the day they put my body in the ground.

    My second favorite was this one:

    28. Remember, to make money you have to SELL something. Whether it's a click, a product, a link, or a service, and everything else is just mental masturbation.
    I love that phrase, mental masturbation.
    Signature
    Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
    Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author clarentino
    "telling my boss to go pound sand.......PRICELESS!!!!"

    I would really love to do that

    IM is not really about the money but the ability and freedom to make choices. That drives me everyday to excel in this field.
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    • Profile picture of the author sarahparks
      Originally Posted by clarentino View Post

      "telling my boss to go pound sand.......PRICELESS!!!!"

      I would really love to do that

      IM is not really about the money but the ability and freedom to make choices. That drives me everyday to excel in this field.
      I've come to agree with this idea as well - it would be great to make a huge amount of money, but what is the money for? The answer is: freedom and choices. That's really what it's all about. It's why so many people wish they could change or leave their jobs - because they don't see the freedom or choices in it. Very insightful comment, Clarentino.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eddie Titan
    Wow you went all out. Thanks for the insight.

    Great stuff.
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    New Members Challenge! Join me in 2012. Set an income goal for the New Year and achieve it!
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  • Profile picture of the author EugeneA
    Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post


    3. The first thing anyone should do is get clarity on what they really want. Making 10k per month is not a real goal. It's good to have, but if you don't become CRYSTAL clear on the WHY behind that goal, you're going to let obstacles kick your ass. Earning money never got me anywhere. Now spending time with my loved ones and telling my boss to go pound sand.......PRICELESS!!!!
    "Those who stand for nothing fall for anything."
    -Alexander Hamilton


    Ideas to live by, great value that you've shared here.
    Thanks.
    Signature

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    • Profile picture of the author Chris-
      Good advice!

      I'll add a little of my own experience to go alongside what has already been said . . .

      While there is definitely something to be said for focussing on one system until you get it working well, for a newbie that can sometimes be a way to stay stuck in a dead-end. So you follow the system, and fail utterly, ask questions and either get no answers or answers which don't work. My advice is, move on to another system, and learn from that too. It might take you a while, trying many different systems, before you make one of them profitable, but you will almost certainly learn something from each system, and what you learn in one system can often be applied in other systems, so learning a bunch of different systems can be a real synergy, as things you learn in each can be applied to the others, until eventually you know enough to succeed at something.

      Along with that, I'd say treat systems you buy (or those you get free) as learning experiences. If you expect any one of them to actually work in practice, you'll likely be dissapointed, especially at first, but if you just decide to learn what you can from each one, eventually you'll build up enough knowledge and experience overall to get something working profitably.

      Yes I agree, money itself is not a good motivator, so focus on what you will DO with the money once you have it, and that will motivate you more effectively.

      While it is true that doing something of exceptional quality can be PART of what will succeed, it is often not enough. You can write the most valuable eBook in the world, but unless you can also write really good sales copy, and get lots of traffic, etc etc. you'll still make zero.

      I very much agree with investing in yourself, in your education (in a practical sense, learn by doing!).


      Chris
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  • Profile picture of the author TedTheodore
    Awesome list !!
    Really enjoyed reading it...
    also related to a lot on there.
    Thanks for sharing.

    ~Ted~
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    Quite possibly thread of the year.
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    • Profile picture of the author Janice Sperry
      Originally Posted by ramone_johnny View Post

      Quite possibly thread of the year.
      I agree. There have been some fantastic threads and even short snippets and comments in the last year. This ranks right up there at the top. Thanks so much for sharing.
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      • Profile picture of the author MariusPrice
        Thanks Rod

        You put up a loot of good info for everyone.
        Keep it up Ron and good luck!

        Marius
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    • Profile picture of the author Aussie_Al
      Originally Posted by ramone_johnny View Post

      Quite possibly thread of the year.
      I second that

      Thanks for the heads up on the Investment book Rod - just added it to my Amazon wishlist
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    • Profile picture of the author frankm
      Originally Posted by ramone_johnny View Post

      Quite possibly thread of the year.
      As far as I remember the best thread I've ever read here. Thanks Rod
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  • Simply superb stuff.... Now my experience also become of 11 years after reading this.........

    Thanks a lot for sharing this.
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  • Profile picture of the author eightofnine
    I just printed out your list...hope you dont mind :-). Great points and it is good to have something like this to help keep me focused.

    "Your 5 predominant habits will predict what your future will be like. So take some time and write them down. If any of them have anything to do with complaining, blaming others, drugs, too much partying, or being negative in any way, then you already know what you need to change."

    I have found this to be so true in my life. It is so easy to get distracted by things that provide temporary comfort. Like a band aid over a wound. Being proactive and taking the initiative is the key to happiness as far as I am concern. Yeah, 90% of my ideas dont work out and I look like a fool. But maaaaaan oooooh maaaaan those 10% that stick make me feel like a genius
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  • Profile picture of the author sharpturn
    Rod this list is amazing!
    Printing it up and putting it up on my wall.

    I need to read and re-read it.....daily!!

    Many of us have heard or read some of the points you mention but we never do anything about it. To read it from an experienced business person who has been there kind of makes it feel more legit to me.

    Thank you for spending the time to offer your advice and show anyone reading this that anything is possible if you apply yourself in the right way.

    It doesn't have to be as difficult as we make it.

    Andy
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  • Profile picture of the author John Taylor
    Rod,

    I'm adopting this thread and will point to
    it every time I see an opportunity for you
    to educate someone who needs direction.

    Thanks

    John
    P.S. This thread deserves to be a sticky. :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author D Sam Smith
      Originally Posted by John Taylor View Post

      Rod,

      I'm adopting this thread and will point to
      it every time I see an opportunity for you
      to educate someone who needs direction.

      Thanks

      John
      P.S. This thread deserves to be a sticky. :-)
      It has been a personal sticky for me. I read it yesterday and a lot of it really stuck with me. Sincerely, thanks again, Rod.
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  • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
    Good Stuff Rod.

    Thanks for posting and good luck for the future.

    Will
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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    Now THAT's what I call a post.

    Gets my vote for Sticky.
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    nothing to see here.

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  • Profile picture of the author SteveJohnson
    Rod, you did your job.

    +1 on the Sticky
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  • Profile picture of the author webtechprodigy
    This stuff is epic! I am going to save it as a PDF and shove it in the faces of the sobs who come to IM for the wrong reasons, make no money and then complain that online earning is scam!

    They got to read this so much!
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Hess
    Rod, thanks for taking the time to write this post and sharing your experience with us. Perfect time to post something like this with 2012 right around the corner...
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  • Profile picture of the author Manie Amari
    Wow! Great post. A lot of familiar points made. Thanks for sharing.
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    This will NOT be up for long. Get it now whilst You still can. Btw it's FREE...
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  • Profile picture of the author jborjaperez
    Wow Rod,

    You just inspired me so much. The value you you just provided with this forum is bananas! In my I.M. career I want to always provide the most value for not only my network but people that are in need of help! This just reaffirmed my goal.

    Thanks man, Appreciate it.

    -Jared
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  • Profile picture of the author Kal Sallam
    Thanks for sharing your 11 year experience, very valuable stuff indeed.
    Your post rocks man.!
    I love to learn from successful people,just like yourself.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Miranda
    Amazing list. thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Cheryl Hines
    Absolute gold, Rod. Should be one of the first things new folks read to expose them to the whole picture of this wild thing called Internet Marketing. Would probably help some to realize this is a business model not a get rich quick deal.

    BTW - Love Seth Godin - own most of his books. Subscribing to his blog is like getting to sit at the feet of the master.

    Like you, I didn't think much about hanging out with the forum. But I have learned that lesson. I am a believer now.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Thanks for sharing. I have actually copied it into a word doc for my own use so I can re read it and even print it off.
    Signature

    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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  • Profile picture of the author hajro
    I drink coffee reading it, awesome list. Thanks for your time to write this Rod.
    I'm beginner in IM and I always enjoy reading stuff like this..
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  • Profile picture of the author Destiny87
    Great post! I'm going to print it out and post by my desk and read it over and over again. Being a newbie, I definitely have information overload. This list will help motivate me every day. I definitely need to work on #37, I have a bad tendency to procrastinate, but when I go for it I'm all in!

    Cheri
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Rambo
    Without a doubt this is one of the best posts I've ever read here.

    I'm making a copy of it myself, but I think it would also be a great sticky for the forum.

    Thank you so much.
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  • Profile picture of the author erskinem
    Rod,

    Really powerful...Thank you for sharing.
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    • Profile picture of the author wilsonljx
      Thanks for sharing!It is really an inspiring story to let the newcomers that as long as we persist,results will definitely come.

      I will bear the points that you say and will tell myself not to commit the same mistake that you have made
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      • Profile picture of the author Tom Ryan
        Wow, just Wow Rod!

        This is one that needs to be printed and read everyday.

        Epic post.
        Signature


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        • Profile picture of the author R Hagel
          Fantastic advice.

          And also fantastic proof that intravenous coffee drips are, indeed, very beneficial.

          Cheers,
          Becky
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        • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
          Rod, I could write a book on your post (but I won't )

          Wow...don't even know where to begin. So much of that resembles my own
          life and early struggles with Internet Marketing. There was a time when I was
          so messed up that I couldn't make more than $28 in half a year.

          If anybody should have failed at this and just packed it in, it was me. I was
          the poster child for the term "loser."

          Today, I'm looking to sell my business and just relax. I did most (not all) of
          what you wrote about today and yes, I can say from personal experience that
          this stuff works.

          I am going to add one thing though because it's something that I really DO wish
          I had discovered earlier than I did.

          Rod talks about having 3 products on your first launch. Sure, that works.
          But you know what works even better?

          Look at sites like:

          Aweber

          Aweber - provides a very much needed service to Internet marketers. I
          seriously doubt Tom Kulzer has to worry about selling any other products.
          THAT is his money maker. Come up with something like that, something that
          fulfills a HUGE need and do it better than the competition and you can be
          set for life.

          Look at sites like

          Amazon (an extreme example)

          Amazon - actually provides a service...a place where people can come to
          in order to buy just about anything. Now granted, the model may be a little
          ambitious for the average IMer, but THAT is a model. And you can do it on
          a smaller scale. There are tons of similar sites out there that aren't so huge.

          My point is, don't get caught up in the IM (make a product a month) craze
          that I got caught up in. Sure, you can build your list and make tons of money
          doing this, but it's just too much work. There's a better way.

          Think BIG. It's just as easy to sell something for $2,000 as it is to sell
          something for $20.

          The people looking for $2,000 items KNOW they're $2,000 items and are
          ready to pay that kind of money.

          Plus...they give you fewer hassles and headaches than people looking for
          $20 items because they're NOT looking to nickel and dime you to death.

          I could go on with more but I'll leave it at that.

          Rod, after your post, I'd love to meet you someday.

          You're my new hero.
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          • Profile picture of the author erskinem
            Rod,

            I just re-read your list. It needs to be read aloud by an Australian, set to music, and addressed to the Warrior Forum class of 2012.

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            • Profile picture of the author PamE
              I am genuinely amazed by the knowledge shared on this forum.

              I may be a newbie to IM, but I am not a newbie to running a business. In most businesses (such as IM), how-to-REALLY-succeed-in-your-field is rarely shared. No one wants to help their competition get ahead!

              Thank you.
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          • Profile picture of the author celente
            Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

            Rod, I could write a book on your post (but I won't )

            Wow...don't even know where to begin. So much of that resembles my own
            life and early struggles with Internet Marketing. There was a time when I was
            so messed up that I couldn't make more than $28 in half a year.

            If anybody should have failed at this and just packed it in, it was me. I was
            the poster child for the term "loser."

            Today, I'm looking to sell my business and just relax. I did most (not all) of
            what you wrote about today and yes, I can say from personal experience that
            this stuff works.

            I am going to add one thing though because it's something that I really DO wish
            I had discovered earlier than I did.

            Rod talks about having 3 products on your first launch. Sure, that works.
            But you know what works even better?

            Look at sites like:

            Aweber

            Aweber - provides a very much needed service to Internet marketers. I
            seriously doubt Tom Kulzer has to worry about selling any other products.
            THAT is his money maker. Come up with something like that, something that
            fulfills a HUGE need and do it better than the competition and you can be
            set for life.

            Look at sites like

            Amazon (an extreme example)

            Amazon - actually provides a service...a place where people can come to
            in order to buy just about anything. Now granted, the model may be a little
            ambitious for the average IMer, but THAT is a model. And you can do it on
            a smaller scale. There are tons of similar sites out there that aren't so huge.

            My point is, don't get caught up in the IM (make a product a month) craze
            that I got caught up in. Sure, you can build your list and make tons of money
            doing this, but it's just too much work. There's a better way.

            Think BIG. It's just as easy to sell something for $2,000 as it is to sell
            something for $20.

            The people looking for $2,000 items KNOW they're $2,000 items and are
            ready to pay that kind of money.

            Plus...they give you fewer hassles and headaches than people looking for
            $20 items because they're NOT looking to nickel and dime you to death.

            I could go on with more but I'll leave it at that.

            Rod, after your post, I'd love to meet you someday.

            You're my new hero.
            Awesome post steve.

            That was the same info in here that I first learnt from a warrior and our income skyrocketed. We are now very good at selling, and $47 ebooks are good, but you to sell hundred. I would rather just sell one or two $2000 products, because yes, u will not sell as much of them, but they are not that hard to sell, especally if you are hunting for the right prospects.
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        • Profile picture of the author rikored
          32. Build your own network of people who "get it" and you will NEVER be poor. Whether it's building a list, a Facebook fan page, or a forum like this one or a membership site, focus on building your own network of people that KNOW and TRUST you and you will have wealth for as long as they are with you.
          I think this is the key to building out a small business on your own...a customer list that values your products is just fundamental business sense..
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          • Profile picture of the author Young Samurai
            I wont multiply words.

            Just three:

            Brilliant.

            Thanks.

            Sticky.
            Signature
            Kyle
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        • Profile picture of the author unoentremil
          Very good post Rod.

          Some folks here offer much less valuable information as WSOs :-)

          Best Wishes
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        • Profile picture of the author ProfJannes
          That is what I call adding value, thank you very much.

          ~ Jannes
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        • Originally Posted by Tom Ryan View Post

          Wow, just Wow Rod!

          This is one that needs to be printed and read everyday.

          Epic post.
          I totally agree. I've re-read it at least ten times since I discovered it last night.
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        • Profile picture of the author pilerp
          Looks like this has something for everyone.
          My personal favorite "Internet marketing techniques will always change and evolve, but business principles will remain constant."
          So true.
          This is one antidote to information explosion for an overwhelmed loser like myself.

          Thanks for the great thread. Glad to know you Rod
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        • Profile picture of the author topgun129
          Pure golden advice! I'm printing this one out and hanging it on the wall.
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        • Profile picture of the author James Gladwell
          Powerful stuff, thanks for sharing Rod.

          If more people read and truly understood #25, more people would be living the life they want. Action's where it's at.

          I'll be pointing my newbie list to this.
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        • Profile picture of the author cashp0wer
          Great post Rod - thanks for taking the time out to write this one up. This is great for newbies as well as more experienced people.
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        • Profile picture of the author 181liquid
          Thank you for the post
          WF just keeps getting better!!!
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        • Profile picture of the author wave carl
          a really great read for a tyro
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        • Profile picture of the author AndreAyton
          Wow this almost made me cry lol
          Signature
          If you are not making somebodies life better then you are wasting your time


          Life is too short to work 40 hours a week
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        • Profile picture of the author atrevidopaul
          2. When I first got started I wish someone would have held a gun to my head and advised me "look, you're going to focus on ONE thing at a time and master it before you move onto the next". Focus isn't just a word, it's the ability to keep your eye on what you want to accomplish so any obstacles you see will be ignored.
          AMEN to that
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  • Profile picture of the author Onora Oz
    Best piece I've read in a while. Big thanks for contributing to me and my business
    I've been following what you say about niche research, and recommending every marketer I know to do so. Really great job.
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  • Profile picture of the author stong
    Rod, this is absolutely phenomenal. Thank you so much for writing this - It's like having you as a life coach in text format.

    Definitely going to print this out and tape it somewhere prominent. The motivation posters can get right in the trash. :p

    Thanks again for the post, I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say it's the best bit of advice in this forum full of excellent ones. *Salute*
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  • Profile picture of the author Don Luis
    Banned
    Bookmarked! Will print this and post it near my workstation. Fantastic!

    I highly nominate this thread as the 2011 Warrior Forum Thread of the Year.
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  • Profile picture of the author Danielle Lynn
    Great list Rod.

    If I had to pull just one thing from here, it'd be focus.

    It's amazing how much energy and effort we fritter away when we don't focus on just one thing at a time.
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  • Profile picture of the author keepgoin
    This is JUST FANTASTIC!!

    I have printed this out and I'm now showing my wife, my baby (!!) and anyone else who might be interested! (Okay, my baby wasn't that interested, although she did enjoy trying to eat page 1...)



    Andy
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Brauer
    WOW! Amazing advice man.

    Thank you...I already bookmarked this page for future reference :-)

    Robert
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    • Great post. I also bookmarked this post for future references.

      I actually was thinking of writing my goals down right before this post. Now that I have written them down, their is nothing left for me to do but to work towards them and achieve them.
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  • Profile picture of the author theory expert
    Banned
    11. Embrace fear and don't let it rule your actions. Even Johnny Carson, the master public speaker and entertainer, got nervous before each show.
    Memorable......
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  • Profile picture of the author JCorp
    timeless and valuable information here that can be applied to any business and all aspects of life...Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author rragsdale
    Saved to my Warrior folder! ;-) Thanks!!

    Robin
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  • Profile picture of the author DianaHeuser
    Rod,

    I printed this out and read it last night in bed. Absolutely awesome and priceless information in here. Thank you.

    Di
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  • Profile picture of the author humbledmarket
    Banned
    THANK YOU SO MUCH!

    I especially agree with your point about student mentality and knowing what you want

    It's way too easy to get distracted with online marketing and get nothing done because you don't know your core values and your goals from the core values.

    THANKS MAN! Bookmark and sharing...too good not to share lol
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  • Profile picture of the author Ross Bowring
    #44...

    Couldn't agree more. Read everything by Seth Godin.

    --- Ross
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  • Profile picture of the author giseo
    Good advice. Yeah don't spread your focus too thin.
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    • Profile picture of the author kumar
      Rod,

      Truly exceptional list and something we all
      can take inspiration and learn from. Thank you
      for posting it.

      Could you please elaborate on this point:

      31. One-product launches are a recipe for disaster.
      Start off with at least 3 and you'll more than triple
      your chances for success. This is based on pure mathematics.
      Are you talking about one product at the front-end and
      multiple products in the form of OTOs, back-end etc.?

      Thanks again and I look forward to learning from you in the coming year too.

      Oh, and any particular books you'd suggest by Seth Godin
      or someone else? I do follow his blog, a bit sporadically though.
      Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author davezan
    Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

    8. Ranting and complaining never made anyone rich.
    This one especially rings true to me. It can feel good to rant and complain, but it
    ultimately will not solve your problem/s or help you do what you want/need to do
    in the long run.

    Thank you, Rod. Happy Holidays to you and everyone around here.
    Signature

    David

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  • Profile picture of the author SandyDuPlessis
    Please sticky this thread Mods

    Inspiring!!!

    I would have loved to have had your lessons available to me when I first stumbled into Internet Marketing. Even now though, the information is priceless.

    My entry into the world of the internet was accidental. I did not know that it was was possible to actually earn an income, let alone how to do so.

    Initially, boredom (I was living in Saudi Arabia at the time and was not permitted to work) kept me coming back. Bit by bit, I picked up snippets of information and bit by bit I became more interested in what I was reading BUT... that sowed the seeds that caused me to hop around from subject to subject and topic to topic.

    Naturally, because I did not focus, or know what to focus on, I was totally unsuccessful in my tentative efforts to try and earn an income. I almost gave up completely when I was scammed big time, but a good friend and warrior (by this time I found to my astonishment that I had gotten to actually know a few people) stepped forward to provide "tea and empathy".

    I still however found myself playing the grasshopper and it was not until early this year that I finally "got it" when it came to focus.

    I have since pretty much dumped everything and though I find it difficult and the going is slow, I finally began focusing on one thing, only stopping to learn those items of information that were and are directly related to my goal and project.

    Thanks to you, and people like you, along with my own determination, success is beginning to come my way.

    To all the newbies out there, who are fortunate enough to come across this thread, take Rod's words to heart. Print his lessons out and read them daily.
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    • Profile picture of the author sanssecret
      Wow. Just wow.

      You learned a lot Rod, and grateful you took the time to pass it on. The only thing I ask relates to lesson 13,

      Learn to help others anonymously once you make it, it WILL come back to you ten times over. And if it doesn't, you still made this world a better place.
      Why wait till you make it?
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  • Profile picture of the author ibacklinkpro
    Thank you for taking the time to make this list. This is an excellent read for newbies and veterans too, I think the setting goals part is my problem. I set goals in January for the rest of the year, but my 5 year+ goals are not as specific as they should be.

    If there's one thing that I'd add is to read, or at least listen to audio books at least 30 minutes each day; but not only focused on business and Internet marketing. At least a percent of your time should be spent reading something that is randomly totally unrelated to either business or IM. I would also add that you read/listen to everything by Dan Kennedy, that man is a marketing genius.
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  • Profile picture of the author TravellingMissie
    Brilliant post. Thanks for taking the time out to write it and share with us. It was just the read I needed and I will be referring back to it!

    Cheers
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  • Profile picture of the author colinph970
    Rod, great contribution and I agree with all but the long term planning one. Humans are really poor at long term planning in my opinion and there are too many variables in life anyway. My approach is to exceed customer expectations, always be open and honest and treat everyone with respect UNTIL they prove they don't deserve it.........works for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author WizIMS
    This is really awesome! One of the best posts I've ever seen here

    I just bookmarked this, should re-read it once in a while

    Thanks again man!
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  • Profile picture of the author chrislangley
    Great tips, it's always a fantastic idea to master one thing at a time, too many newbies in IM are trying to do everything at once
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  • Profile picture of the author midasmarketing
    thanks for the advice. this was a really good read. off to add optins on all my pages.
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  • Profile picture of the author HealthEnclave
    Rod,

    that was an Awesome post. Really your words above are the only principles for anyone looking to be successful. Methods and Tricks keep on changing but principles are the foundation.

    My best take away was >> 16. If you don't write a deadline by your goal, by definition it's not really a goal.
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  • Profile picture of the author PsychoProfits
    My pick: Master and complete one thing at a time, outsource as soon as possible, avoid one product launches, and network with like-minded marketers.
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  • Profile picture of the author winsenken
    This is priceless advice, thank you!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Patrick Kelly
    Hi,

    Thanks Rod!

    Your 56 lessons are another one of the core reasons why WF is necessary in the world of IM: to keep you grounded, focused and connected to others.

    Thanks again,

    Patrick
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    • Profile picture of the author sq201
      Wow! Thanks, that was really good. As a newbie I really appreciate this kind of advice..
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  • Profile picture of the author money fan
    Banned
    Thanks! I will read this later.
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  • Profile picture of the author BlackRob
    Interesting lessons to learn Rod. A very good quality post, and thanks for giving us those points to remember.

    I for one, will be printing them off and studying them.
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  • Profile picture of the author samkadya
    I have reallly learnt a lot from your article. You pulled no punches. As a newbie in internet marketing I needed such wisdom. Please continue this good work. Thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandor Verebi
      Hi Rod,

      Your 56 Lessons = SUCCINT WISDOM!

      I read them through twice and did not find anything that has to be questioned the slightest.

      I think, you can live and build your business without complying with these principles, as many do on that way.

      But, if you want to succed in the long run, and you wish to look in the mirror without shame each day ... then you absorb these principles and live according to them.

      Thank you,

      Sandor
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  • Profile picture of the author Ephrils
    I printed this out and bookmarked it.

    I'm having trouble "cracking the code" myself but I do know how to do somethings pretty well. Maybe it'll click fully.
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    Two Signature lines for rent.

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  • Profile picture of the author renukoot
    Wheeew, thats something a newbie should read it. Great Peice of Knowledge & the best is the share.

    Can be a good e-book for kindle....
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  • Profile picture of the author Demond Jackson
    Thanks Rod for taking the time to write this truly inspiring post. It resonated with me on so many levels. I realize there are certain things I'm doing right and wrong. I copied and printed the tips that I need most right now. I appreciate your contribution to this forum and my life.

    Demond
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  • Profile picture of the author kdb1001
    Very nice. Wiring it all into my brain. I particularly like #49. Thanks for sharing this information.
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  • Profile picture of the author KWML
    Hi RoD

    Thank you so much for sharing your humbling
    knowledge.

    I am completely new to all of this IM and have
    only just launched my first 3 campaigns; 2
    didn't work and 1 is fighting for some air.

    I almost gave up on this blog site because the
    information seemed very overwhelming and all
    over the place. I had no idea where to start.

    Your blog has really helped me to center my
    thoughts and allowed me to feel as though it
    is all conquerable.

    I am not sure where to go from here within this
    site, but I will just flow with it and see where
    my inner feeling take me.

    Thank you so much for helping to calm my Being
    and focus my direction.

    I am truly Grateful.

    If you do any type of mentoring or programs Rod,
    I would be very, very interested in finding out
    more from you.

    Thank you.

    KWML (The 4 archetypes)
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    • Profile picture of the author WebPromoCenter
      Hit home with me. Your quote from Cory Rudle:

      In the words of the late Cory Rudl, "Take care of your customers and the competition will take care of themselves."

      took me back. I was a student in his mentoring course when he died in the car crash. I kept on with the course, but I still stumbled along, did not focus, and went broke many times over the years.

      Believe it or not, the past few weeks I have had a turnaround in how I look at things, and it is starting to come together like a huge spotlight went off.

      And now you have shared such a valuable and meaningful post for all. Thank you...
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      • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
        That was well worth the read. Thanks for sharing.

        I know I'm guilty of failing to write down my "routes" next to my financial milestones. I also make the mistake of assuming I can reach that milestone based upon current circumstance, as opposed to accepting that things can change rapidly. With that in mind I'm readily coming up with my Plan B's, Plan C's and Plan D's as insurance to make my goals more achievable.

        I've forgot which book this spawns from, since I've read so many recently, but it rings true: We should never dine for too long at the table of sucess. i.e instead of relishing for too long in what we have and what we have achieved we should get the next plan rolling letting success overlap!
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  • Profile picture of the author jtnatoli
    That was truly inspiring. This is my first post in the warrior forum and I am extremely grateful that it is. It seems like a good omen. I am a marketing professional with a background in graphic design and web coding. I feel like I have all of the tools at my disposal to be successful but desperately need direction. This post shows me that this is the place to be to get help with that direction from individuals like you. It's inspired me to solidify my goals of paying for my wife's education and paying off debt, and FOCUSING! Thank you.
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  • Profile picture of the author joshclooney
    This post gave me wings and fired the fuel I have in my heart waiting to get fired....

    And this quote right below here, gave me even more energy and inspiration...why? Because I'm just thinking, damn I could be 2 products away from 6 figures!! 2 freaking products!!!

    1k thanks Rod



    Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

    Warriors,



    25. If you have 2 or more solid info products in your hard drive then you probably have enough information already to make 6 figures by next year. No, I'm NOT kidding.

    The list of Warriors who have proven this theory would be longer than the Twilight Trilogy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    Great post.

    #55 is not a very sobering thought.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Warriors
    That had to have been the most value ever contributed in a forum in the history of mankind (save possibly that crazy european guy who posted last year's fields medal winning mathematical proof on some obscure math forum)
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  • Profile picture of the author evictorino
    Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

    Warriors,

    I first stumbled upon the Warrior Forum back in 1999 through a free viral report written by Allen Says, the owner of this forum. I browsed through the forum, intermittently in and out over the next few years, not really giving it much of a thought. Boy, what a mistake that was.

    I quit my job back in 2001 and thought to myself, "why would I ever need to go and waste my time in a forum?". Well, it took me a while to figure out that you only get out of something what you PUT into it.

    When you ask bad questions you tend to get bad answers and that's what I was doing. After a lot of lurking I registered my account in 2004. And it's one of the best things I've ever done because I finally chose to look at the glass half full.

    Since then I've seen a lot of people come and go. A lot. Thousands. Some have moved on and a few have stayed. But one thing has remained a constant: there's a steady stream of newbies, many whom are frustrated or overwhelmed with all the information that is out there, even a few veteranos as we like to say in my hood.

    After a while, they begin to wonder who in the heck can they trust. And I don't blame them. I was in their shoes at one time, getting burned and burned again by those who had no ethics, but I was able to rise above that and you can too.

    There are a lot of personalities here, an eclectic set of belief and value systems in this forum, some are bad, some are great, and others are...well....different. The diversity in here is simply amazing if you choose to focus on that instead of the few bad apples that come and go. If you don't agree with that then you're focusing on the wrong things.

    If you're new to internet marketing or a grizzled veteran who hasn't really attained the success you want yet, I want to humbly share with you my 11 years of experience because I really think it can help you. You see, I have made and lost fortunes. I have had so many ups and downs in my life my close friends have advised me to write a book about it. Uhm, maybe someday, but not now.

    No matter how rough things get, here are some tough lessons that I've learned after so many failures and successes, all those nights that I stayed up wide awake, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Despite all those failures, successes eventually came because of the things that I'm about to share with you.....

    .........my most recent success was landing a client who was a billionaire who needed to learn how to get online exposure for his offline business. Yes, they are out there and if you read this entire message you will find that good things will and can happen to you.

    Though I've never gone without a meal or a roof over my head, I've been out of work before, I depleted my 401k to start a business and failed, I've had JV partners take all the profits and change their corporate names so they wouldn't have to pay me, and too many other obstacles to list here.

    After a lot of hard work, focus, and mentoring I cracked the IM puzzle for myself. So this is the list I wish I had when I first got started......

    1. You have a lot more power than you think. And don't let anyone tell you differently. Power simply means "the ability to act" and all of you possess this. You just have to decide to use it. Power is like the muscle, the more action you take, the easier it gets. Science has already proven this to be true as the neural strands in your brain get thicker the more you do certain things.

    2. When I first got started I wish someone would have held a gun to my head and advised me "look, you're going to focus on ONE thing at a time and master it before you move onto the next". Focus isn't just a word, it's the ability to keep your eye on what you want to accomplish so any obstacles you see will be ignored.

    3. The first thing anyone should do is get clarity on what they really want. Making 10k per month is not a real goal. It's good to have, but if you don't become CRYSTAL clear on the WHY behind that goal, you're going to let obstacles kick your butt. Wanting money never got me anywhere. Now spending time with my loved ones and telling my boss to go pound sand.......PRICELESS!!!!

    4. Trust no one, at first. Yes, there are some FANTASTIC people out there that are willing to help you, but there are also a lot of charlatans. I paid a lot of money to consultant a few years ago to help me increase my conversions, after the hour long phone call I realized he didn't know what he was talking about. But boy could he talk a good game. Yes, he was able to sucker someone with 20 years of business experience. Look at what Bernie Madoff was able to accomplish...

    So be careful and don't be afraid to ask for references.

    5. Automation and software are key to running a business, but there is no such thing as a push button solution that will make you rich. Anyone who says so is selling you snake oil.

    6. Hard work and persistence are great, but always take a step back so you can make sure you're going in the right direction. No sense in ending up in the south pole if your intention was to go to New York.

    7. Mediocrity rules the marketplace. I don't care if it's improving your golf swing, finding the mate of your dreams, curing sweaty palms, or saving for retirement.......you will almost always win if you truly EXCEED your customer's expectations.

    In the words of the late Cory Rudl, "Take care of your customers and the competition will take care of themselves."

    8. Ranting and complaining never made anyone rich.

    9. You can't please everybody and to try is folly. Stay true to yourself, throw your heart into your business, and stand firm in your beliefs and good things will happen to you.

    10. Always ignore income claims. Remember, they are not YOU and.....you are NOT them.

    11. Embrace fear and don't let it rule your actions. Even Johnny Carson, the master public speaker and entertainer, got nervous before each show.

    12. Adopt the "student" frame and always keep it. Nobody knows everything. I promise you, if you have this mindset you will never stop learning and growing and life will bring you good things.

    13. Learn to help others anonymously once you make it, it WILL come back to you ten times over. And if it doesn't, you still made this world a better place.

    14. Making money is simple, but it's not easy. Yes, it's simple, almost ridiculously so, but it takes W-O-R-K in the beginning. A lot of it.

    15. If you don't write down your goals, you're running a hobby, not a business. Just remind yourself daily that virtually all profitable corporations plan out their year ahead of time. IN Japan they plan out 25 to 50 years ahead of time......

    16. If you don't write a deadline by your goal, by definition it's not really a goal.

    17. Internet marketing techniques will always change and evolve, but business principles will remain constant.

    18. Run a principled-based, purpose-driven business and you will radically increase your chances at longterm success.

    19. Follow results, not sales copy. Here's one example of following someone who GETS results: Tony Robbins "gets it". He's a good mentor to have because he can help you understand HOW your brain works and once you learn that there is nothing that you will not be able to achieve. His paperback books or digital books are very affordable.

    From a personal stand point: no single mentor or guru has had more influence on me than Tony Robbins. Why? Because he has the amazing ability to take the best of the best and put it into a concise format that anyone can use. And it makes sense because this has been his life's focus.

    He helped me lose unhealthy weight, to understand the social matrix, how to build wealth, lower my blood pressure, and make my doctor grab me and exclaim, "how did you do all this without prescription drugs?"

    20. Don't be afraid to create your own products, there ARE people out there that want to buy from you, over and over again....and again. At least 20 to 33% of them from your existing customer base.

    21. Feeling overwhelmed is a very common feeling, but don't let it rule you. The best way to deal with it is to have your goals WRITTEN down and then focusing on one of them at a time. Remember, Rome was not built in one day. And it took 30 years for the Taco Bell triple stack to come to market......

    22. Don't try to be someone you're not. Whether you believe it or not, you have some AMAZING things about you. Find out what those things are and use those things to find the Unique Selling Proposition for your business. And remember, mediocrity abounds on the internet, you can always compete on value and service.

    23. Never, ever compromise your CHARACTER. Integrity, honesty, and wanting to give value will ALWAYS make your business stand head and shoulders above everyone else. This isn't my opinion, it's the basic law of the attraction universe.

    24. Talent recognizes talent, and you have much more of it than you think.

    25. If you have 2 or more solid info products in your hard drive then you probably have enough information already to make 6 figures by next year. No, I'm NOT kidding.

    The list of Warriors who have proven this theory would be longer than the Twilight Trilogy.

    26. Education is key. Invest in yourself, always.

    27. After submitting thousands pieces of content in the form of articles, videos, podcasts, original blog comments, etc. I've come to learn that CONTENT marketing not only works, but it will be around for decades to come. Applications will rule the next decade, but after that something else will rule.......but people will always demand quality content.

    28. Remember, to make money you have to SELL something. Whether it's a click, a product, a link, or a service, etc. and everything else is just mental masturbation.

    29. You cannot build a multi-million dollar organization on your own. You should out source as soon as you can afford it (and it might be sooner than you think). Yes, I advised to trust "no one" in the beginning, but once someone earns your trust you better hold onto them.

    30. Once someone earns your trust, don't be afraid to make them part of your mastermind / group/ or business.

    31. One-product launches are a recipe for disaster. Start off with at least 3 and you'll more than triple your chances for success. This is based on pure mathematics.

    32. Build your own network of people who "get it" and you will NEVER be poor. Whether it's building a list, a Facebook fan page, or a forum like this one or a membership site, focus on building your own network of people that KNOW and TRUST you and you will have wealth for as long as they are with you.

    33. You can build massive wealth in one year, though it will most likely take you 3 to 5 years.

    34. Reinvest your profits, don't buy things, and if you don't believe me, read the book by Andrew Tobias called THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED, it costs less than a large pizza.

    35. Once your WRITE down your goals they are not set in stone. You can always change them as needed.

    36. Your friends, family, and even your significant other might not understand what you are doing. That's okay, as long as they don't inhibit your progress. Tell them to give you 2 years as that should be enough time to prove them wrong.

    37. Your 5 predominant habits will predict what your future will be like. So take some time and write them down. If any of them have anything to do with complaining, blaming others, drugs, too much partying, or being negative in any way, then you already know what you need to change.

    38. Change is a lot easier than you think, you simply need to DECIDE that it is so.

    39. "There is no such thing as a 'normal life', there's only life Wyatt." - Doc Holiday.

    40. Always check your ego at the door. Nobody likes a know-it-all. If you always stay teachable your rewards in this business will be monolithic despite what some people will tell you.

    41. Get a third opinion, really - it can't hurt in most cases. And if it does, hey, you got 3 opinions to work with.

    42. There should be an opt-in form of some kind on every single web page that you own. Yes, even your contact us page.

    43. The best viral marketing secret is this: give more value consistently than just ONE of your competitors and you'll be raking it in.

    44. Seth Godin is one smart cookie; read everything he publishes, your marketing efforts will be better for it.

    45. If you want traffic to your website realize that the following will never go out of style:

    a. Providing REAL value to your prospects and customers.
    b. "Original, valuable, but INCOMPLETE content will always get visitors to your website." Jimmy D. Brown.
    c. Marketplaces are growing every year, whether it's Amazon, Nook, a Kindle device, the iPad, iTunes, Lulu, Clickbank, etc. - if you continue your prescene in more of them you are increasing your chances of more exposure which will get you more leads, which will lead to more sales.
    d. PLR content does not get the job done, in the long run.

    46. Press releases will continue to work as long as we have a media such as the news, TMZ, radio, television, entertainment, talk shows, etc.

    47. Once you make it, learn to PROTECT your wealth. Ask your financial professional about Living Trusts, Corporations, and other ways of protecting your assets. Remember Rick James @#$%!!.

    48. Warren Buffett didn't get rich because he's so smart. He got rich because he stuck to a proven system.

    49. Test, track, and tweak because 99.8% of your competitors are too lazy to do this.

    50. Niche research is a lot easier than you think, do these TWO things and you'll never run out of profitable niche ideas:

    a. Ask people (known or strangers) what's important to them. I found my most profitable markets by doing this.

    b. Follow the money. Where are advertisers spending their money? Where are people spending their money? There are ads everywhere, pay close attention to them.

    51. Screenshots are worthless. So she made a gizzillion dollars, does that mean you will too? C'mon......

    52. Don't kid yourself. A blog is just a website with a different name. Should you have one though? Probably.

    53. Social networking is just the beginning. Collaboration is going to conquer the net in the coming years and beyond. And it's only going to get better from there.

    54. After 2 million transactions I've learned one essential truth: give them the refund, in the long run it can only bring you good will.

    55. One tequila shot once in a while won't kill ya.....

    56. It's OKAY to do your own thing. No, really.


    Thank you for taking the time to read this list. If it helps one of you it will have done it's job.

    Warmly,

    RoD
    Thanks for sharing Rob... This is a real valuable insight.. By the way, Can I put this on my blog together with you link?
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  • Profile picture of the author Russel Mogul
    This is a solid list, and deserves to be stickied, hell even force fed upon every newbie registration
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  • Profile picture of the author BusinessGuru
    Thanks Rod, this list was unbelievable. I took some vital notes. I am new to warrior forum so I appreciate your input. It is an honor to get advice from such an experienced marketer.

    I particularly liked this part:

    "Reinvest your profits, don't buy things, and if you don't believe me, read the book by Andrew Tobias called THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED, it costs less than a large pizza."

    This is so true. When people start making money they immediately start thinking of things they can buy. This is a colossal mistake. In order to grow, reinvesting your profits is absolutely necessary. Genius. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
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  • Profile picture of the author WishfulDoing
    This is advice is golden!

    I'm printing these out for easy reference. The ones that really stood out for me were #17 and 18.

    Thanks so much!
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  • Thanks Rod! Awesome list, the biggest thing is to Focus on one thing and not keep jumping around. That was one of my biggest problems and still today, a bit challenging. Love the warrior forum!

    I would add to the list

    #57 Join The War Room! tons of good info, and better stuff than wso's sometimes.
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    • Profile picture of the author celente
      Originally Posted by unlimitedmarketing View Post

      Thanks Rod! Awesome list, the biggest thing is to Focus on one thing and not keep jumping around. That was one of my biggest problems and still today, a bit challenging. Love the warrior forum!

      I would add to the list

      #57 Join The War Room! tons of good info, and better stuff than wso's sometimes.
      Seeing a comment like that tells me you are light years ahead of people in this forum. Well done.

      The moment I stepped outside and smelled the roses and told myself to stick to one thing and focus...my business exploded.
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  • Profile picture of the author mocniyoda
    great post really inspiring!
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  • Profile picture of the author paul_1
    This is great stuff... A must have guide book for every netizen...
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  • Profile picture of the author 1960Texan
    Saying "Thank you" seems so inadequate...what an astoundingly generous post!

    Will
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  • Profile picture of the author Osman_M
    This is one of those golden nuggets that come up once in a while. Awesome post mate!
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  • Profile picture of the author madelyndon
    This was just the motivation I needed to get me through the night and continue working on my website. I will definitely be printing it and will refer to it when I lose focus. Thanks Rod!
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  • Profile picture of the author lakshaybehl
    Hey Rod, great list.

    Thanks for sharing... I always like to read such kinds of things... I realize that this REALLY is what it is all about. Having the right frame of mind.

    Got a quick question... Can you please elaborate on this one:

    31. One-product launches are a recipe for disaster. Start off with at least 3 and you'll more than triple your chances for success. This is based on pure mathematics.

    Once again, thanks...

    -Lakshay
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  • Profile picture of the author tlink211
    I really like this post and the accompaning thread. I'm too new to do anything here. I can't contact anyone online and I didn't find the information through search.

    How the heck do I add my name to the Thank You list under Rod's post?
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    • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
      Originally Posted by tlink211 View Post

      I really like this post and the accompaning thread. I'm too new to do anything here. I can't contact anyone online and I didn't find the information through search.

      How the heck do I add my name to the Thank You list under Rod's post?
      I'm not sure how many you need but you need a certain amount of posts before the thanks button appears.

      There's no rush though and you can take your time and contribute and just make a mental note to pop back when the button appears to show your thanks. Incidentally, Rod will most likely see your post and know you're grateful anyway.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lena
    Thank you Rod! What a great post. I will print it out and will try to follow it to a T

    IT'S VERY INSPIRATIONAL TO MANY PEOPLE- THANK YOU AGAIN
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Schuman
    Great post Rod. #2 can certainly be a problem when you first start out.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
      I go out of town for a few days and WOW. What a great response. I'm glad a lot of you found value in what I had to share. With the year winding down and the New Year upon us, I thought this was as good a time as any to share a few things I've learned over the years.

      I will do my best to address some of the things you brought up.

      Originally Posted by Danielle Lynn View Post

      Great list Rod.

      If I had to pull just one thing from here, it'd be focus.

      It's amazing how much energy and effort we fritter away when we don't focus on just one thing at a time.
      I quoted you because you bring up a very good point. A lot of people KNOW that they need to focus, but sometimes they're not sure what's the FIRST STEP. Which is why #3 is so critical, because once you've got clarity on what you want, it becomes a lot easier to focus on the HOW.

      Whether it's creating your own product, writing content for adsense, CPA marketing, site-flipping, uploading content to iTunes, etc. just start focusing on something and become a student of it.

      Originally Posted by kumar View Post

      Rod,

      Truly exceptional list and something we all
      can take inspiration and learn from. Thank you
      for posting it.

      Could you please elaborate on this point:


      Are you talking about one product at the front-end and
      multiple products in the form of OTOs, back-end etc.?

      Thanks again and I look forward to learning from you in the coming year too.

      Oh, and any particular books you'd suggest by Seth Godin
      or someone else? I do follow his blog, a bit sporadically though.
      I meant this in principle. If you're going to launch your own product sure you can write an e-book or create a membership website and you CAN succeed at it.

      And sometimes if you want to test the waters, so to speak, starting out with one product might be the way to go. What I wanted to emphasize was that you should have a product line planned out before you launch. And there are a lot of ways to do this.

      One way to do this is to create one large, massive product and then find a way to divide it up while still giving away massive value. Now there are exceptions to this, of course. Let's say you're into making apps for the iTunes store, well, you probably get away with making one cool app. And once you get some experience you can advertise your next app in the first app you made. See?

      Don't get stuck on the number 3, that was just an arbitrary number I threw out there to make a point.

      Originally Posted by sanssecret View Post

      Wow. Just wow.

      You learned a lot Rod, and grateful you took the time to pass it on. The only thing I ask relates to lesson 13,

      Why wait till you make it?
      I come from a philosophy whereby I believe you should help yourself and your family first. Once your own financial house is in order you can do MORE good for others. That's what I meant by that.

      Can you still help people along the way? Of course. During the rough times I still contributed one dollar here and a dollar there because I knew even that small amount made a difference.

      Originally Posted by colinph970 View Post

      Rod, great contribution and I agree with all but the long term planning one. Humans are really poor at long term planning in my opinion and there are too many variables in life anyway. My approach is to exceed customer expectations, always be open and honest and treat everyone with respect UNTIL they prove they don't deserve it.........works for me.
      Humans are poor at a lot of things, that doesn't make it right. From where I'm sitting I've seen a lot of people suffer because they didn't plan for the future. If you don't plan for the worst........

      Originally Posted by renukoot View Post

      Wheeew, thats something a newbie should read it. Great Peice of Knowledge & the best is the share.

      Can be a good e-book for kindle....
      You've just given me about 4 great ideas from your post, thank you!!!

      Originally Posted by unlimitedmarketing View Post

      Thanks Rod! Awesome list, the biggest thing is to Focus on one thing and not keep jumping around. That was one of my biggest problems and still today, a bit challenging. Love the warrior forum!

      I would add to the list

      #57 Join The War Room! tons of good info, and better stuff than wso's sometimes.
      I can't believe I forgot that one. lol

      But seriously, there's lots of good stuff in there.

      I want everyone to have a great holiday and happy and safe New Year.

      Warmly,

      RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    Excellent post. I certainly learned a few things from it.

    It also felt good to read a lot of things that I already know & practice. :p
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeTheBuilder
    Excellent post Rod - thanks for taking the time to write this all down. This should be a sticky for all to read!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jager
    Thanks for this, I needed it.
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  • Profile picture of the author gold99
    Wow! This is enlightening, and also wakeup call for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author gold99
    I will print it and stick it on the wall behind my work computer as a reminder!

    Thanks , Rod.
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  • Profile picture of the author Austin357
    Rod,

    Incredible insights from your 11 years online. Thanks for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author YourProfessional
    I completely agree with number #25. When I have people emailing about what WSO they should buy or what method they should focus on, I ask them two important questions:

    - What WSOS do you already have?
    - What unused domains do you have?

    You have the information available, people just struggle to implement the methods and put them carefully. Even crap WSOs should give you enough direction to make money.

    I'd like to mention something:

    - ALWAYS ALWAYS provide value. Whether it's to your list or in any affiliate marketing website you're building.

    Kim Roach recently created a video about how personality marketing is going to be huge in 2012. People want to purchase products from people that are real, that people can trust.

    Don't expect to throw up some ****ty article and expect 100% ROI. Put effort, time and personality into all of your projects.

    My favourite saying is the following: provide value and the money will take care of itself. =)

    Great post - I'll be sending it out to my list.
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  • Profile picture of the author vlsh
    this is really great stuff everyone, not only Internet Marketers, should read :]
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  • Profile picture of the author Anthony
    That's a good post mate. hahhaaa....I am putting this as a sticky to remind myself
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      .
      Rod, what can I say that hasn't already been said by others? That is a superb post, my friend. John McCabe graciously commented "post of the day" in a thread I started earlier today, but I'm with Johnny Ramone on this ... post of the year for you!

      I had to smile a little smile to myself on about 5-6 of the items you mentioned because I touched on them in my thread. Just excellent, Rod. I always knew I liked you for more than just someone to tease about dating senior senoritas.

      Originally Posted by MattCatania View Post

      I struggled with this for a while. I would set incomplete goals, knowing that they needed fixing but I talked myself out of changing them.

      Could you say paralyzed by fear?
      The cure for fear is to take action. Inaction breeds fear and doubt, action tosses those bums out!
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  • Profile picture of the author Ty Neal
    Hey Rod, This List Is Awesome Thank you for the value. I copy and save it. you share some great insight...
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  • Profile picture of the author imsirigiri
    1. Saved to my spool
    2. Printed and mailed to share with an offline business friend of mine
    3. Felt eternally grateful to you

    Wanna meet you personally and hug you for making today, THE best and inspiring day of my life.

    These are words from a newbie in IM whose mind goes awry and gets isolated a few times a month. Now, I know how I can stay focused to be on top. Thanks again and again Rod.
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  • Profile picture of the author Amanda Craven
    Brilliant, real and beautifully written...

    I've printed it out and pinned it up beside my computer. Yes, some things need to be tangible to remind us of how to succeed in this virtual world!
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  • Profile picture of the author Nur H
    Thanks Rod, I've bookmark thhis thread :-)
    Why is it so hard for me to implement #37 and #38, what's your personal experience Rod?
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  • Profile picture of the author paul_1
    Exceptional JOB, Rob!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't thank you enough for what you shared! It's a goldmine! Wish you more success! Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author ^Austin^
    Fantastic post - Points 2 and 14 really resonate. Those that fail are the ones looking for quick wins. Treat this like a real business not a "scheme"
    Really excellent post - thanks.
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    • Profile picture of the author mog320
      Thank you for this post. This is excellent information. Now if I can just put this to use I will be okay.
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  • Profile picture of the author Obosh
    copied those56 Lessons.
    printed them and send sending them in emails to some of my friends. an awesome post. thx a lot brother.
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  • Profile picture of the author williamo
    Hi Rod

    Thank you for the post, I'm gobsmacked.

    I'm not normally one for dribblesh$t, thanks for sharing, syrupy nonsense but all I can say is : "wonderful, thanks for sharing"

    I think #13

    "Learn to help others anonymously once you make it, it WILL come back to you ten times over. And if it doesn't, you still made this world a better place."

    Is probably a measure of your character and person and I hope for you it comes back 100 times over,

    Merry Christmas
    Bill
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  • Profile picture of the author kaidaiah
    Wow, thank you for the great read. It's great to get tips from someone with so much experience. I definitely fall into the new category, but I learn fast especially when someone like you shares their experience. Gotta print this and keep it in my binder!! Thanks again!
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  • Profile picture of the author bassem
    Hi Ron this is a 56 golden points and i want to say a 56 mllions thanks to you.
    i know most of them but reading'em from a man with experience wll give more value and motivation , when reading i felt like i am listening to wise man who gived a lot in his past and ready to give more.

    looking forward to hear more from you

    Bassem Jaber
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  • Profile picture of the author RobG4CC
    Rod,
    Thank you. This post shines so much brighter than any of the many shiney objects I have selected from the WF. I, too, will print and read often. Well Done.

    Rob G.
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  • Profile picture of the author kencalhn
    very well written list; absolutely agree with you on those, particularly the need to focus on one thing at a time, in service of your customers. I even saved this list myself, it's a keeper. well done - thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author CoolCaesar
    I just found a lot of me in there .. Thanks for sharing this .. I think it should be broadcasted to an even wider audience
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  • Profile picture of the author CoolCaesar
    Bookmarked this one so I can share it with my future employees
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  • Profile picture of the author cnj316
    Rod, I want to thank you sincerely. I have been trying to get my internet business off the ground for about 6months and I was getting a bit frustrated. After reading your post I feel re energized to keep on reading and learning. I think that I really need the advice of "some one I can trust" but when I think I've found them the have always disappointed me, so far. I will keep looking because of your advice in this post.
    Thank you once again.
    Charlie J.
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  • Profile picture of the author GoldPro
    Lesson #57

    Read all of Rod's tips at least once a day.

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  • Profile picture of the author Sparhawke
    I am up to No.25, will read the rest later
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  • Profile picture of the author swingin4dafence
    Thanks for sharing. A great example of real heart felt content that matters and will survive over time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeremy Stephens
    This is like the holy grail.

    And it's SO TRUE!!

    It's about planning, sticking with it and focusing.

    THANK YOU.
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  • Profile picture of the author dougb
    That is one great and complete list. Bookmarked and I will visit this page often. Thanks for your generosity
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  • Profile picture of the author VladS
    Pure words of wisdom. Thanks Rod for painting road to success for us!
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  • Profile picture of the author PhilippaWrites
    This is brilliant, thank you. I especially need to get stricter with myself about focusing on one thing until it is complete, rather than working on 19 projects at once!
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  • Profile picture of the author jeremytfleming
    Brilliant article Rod! Great mental lubrication to read at the beginning of my 2012 planning week.

    All the best to you this upcoming year!
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnK
    Thanks for taking the time to post this Rod. I wish I had this list when I was starting. Some of the items on your list I had to learn the hard way unfortunately.
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  • Profile picture of the author wrixbiz
    Thank you so much for this Rod! Very inspirational--thank you for sharing what you've learned!
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  • Profile picture of the author steve72b
    thank for good stuff
    Mind sharing a success story?
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  • Profile picture of the author Watchman220
    That was stellar. I really needed that to focus myself on upcoming 2012.

    Thanks a ton!
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  • Profile picture of the author Debora Humphries
    Wow Rod,

    Just in time for the New Year! I think there something in your post everyone. I am going to print this out myself, so I will have that gentle nudge now and then, when I feel myself getting to lax.

    Appreciate the share. Have a blessed New Year.
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  • Profile picture of the author zanzeo
    I so much appreciate the time you spent in putting your thoughts to paper. I am an oldie/newbie and have been beating my head against a brick wall in IM for almost 3 years. Your words give me renewed hope. Thank you, thank you!
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  • Profile picture of the author FrankieTP2
    Wow! I really took the time to read it all, finally! I say "finally" because I had seen this thread before and I didn't read the entire OP before now.

    Great tips, great lessons, great post!
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  • Profile picture of the author christopher s
    Great Christmas present right here.
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  • Profile picture of the author eastwest97
    A great New Year blueprint. Like others here, I've printed it out and am adding it to my book of inspiration; which are full of posts and quotes from awesome Warriors like you Rod. Thank you so much!
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  • Profile picture of the author tubes00
    Great post! I definitely learned a few things from that post..
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  • Profile picture of the author Nirnaeth
    Possible the best post I've ever read. Incredible! This was exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you so much!

    Bookmarked and printed
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  • with a post this good, if their was a donate donate button be sure to know that I would donate! Very good post!

    I've been online since I was 12! I hope I Can attain as much knowledge as you have some day!
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  • Profile picture of the author deefondee
    Thanks for the tips. I haven't gotten past number 15 yet but i'm progressing. I know these things will help. Thanks again
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  • Profile picture of the author The Marketeer
    Hey Rod,

    Thanks for sharing your lessons with us. I'm sure it will make life alot easier and save alot of un-necessary stress. I get really inspired reading about the challenges people faced and how they overcame them.

    Also reminds me of the importance of professionalism and how the lack of it can impact a persons life.

    Ever thought of creating a WSO to expand on your lessons like case study style WSO or something?
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  • Profile picture of the author MrNiches
    This is amazing and eye opening. Thank you for sharing your life lessons, it has helped me tremendously!!
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  • Profile picture of the author traveler90
    Wow. Being fairly new to all of this, internet marketing can seem pretty daunting sometimes. Reading quality information like this definitely helps and I'm glad people like you take the time to share with people that don't have as much of this figured out yet. I think #25 and #28 are my favorites.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mikey D
    Thank you very much for sharing your learned lessons, insight, and experiences. The list serves as an excellent reminder and cornerstone for us Warriors.

    #2, Focus, is something I am always working on. I am hit with great ideas and get excited by putting them into action. Unfortunately, this sometimes causes me to leave a current project half-way completed and in limbo.
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  • Profile picture of the author lucidsuccess
    thanks for sharing, i've bookmarked this page.

    from my experience I can say, taking more immediate action then trying to wait for results.
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  • Profile picture of the author Erhardkz
    Hi Rod

    Thanx for the brilliant article. It all boils down to that you took action and Branded your own style, together with a proven bussiness plan. This will always work never mind what you take on in this world. Thanx for sharing

    All of the best
    Erhard
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  • Profile picture of the author PaulyC
    Best post I've ever read on the entire forum.. Absolutely spectacular, thanks for all the advice and words of wisdom!

    Paul
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    • Profile picture of the author Randy Engler
      What a great list, I'm printing this out for future reference.
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  • Profile picture of the author gojiberryman
    Excellent post Rod! I notice that you are yet another individual that understands the power of list marketing. I agree, if you would have started much earlier, you would have been able to make literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on demand by now. Keep up the good work!
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  • Profile picture of the author Joey Tribbiani
    And this I call the article! Thanks for showing this to us.
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    • Profile picture of the author Breakinglink
      Thank you for this post Rod. I am one of those new IMers you referenced and I can not tell you how much I appreciate this post. Of the 56, well over half are things I would not have even thought about. You are a great guy for putting this up and I can only hope to be like you when I become a big boy IMer. Thanks again dude, it is sincerely appreciated.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ewan1998
    Banned
    Thanks for posting. A great article and really helpful. One of the best helpful threads I've seen on WarriorForum.
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  • Profile picture of the author onlineVisions
    As they say, 'experience comes with time'. Thanks for sharing.....
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  • Profile picture of the author Jra
    Great read, it's nice to read some honesty on here.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennisknows
    #32 Im on it.. Boy I have some HUGE plans for iblog4dollars.. I'm excited. I'm telling my Twitter followers to check this out.. Great post Rod
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  • Profile picture of the author obin94
    WOW!!

    Amazing!

    Thank you!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Huggins
    Thank you for the list, this will no doubt run as a good tool for me to continue to evolve my skills
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  • Profile picture of the author ankur sharma
    awesome blueprint. This is the most honest tips, i have ever seen on wf. cheers
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  • Profile picture of the author pwrhouse92
    Thanks heaps for this post. Very, very informative!

    Alex
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  • Profile picture of the author mikehansen
    Hi Rod,

    Thank you for taking the time to write such an inspirational post.

    Like you, I have had many ups and downs in my 12 years of selling search engine marketing services.

    Being a new member of the Warrior Forum, I am here to learn from fellow marketers new & old since none of us know everything.

    My hope is that I too will be able to help other Warrior's and contribute some value to the rest of the community in here.

    Once again, many thanks to you for writing this post which had many points I am highlighting and going to apply right away.

    Cheers!
    *tequila shot, down the hatch*


    Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author RuthBabe
    Great post Rod and thanks a lot.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eduard Stinga
    Epic post is epic, glad to have found it even if it was posted last year
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  • Profile picture of the author temlawn
    Excellent Post! Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author vtotheyouknow
    One thing I wish I'd done when I started is listen to good advice from smart, experienced folks like you. Ah, well...for all things, there's a season :-)

    Thanks for the great post
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  • Profile picture of the author Victoralexon
    One of the best threads on this forum.

    Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author McT
    What a great post. Love it when I get side tracked and end up actually going in the right direction for a change...your list is making me think about where I need to focus in 2012.

    Thanks Rod.

    Best Regards
    Barb
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  • Profile picture of the author Discreetmarketer
    This was nice to read, because I learned a few things, and because it shows once again that this forum isn't only about people trying to scam you. Cheers !
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  • Profile picture of the author sarconi
    This post should be considered as a manuel for every newbie !!
    They would have a better start than most of us had !!
    I'll print it out aswell so much great insights !
    Best post in a long while !!
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  • Profile picture of the author sensei majid
    That was great ... should be a PDF for a offer... or not.
    I'm just tying to say great post... I think many of individuals coming into this game has felt these pains and frustrations... Obstacles are a major part of life...How you deal with them predicts how well we will survive.
    thanks again.
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  • Profile picture of the author ahmad961
    Thank You Rod!
    I couldn't stop reading until I reached the very end and I feel like reading it again. Best post I've read in a long time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dutch24
    i have printed this out, wow what a good info,.! i am a newbie at this and this made me more confident and to the point!
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  • Profile picture of the author satrap
    Really great stuff. Its one of those lists that should be farmed and hung next to your work desk.
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  • Profile picture of the author RhondaMac
    I subscribed to this beauty.

    Thank-you so much. I'll be re-reading this on a regular basis.
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  • Profile picture of the author Long Beach Nathan
    Great post! I actually just copy and pasted the entire post into open office piece by piece. I've also decided to create a folder entitled "Great Warrior Forum Posts"
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  • Profile picture of the author Anton Nadilo
    Rod,

    A truly valuable post! Well done my man for taking the timne to share this with us all.

    If people truly read the content you have provided and implement this principles and stargeies into their business with unwavering passion and desire they are destined to be a successful IM business owner.

    Thanks again for your insights.

    Stay Strong & Propser.

    Cheers

    Anton
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  • Profile picture of the author OmarNegron
    GREAT Post. Thanks so much.

    Can't believe I just found it now! LOL

    I love how you mentioned Anthony Robbins. He has been one of my biggest mentors throughout the years and one day hope to see him live at an event.

    Great, great post!

    -Omar
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  • Profile picture of the author zachary0611
    Im still trying to figure out what my 5 predominant traits.
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  • Profile picture of the author TimShrieves
    This is an incredible list of principles that will be by my side for a very long time to come.

    Thanks for sharing your wisdom, this one post will change lives.

    Tim
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  • Profile picture of the author Tizzko
    The part about leaving your girlfriend is what sets the men apart from the boy's. You sometimes have to make sacrifices if you want to build a successful business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bret Ferguson
    Thank you for sharing your insight. Well said.
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  • Profile picture of the author joshmstanton
    Yep I did a word count - 3670 - pretty impressive.

    11 years of pure, raw experience. This quote resonated deepest - "Even masters at something have mentors (and so do their mentors)."

    There's always someone who knows just a little more then you ;-)
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  • Profile picture of the author shegotmail
    Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

    Warriors,

    I first stumbled upon the Warrior Forum back in 1999 through a free viral report written by Allen Says, the owner of this forum. I browsed through the forum, intermittently in and out over the next few years, not really giving it much of a thought. Boy, what a mistake that was.

    I quit my job back in 2001 and thought to myself, "why would I ever need to go and waste my time in a forum?". Well, it took me a while to figure out that you only get out of something what you PUT into it.

    When you ask bad questions you tend to get bad answers and that's what I was doing. After a lot of lurking I registered my account in 2004. And it's one of the best things I've ever done because I finally chose to look at the glass half full.

    Since then I've seen a lot of people come and go. A lot. Thousands. Some have moved on and a few have stayed. But one thing has remained a constant: there's a steady stream of newbies, many whom are frustrated or overwhelmed with all the information that is out there, even a few veteranos as we like to say in my hood.

    After a while, they begin to wonder who in the heck can they trust. And I don't blame them. I was in their shoes at one time, getting burned and burned again by those who had no ethics, but I was able to rise above that and you can too.

    There are a lot of personalities here, an eclectic set of belief and value systems in this forum, some are bad, some are great, and others are...well....different. The diversity in here is simply amazing if you choose to focus on that instead of the few bad apples that come and go. If you don't agree with that then you're focusing on the wrong things.

    If you're new to internet marketing or a grizzled veteran who hasn't really attained the success you want yet, I want to humbly share with you my 11 years of experience because I really think it can help you. You see, I have made and lost fortunes. I have had so many ups and downs in my life my close friends have advised me to write a book about it. Uhm, maybe someday, but not now.

    No matter how rough things get, here are some tough lessons that I've learned after so many failures and successes, all those nights that I stayed up wide awake, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Despite all those failures, successes eventually came because of the things that I'm about to share with you.....

    .........my most recent success was landing a client who was a billionaire who needed to learn how to get online exposure for his offline business. Yes, they are out there and if you read this entire message you will find that good things will and can happen to you.

    Though I've never gone without a meal or a roof over my head, I've been out of work before, I depleted my 401k to start a business and failed, I've had JV partners take all the profits and change their corporate names so they wouldn't have to pay me, and too many other obstacles to list here.

    After a lot of hard work, focus, and mentoring I cracked the IM puzzle for myself. So this is the list I wish I had when I first got started......

    1. You have a lot more power than you think. And don't let anyone tell you differently. Power simply means "the ability to act" and all of you possess this. You just have to decide to use it. Power is like the muscle, the more action you take, the easier it gets. Science has already proven this to be true as the neural strands in your brain get thicker the more you do certain things.

    2. When I first got started I wish someone would have held a gun to my head and advised me "look, you're going to focus on ONE thing at a time and master it before you move onto the next". Focus isn't just a word, it's the ability to keep your eye on what you want to accomplish so any obstacles you see will be ignored.

    3. The first thing anyone should do is get clarity on what they really want. Making 10k per month is not a real goal. It's good to have, but if you don't become CRYSTAL clear on the WHY behind that goal, you're going to let obstacles kick your butt. Wanting money never got me anywhere. Now spending time with my loved ones and telling my boss to go pound sand.......PRICELESS!!!!

    4. Trust no one, at first. Yes, there are some FANTASTIC people out there that are willing to help you, but there are also a lot of charlatans. I paid a lot of money to consultant a few years ago to help me increase my conversions, after the hour long phone call I realized he didn't know what he was talking about. But boy could he talk a good game. Yes, he was able to sucker someone with 20 years of business experience. Look at what Bernie Madoff was able to accomplish...

    So be careful and don't be afraid to ask for references. I didn't in the beginning and I learned this lesson the hard way.

    5. Automation and software are key to running a business, but there is no such thing as a push button solution that will make you rich. Anyone who says so is selling you snake oil.

    6. Hard work and persistence are great, but always take a step back so you can make sure you're going in the right direction. No sense in ending up in the south pole if your intention was to go to New York.

    7. Mediocrity rules the marketplace. I don't care if it's improving your golf swing, finding the mate of your dreams, curing sweaty palms, or saving for retirement.......you will almost always win if you truly EXCEED your customer's expectations.

    In the words of the late Cory Rudl, "Take care of your customers and the competition will take care of themselves."

    8. Ranting and complaining never made anyone rich.

    9. You can't please everybody and to try is folly. Stay true to yourself, throw your heart into your business, and stand firm in your beliefs and good things will happen to you (as long as your heart is in the right place).

    10. Always take income claims with a grain of salt. Remember, they are not YOU and.....you are NOT them.

    11. Embrace fear and don't let it rule your actions. Even the late Johnny Carson, the master public speaker and entertainer, got nervous before each show.

    12. Adopt the "student" frame and always keep it. Nobody knows everything. I promise you, if you have this mindset you will never stop learning and growing and life will bring you good things.

    Even masters at something have mentors (and so do their mentors).

    13. Learn to help others anonymously once you make it, it WILL come back to you ten times over. And if it doesn't, you still made this world a better place.

    (EDIT: People have been asking me about this one. What I mean by this is that my philosophy is that one should help themselves and their families first. This way they'll be in a better position to help more people).

    14. Making money is simple, but it's not easy. Yes, it's simple, almost ridiculously so, but it takes W-O-R-K in the beginning. A lot of it. Are there exceptions to this rule? Very, very few.

    15. If you don't write down your goals, you're running a hobby, not a business. Just remind yourself daily that virtually all profitable corporations plan out their year(s) ahead of time. IN Japan they plan out 25 to 50 years ahead of time......

    16. If you don't write a deadline by your goal, by definition it's not a goal.

    17. Internet marketing techniques will always change and evolve, but business principles will remain constant.

    (EDIT: people have been asking me about this one too. This topic alone would take up another thread. A few examples would be the ability to create effective sales copy, basic market research, knowing how to price a product / service, how to deliver value to your customers as efficiently as possible, investing in oneself, giving back to your community, solving a specific problem, providing great service, promoting your business, etc.).

    18. Run a principled-based, purpose-driven business and you will radically increase your chances at long-term success. (EDIT: it could be as simple as under-promising and over-delivering for your customers and having that as your core purpose).

    19. Follow results, not sales copy. Here's one example of following someone who GETS results: Tony Robbins "gets it". He's a good mentor to have because he can help you understand HOW your brain works and once you learn that there is nothing that you will not be able to achieve. His paperback books or digital books are very affordable.

    From a personal stand point: no single mentor or guru has had more influence on me than Tony Robbins. Why? Because he has the amazing ability to take the best of the best and put it into a concise format that anyone can use. And it makes sense because this has been his life's focus.

    He helped me lose unhealthy weight, to understand the social matrix, how to build wealth, lower my blood pressure, and make my doctor grab me and exclaim, "how did you do all this without prescription drugs?" (I used to have super high blood pressure, high fat content in my blood, and high cholesterol and I lowered it all naturally without using any drugs. I did it all by permanently changing the way I eat).

    20. Don't be afraid to create your own products, there ARE people out there that want to buy from you, over and over again....and again. At least 20 to 33% of them from your existing customer base.

    (EDIT: you don't have to create your own products, people do really well with affiliate, CPA, and adsense marketing. I have a bias toward product creation because I like having more control over the products I promote, the sales process, the follow up, etc. But if you want to create your own products, then I say go for it).

    21. Feeling overwhelmed is a very common feeling, but don't let it rule you. The best way to deal with it is to have your goals WRITTEN down and then focusing on one of them at a time. Remember, Rome was not built in one day. And it took 30 years for the Taco Bell triple stack to come to market......

    22. Don't try to be someone you're not. Whether you believe it or not, you have some AMAZING things about you. Find out what those things are and use those things to find the Unique Selling Proposition for your business. And remember, mediocrity abounds on the internet, you can usually compete on value and service.

    23. Never, ever compromise your CHARACTER. Integrity, honesty, and wanting to give value will ALWAYS make your business stand head and shoulders above everyone else. This isn't my opinion, it's the basic law of the attraction universe.

    (EDIT: when you're a person of integrity your customers will see it come through in the way you run your business. In the long run it will increase your customer base dramatically).

    24. Talent recognizes talent, and you have much more of it than you think.

    25. If you have 2 or more solid info products on how to make money online in your hard drive then you probably have enough information already to make 6 figures by next year. No, I'm NOT kidding.

    The list of Warriors and other enterpreneurs who have proven this theory would be longer than the Twilight Trilogy.

    26. Education is key. Invest in yourself, always.

    27. After submitting thousands of pieces of content in the form of articles, videos, podcasts, original blog comments, etc. I've come to learn that CONTENT marketing not only works, but it will be around for decades to come. Applications might rule the next decade, but after that something else will rule.......but people will always demand quality content, regardless if the format it comes in.

    28. Remember, to make money you have to SELL something. Whether it's a click, a product, a link, a service, etc. and everything else is just mental masturbation.

    (EDIT: what inspired me to write this one was watching clients spend endless hours on things that did not make them money. If you're not selling with some consistency then you either need more traffic, better conversions, more products, or you're not promoting your business enough).

    29. It is very difficult to build a multi-million dollar organization on your own. You should out source as soon as you can afford it (and it might be sooner than you think). Yes, I advised to trust "no one" in the beginning, but once someone earns your trust you better hold onto them.

    30. Once someone earns your trust, don't be afraid to make them part of your mastermind / group/ or business.

    31. One-product launches are a recipe for disaster. Start off with at least 3 and you'll more than triple your chances for success. This is based on pure mathematics.

    (EDIT: I got a lot of questions on this one. All I mean by this is that you should have an effective product launch strategy. What's going to be your first product? What are you going to up-sell or cross-sell? What mix of products or services are you going to market to them AFTER you've made the sale? This goes hand-in-hand with building a list).

    32. Build your own network of people who "get it" and you will NEVER be poor. Whether it's building a list, a Facebook fan page, or a forum like this one or a membership site, focus on building your own network of people that KNOW and TRUST you and you will have wealth for as long as they are with you.

    I have a neighbor that lives on my block who stills makes a very nice living marketing with post cards. When I asked him why he uses post cards to get his marketing message out, his reply was simple:

    "The mail doesn't have spam filters".

    (EDIT: one of my mentors has a customer list of 300 people that earns him over $100k per year, every year. They stay with him because they've "latched" onto him. They like the value he brings and they trust him and his advice. It took him about 3 years to build his first list. It took him 2 months to build his 2nd six figure list).

    33. You can build massive wealth in one year, though it will most likely take you 3 to 5 years.

    34. Reinvest your profits, don't buy things, initially, and if you don't believe me, read the book by Andrew Tobias called THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED, it costs less than a large pizza and it's entertaining too.

    35. Once your WRITE down your goals they are not set in stone. You can always change them as needed.

    36. Your friends, family, and even your significant other might not understand what you are doing. That's okay, as long as they don't inhibit your progress. Tell them to give you 2 years as that should be enough time to prove them wrong.

    (EDIT: When I first started IM I had been with my girlfriend at the time for 5 years. She became very "jealous" of my new business, despite the fact that I still spent a lot of time with her away from my computer. It got to the point where she was actually holding my dreams back.

    I had to end it with her and even though it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, it was one of the smartest things I ever did. I also stopped spending time with friends who were energy vampires. When you hang around people that are negative or unsupportive, they really have an effect on you. Sometimes you have to ask yourself what's more important........and only you can decide that for yourself.).

    37. Your 5 predominant habits will predict what your future will be like. So take some time and write them down. If any of them have anything to do with habitual complaining, blaming others, drugs, too much partying, spending too much money, or being negative in any way, then you already know what you need to change.

    38. Change is a lot easier than you think, you simply need to DECIDE that it is so.

    (EDIT: this is why it's so important to write down your goals and review them daily. It will help you stay focused so you can make the changes that you need to make).

    39. "There is no such thing as a 'normal life', there's only life Wyatt." - Doc Holiday.

    (EDIT: what inspired me to write this was a friend of mine who spends a lot of time worrying about living a "normal" life because his IM business is taking a lot of time investment and opportunity cost. And I told him that quote from the movie Tombstone. There's no such thing as a normal life. There's just life).

    40. Check your ego at the door. Nobody likes a know-it-all. If you stay teachable your rewards in this business will be monolithic despite what some people will tell you.

    41. Get a third opinion, really - it can't hurt in most cases. The worse thing that can happen is that you now have 3 opinions to work with.

    42. There should be an opt-in form of some kind on every single web page that you own. Yes, even "your contact us page."

    (EDIT: I've been experimenting with this for years now. I get a lot of free leads this way. Yes, it does leave a "foot print" that people can find, but personally, it's never been an issue for me).

    43. A proven viral marketing secret is this: give more value consistently than just ONE of your top competitors and you'll be raking it in. With the internet having more and more people share things with people they know, word-of-mouth advertising will never go out of style.

    44. Seth Godin is one smart cookie; read everything he publishes, your marketing efforts will be better for it.

    (EDIT: we all have our favorite authors. I like authors that make me THINK, even if I don't agree with them on some things. Seth makes me think and my business has been better for it).

    45. If you want traffic to your website realize that the following will never go out of style:

    a. Providing REAL value to your prospects and customers.
    b. "Original, valuable, but INCOMPLETE content will always get visitors to your website."
    -Jimmy D. Brown.
    c. Marketplaces and devices are growing every year, whether it's Amazon, Nook, a Kindle device, the iPad, iTunes, Lulu, Clickbank, Digiresults, etc. - if you continue your presence in more of them you are increasing your chances of more exposure which will get you more leads, which will lead to more sales.
    d. PLR content does not get the job done, in the long run.
    e. EDIT: Advertising: you can always buy traffic. Start small and scale up with your profits.
    f. EDIT: Free publicity: press releases, appearing as a guest on TV, radio, or online radio will continue to work as long as we have media. Study and learn about publicity and how it works. Millionaires have been created in a very short time frame by utilizing the power of the media.

    46. Press releases will continue to work as long as we have a media such as the news, TMZ, radio, television, entertainment, talk shows, etc. I suggest submitting at least one per month per website / business.

    47. Learn to PROTECT your wealth.

    (EDIT: Ask your financial professional about Living Trusts, Corporations, and other ways of protecting your assets. Remember Rick James @#$%!!. ).

    48. Warren Buffett didn't get rich because he's so smart. He got rich because he stuck to a proven system.

    49. Test, track, and tweak because 99.8% of your competitors are too lazy to do this.

    50. Niche research is a lot easier than you think, do these TWO things and you'll never run out of profitable niche ideas. Niche research is something people over complicate:

    a. Ask people (known or strangers) what's important to them. I found my most profitable markets by doing this (this is my favorite way to get new niche ideas).

    b. Follow the money. Where are advertisers spending their money? Where are people spending their money? There are ads everywhere, pay close attention to them.

    51. Screenshots are pretty worthless. And not because they can be faked. It's primarily because what they earned has very little to do with what you'll earn.

    52. Don't kid yourself. A blog is just a website with a different name. Should you have one though? Probably.

    53. Social networking is just the beginning. Collaboration is going to conquer the net in the coming years and beyond. And it's only going to get better from there.

    54. After millions of transactions I've learned one essential truth: honor your refund policy, in the long run it can only bring you good will.

    (EDIT: there are some definite exceptions to this as some products or services, by their very nature, are not refundable. But if you have a refund policy, you should honor it).

    55. One tequila shot once in a while won't kill ya.....

    (EDIT: by this I mean make sure you go out and do something fun at least once a week, no matter what that is for you. I just happen to love fine tequila and enjoy it from time to time).

    56. It's OKAY to do your own thing. No, really.


    Thank you for taking the time to read this list. If it helps one of you it will have done it's job.

    Warmly,

    RoD
    I really loved your advice, I'm a newbie to IM and I'm at a loss on which program to learn from Wealth Affiliate, Millionaires society or Ryan Moran. Or do you have suggestions? I don't want to throw the little I have away. And attracting traffic seems do hard? all these soft wares, do they work?
    I really do look forward to your response.
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    • Profile picture of the author shegotmail
      I really loved your advice, I'm a newbie to IM and I'm at a loss on which program to learn from Wealth Affiliate, Millionaires society or Ryan Moran. Or do you have suggestions? I don't want to throw the little I have away. And attracting traffic seems do hard? all these soft wares, do they work?
      I really do look forward to your response.
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  • Profile picture of the author NoviIM
    Thank You for this post!! This is some Top Notch quality advice!! Exactly what people need when starting out with Internet Marketing! This will help so many, I am sure!
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  • Profile picture of the author Charlesbass
    thanks for the great post, I will bookmark it and check out some of the authors you mentionned.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andhisnamewas
    Some of the best info I've seen on this forum! You should definitely write a book some day.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fawad Naseer
    Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts with us. Some of them are eye-opener.
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  • Profile picture of the author mc9320
    Very inspirational post. Thanks so much for sharing
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  • Profile picture of the author chenkev
    Read this a couple months back but came back for a refresher

    Very inspirational Rod!
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      • Profile picture of the author andrewm
        Rod,

        I do not know how I stumbled upon this post. This was here since 2011 and I just found it today. I wish I had found it earlier, it would have saved me many hours of wasted time. I have booked marked this post so I can refer back to it as often as I can. I have been one of those persons that would go after "shiny objects" from time to time, but I believe this post has answered many question that I had.

        I love the part about writing down your goals, and knowing that they are subject to change. I have written goals earlier this year and promised to stick to them. I have changed them many time, as I came across more information. This post is also proof that our goals are subject to change.

        This post is an eye opener for me. As a result I am better able to decide on a direction in which I should proceed.

        Thanks again.
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        start affiliate marketing business.
        More Information ?
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  • Profile picture of the author joergHaus
    Great info here. However, I think that you could read this 100 times and not take anything out of it simply because you have to DO IT. Getting the knowledge is one thing, putting it into practice is another. It takes passion to succeed, that's the secret sauce that goes with all the 58 lessons above.
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  • Profile picture of the author Adrian Int
    I'm surprised this isn't in the war room, but I guess not ALL of the good stuff can be in there... haha..

    Wonderful post, really.

    Well done, Rod.
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    ATTENTION: Improve your list building. Free report and mp3
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  • Profile picture of the author CenCalMarketing
    Third time reading this from start to finish. Like to read this when doubt starts to creep in. thanks again
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  • Profile picture of the author Viramara
    One thank click won't be enough. You've touched my heart, Rod! Greatly appreciated.

    EPIC!
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  • Profile picture of the author NXmarketeer
    Incredible share! Most valuable than many ebooks sold here
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  • Profile picture of the author twilaweicu
    i like this...
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  • Profile picture of the author ExpertSEOServices
    Great post. I especially agree with the focus point. I wish someone had pointed a gun to my head too! Sometimes I still need that gun lol.
    I think this is the biggest mistake people make when starting online is that they cannot focus on one thing and end up darting from one to another looking for the next best thing.
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  • Profile picture of the author HTH101
    Thanks, I've read the list with great interest.

    Being a total noob in IM, I wanted to ask, how do I "write down my goals" ?

    Let's say I open a new website, what "goals" should I write down ? The number of visits it should get, month after month ? Stuff like that ?
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  • Profile picture of the author luane
    Wow! Thank you for sharing that. I think my biggest hurtle was feeling overwhelmed for about a year. It was like starting a new job. Everything was new and unfamiliar and I had to learn internet "jargon" and understand this new language.

    Now, four years later, even though Google, Amazon, Facebook and other giants all constantly change their minds about what they will rank and how, I have learned some valuable lessons as well.

    Don't put all of your eggs into one basket.
    Don't be afraid to create something. If no one buys it, you have learned from the experience.
    Don't underestimate the knowledge you have gained online. Most people offline think you are a computer genius.
    Don't underestimate the sheer power of the leverage of the internet that you have at your fingertips. Most people will never have the opportunity we do to reach the masses at one time.
    Don't give up! There is a learning curve and a momentum that must be gained by the sheer will of pushing that boulder up the hill until that one defining moment when it begins to take a life of its own and roll by itself gathering subscribers and (if you are providing something of value), a real internet business.
    Believe in yourself. You are attempting something most people would never dream of doing. Be kind to yourself. Celebrate small successes to keep you motivated.
    Do unto others. Don't promote or sell something you wouldn't buy yourself.
    Have fun. Find a facet of this internet business that you love and dwell deep there.
    Enjoy your life. It is short. Moments lived can never be relived. Make it count.
    Help the one who is weaker behind you and push the one who is more advanced in front of you and cheer them on.

    Result = Win-Win for everyone.

    Love, A Georgia Girl

    Kristie
    God bless you as you stay up late nights and early mornings....

    I love what Jennifer (Potpiegirl) says. If you are willing to do for
    one year what others won't, you can live in a way others never can. (my
    own translation, Jennifer, thanks for all your help through this journey
    for me!)

    Kristie
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  • Profile picture of the author Bjarne Viken
    Hi Rod

    Thanks for posting that thread. That made my day. It made me look critically at what I am doing. For instance I will reconsider adding more products to each product launch, using more press-releases and I have already orders two books on Amazon based on your list.
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    Bjarne Viken
    Conversion Strategist

    Skype: bjarne.viken | bjarne@scaleup.com.au | LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/bjarneviken | http://www.scaleup.com.au | Free consultation: http://calendly.com/bjarne-viken

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  • Profile picture of the author Lightlysalted
    Wow a very very detailed and helpful contribution. I think the main point that I took from your post is that there are a lot of mediocre IM's out there trying to make a fast back from other people's websites.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheRealDMH
    Hi Rod,

    thank you for the time, effort and wisdom in your post. It is something that I will definitely be printing out, thinking about, meditating on and highlighting.

    I am looking for a comeback to IM after finding out that yes, the real world is as depressing as I thought it would be!!! I took too many risks last time, had some big wins, but some big losses and then had to go and get a 'real' job.

    This is timely and timeless advice.

    Thank you
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  • Profile picture of the author Mikemc
    Just stumbled upon this. Excellent list and very useful info. Thanks for writing and posting this.
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    "You win some, you lose some and some get rained out."

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  • Profile picture of the author Kenwerd
    Dude, this is awesome. One of the best posts I've read on here. I think 55 is my favorite, though I may have to go with vodka instead
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  • Profile picture of the author plusdollar
    Thanks for the great post. Your list have given me hope.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joe R Piercey
    Thanks Rod, Ive come back to read this post several times.

    very grateful

    Joe
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  • Profile picture of the author loi77
    Hi Rod,

    Thanks very much for sharing these valuable lessons. I wish I had learned them when I first started my IM journey.

    You are a true inspiration.
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  • Profile picture of the author bartholomä
    Thank you for this inspiring and highly motivational post.

    I like your philosophy, probably because mine is pretty similar (but I am a newbie to IM and just learning about everything).

    Anthony Robbins is the best life coach I have ever listened to and he helped me a lot (get The Edge!).
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  • Profile picture of the author ChloeCKimberley
    Thanks for the post! Great insights.

    Funny bits at the end lol
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    Signed, Chloe C Kimberley
    copywriter,designer,marketer

    "If you're making good money with SEO/PPC/product creation, I'll be willing to offer copywriting assistance to you so that I can learn from you."

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  • Profile picture of the author warrior212
    23. Never, ever compromise your CHARACTER. Integrity, honesty, and wanting to give value will ALWAYS make your business stand head and shoulders above everyone else. This isn't my opinion, it's the basic law of the attraction universe.
    Wow awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your life story and wisdom, what I love you most, you are also man of integrity, and the value of it? PRICELESS!
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  • Profile picture of the author UniRS
    One of the most amazing reads I've ever encountered! Thanks for sharing, wow.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kean Edson
    BIG THANKS Rod,

    Well said,

    I like much the idea of F.O.C.U.S. (Finish One Course Until Successful), quoted from the idea of one of my favorite author Robert Kiyosaki (when it comes to financial management) and we both like Seth Godin (when it comes to marketing).

    Thanks a lot Rod,

    May we be great business partners in the future.



    Kean
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  • Profile picture of the author Will Roarke
    Really good post. Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Skaught27
    Great stuff! Definitely bookmarked this page.
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  • Profile picture of the author JeremiahSay
    For many reasons, I felt like I just have a personal conversation with Rod.

    You mentioned that you friend recommended you to write a book. I think you should, seriously!!

    It's gonna be great!! I will be your first fan

    Haha, seriously,
    Jeremiah
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  • Profile picture of the author bugs810
    This was Awesome, I have been into internet marketing for about a year now, I have had some success, but I have a lot to learn. I am printing this list out and hanging it on my wall right above my monitor.

    These are truly words to live by, for not only an internet marketer, but for anyone who wants to succeed.
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  • Profile picture of the author andymisiu
    That was an awesome read! thanks so much!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author sundown16
    That's what you call.. laying it on the line by someone who's walked the walk!
    should be mandatory reading for ANYONE entering online marketing
    I can really relate to 2, 3, 14 and 36
    great post
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  • Profile picture of the author tristatemedia
    great post.....i just want to remind everybody here is a special breed of person. you want to change your own destiny. you do not want o sit there and accept what happened to you. you demand to know what happened and why it happened and how you can fix it. i sent friends to this forum and they just turned away. the desire is not there.
    thank god for giving us the strength and desire to follow our dreams. one day we will catchh that elusive dream that is hidden in posts and threads in this forum.
    best of luck to all of us.
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  • Profile picture of the author nikolai11
    The nice thing about it, its 100% true!
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  • Profile picture of the author Duc
    Thanks for your inspiration.
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  • Profile picture of the author LadyJoy
    WoWhee...new to the forum and so glad I stumbled onto your wisdom...thank you kindly for sharing your insights into this sometimes confusing and sometimes con product area....
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  • Profile picture of the author Deepak Media
    My fav points:

    Test, track, and tweak because 99.8% of your competitors are too lazy to do this.

    A proven viral marketing secret is this: give more value consistently than just ONE of your top competitors and you'll be raking it in. With the internet having more and more people share things with people they know, word-of-mouth advertising will never go out of style.

    Internet marketing techniques will always change and evolve, but business principles will remain constant.

    Mediocrity rules the marketplace.

    The first thing anyone should do is get clarity on what they really want.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bruha
    Maybe the single best thing I've ever read on this forum.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tjalling
    What an amazing Thread, thank you very much for posting this.

    Ps: I think I already broke rule 4: I trust you!
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  • Profile picture of the author Zarathushtra
    Amazing list, it is a goldmine of infos, really. I agree at 100%.
    Thank you very much.
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  • Profile picture of the author successproducts
    51. Screenshots are pretty worthless. And not because they can be faked. It's primarily because what they earned has very little to do with what you'll earn.
    yeah I've been feeling the same for years -- Yet I love to dream -- and I would be dead if I can't dream any more. Nothing is so much grandieur than closing my eyes and seeing that I am living my dreams.

    Don't judge any books by its cover also. Get to know people and I feel that I've made so many mistakes just by looking the book by its cover. I was inspired after seeing my first mistake.

    Well I still dream to make that million bucks -- but I am so very happy where I am. I make great money -- and I have a great family to share.
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  • Profile picture of the author yanivkalfa
    This was fun read. Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author drhammour
    Thank you for sharing your experience. It's reassuring to see that all 56 points do make sense for me.. now it's about to put them into action.

    It's my first comment in the warrior forum..
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  • Profile picture of the author dutchguy
    Very good post and useful points. And I think you are spot on and that collaboration is the new wave that follows on socializing.

    And mastering this will be essential to have succes in internet marketing the next 10 years.

    Would not be surprised if this subject will be the next book of Seth Godin.
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  • Profile picture of the author jeffreys
    This is long but a great read.

    Thank you.
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  • Profile picture of the author ayhaah
    AWESOME!

    Great Post

    Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Gawk
    Great list Rod!! This has really given me a few things to think about
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  • Profile picture of the author Noel Cunningham
    Great read Rod - just about to print it off as I type this!

    Awesome work with lots of solid info there, cheers mate.
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  • Profile picture of the author Marsala
    I just found this post and that is awesome. I'm copying it so I can read it again and again. Thank you for passing down your wisdom. Another thank you for the book recommendations. I'll read them.

    A+
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  • Profile picture of the author josephpeter
    Really helped me regain focus, most helpful.

    Thanks

    JosephPeter ''all about the list''
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  • Profile picture of the author SirStanley
    Thanks for this post - I loved it

    Not sure why you got so many people asking about number 13, just reading your post should have been enough to answer that question

    Cheers
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  • Profile picture of the author Exel
    This is some excellent advice, thanks for the great post.
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  • Profile picture of the author IMHunter
    Great post Rod! Thanks for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author humboldt
    I also like the premise and advice of F.O.C.U.S !
    Thanks !
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    if not now, when ?

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  • Profile picture of the author 4EverMaAT
    OP,

    You did an excellent job of summarizing fundamentals of starting/running business from actual experience. Funny thing is, that the rest of life is exactly the same way. When we go through this wonderful unlearning process, we realize that this "truth" that appeared so elusive was right in front of us the entire time.

    I personally recommend "The Four Agreements" not a marketing book, but Don Miguel Ruiz cuts the crap and reveals the exact cause of all the imagined suffering and drama in human behavior. In fact, I recommend all of his books (only 3 or 4 very quick reads). If you can get the audiobook, do so.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jas Kaur
    Thank you for sharing this... it really helps us newbies out there who are overwhelmed and confused. List is saved on desktop and will be referred back to whenever pre-mentioned feelings occur.. and at other times too
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  • Profile picture of the author luane
    Rod, Just reread parts of that - wow! Can certainly resonate with each piece of that. Once a week? I go shaggin' - takes my mind completely away from slogging away at the computer.

    A proven system? Yes!
    Persistence? You bet!
    Produce more than you buy? Golden!

    Thanks so much for sharing all of that wisdom with the WF! It is a GIFT
    from your heart to ours!

    Kristie from Georgia
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  • Profile picture of the author cashtree
    Has my vote for best post of the year.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryandre
    WOW! as a newbie to this site I'm astounded with all the value on this site, thanks for this list (especially #55) Rod you should just write a book on this.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aditeo
    Wow , very inspirelly
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  • Profile picture of the author Kean Edson
    Thanks Rod,

    I learned a lot from it,

    I printed it out to be my source of inspiration and guide.


    Kean
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  • Profile picture of the author thaiminh76
    i am a new bie
    how can do that?
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  • Profile picture of the author thaiminh76
    oh,a great article
    i am a new bie
    can i do that?
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  • Profile picture of the author JerryKuzma
    Thank you for your generosity.....

    In this industry, I have found this to be true:

    "There are many SELLERS,
    but not many HELPERS."



    Thanks for being a helper,....


    All the best,

    Jerry K
    N Ireland


    All the best,
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  • Profile picture of the author mbahgugel
    Thank's a lot Rob.....
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  • Profile picture of the author Oliver Williams
    Excellent post, it's contributions like these that make the WF such an exceptional resource for any IMer.
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  • Profile picture of the author maxsm
    Hi Rod,

    Thank you for this very useful post, I will be implementing some of your suggestions from your list.

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  • Profile picture of the author dodif
    Thanks man,really good post.
    I appreciate your help,thanks for your time!
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    • Profile picture of the author highhopes
      A very good experience, well put. It`s a study course in itself on how to focus well done Rod and thanks for sharing.
      Signature

      Ways to grow your online business. Earning online tips for the home worker and essential steps to take to earn money online.
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    • Profile picture of the author highhopes
      A very good experience, well put. It`s a study course in itself on how to focus well done Rod and thanks for sharing.
      Signature

      Ways to grow your online business. Earning online tips for the home worker and essential steps to take to earn money online.
      http://wwwtheearninghub.com

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  • Profile picture of the author sam4
    wow thanks i really need some motivation and this helps me.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    I would highly advise anyone reading this thread to print it out and stick it on the wall. Ive read this thread a few times now, its just that awesome.
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    • Profile picture of the author celente
      Originally Posted by John Romaine View Post

      I would highly advise anyone reading this thread to print it out and stick it on the wall. Ive read this thread a few times now, its just that awesome.
      nice tips.

      Always great to learn from those who have failed and succeeded. It can save you a lot of time sweat and heart ache.

      I guess we have all been there...but I have warrior sayings posted on my walls to from the offtopic threads, and they are awesome too. Keeps you motivated when you need it most.
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  • Profile picture of the author RyanLima
    WOW amazing information and advice in here......fo show....
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  • Profile picture of the author jonrpatrick
    Amazing post! Thank you, educational and inspirational. You could take multiple of them and build whole threads around them!
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  • Profile picture of the author jamesb8484
    Great information! Everything you said is true and inspiring. Thanks for share.
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  • Profile picture of the author joveck
    I can't find the thank you button so I'm writing this instead.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you.
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    “You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb.”

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  • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
    Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

    10. Always take income claims with a grain of salt.
    Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

    25. If you have 2 or more solid info products on how to make money online in your hard drive then you probably have enough information already to make 6 figures by next year. No, I'm NOT kidding.

    The list of Warriors and other enterpreneurs who have proven this theory would be longer than the Twilight Trilogy.
    You must have forgotten about #10 when you wrote #25 haha
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  • Profile picture of the author Nexstair
    A lot of learning and motivation..........Thumbs Up !!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Blade Runner 77
    Thank you for this good information
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  • Profile picture of the author getrichinfo
    thanks! this is stuff that all newbies had to read before starting their path in IM
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  • Profile picture of the author unoentremil
    Excellent Work, Rod. Thanks for sharing your experience. I really appreciate it.

    3. The first thing anyone should do is get clarity on what they really want.
    Very true. It's easy to get lost with so many options and information overload.

    All the best
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Roncone
    I don't quite think that this post could possibly be any more helpful than it is already.

    Many of these items I have only just realized in the past month or two when I decided to open my own business (after four years of playing around with IM, unsuccessfully).

    A good portion of them (seriously though, many of them are my thoughts exactly) actually came about when I read Think and Grow Rich which is in itself pretty lame and stereotypical, but it sure as hell has worked for me so far.

    Thanks for the great share, I think I speak for all of us there.

    Best,
    -Mike Roncone
    Signature

    Founder & Web Strategist at Grae Web Strategies

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  • Profile picture of the author Aliasjackjones
    Amazing this is such an amazing thread, I am gonna bookmark it right now.
    Thank you for this.
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  • Profile picture of the author reecelfc8
    thanks alot
    i'm new here and going to start my own online business in around 2 weeks, so i'm sure i will benefit from your experienc.
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  • Profile picture of the author AigulErali
    very true, thanks for share!
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  • Profile picture of the author therichb
    Great Share of Information !!!

    I would dream of finding this before starting out talking with my customers then it would have created wonders in strategic implementation of principles.

    People & Niche, the most relevant part in the form of traffic for your business presence.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexandru
    One of the best threads I've ever read on this forum! I didn't really expect the list to actually have 56 rules. Keep the advice coming and thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author CaviB
    Thanks for the great post, hoping to finally put action into those ideas I have.
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  • Profile picture of the author Big Al
    Wicked post, thank you very much.

    Just started reading Seth Godin's "All Marketers Tell Stories". He's a new comer to my bookshelf.

    Goals and deadlines... goals and deadlines... that's my big take-away from the post.
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  • Profile picture of the author SeanFromSoCal
    Rod, thanks for sharing your tips with all of us. I've been a member of community for a while now but not very active as I've been distracted with offline life =) But your lessons will definitely come in handy as I'm jumping back in.

    Also good to see you are local. Maybe one day I can buy you a coffee and see if we can do some business together.
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  • Profile picture of the author goindeep
    I think my thanks ran out...

    So here is a real one. THANK YOU.

    That was excellent, I agree Alexandru, one of the best threads I have ever read here too.

    Some people would have sold that... just sayin.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarevok
    I've read this post like 500 times.

    And I seem to learn more with each read.



    Epic post
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  • Profile picture of the author jamiebarclay
    Hey Rod,

    Awesome post my friend, this is truly an abundant post. Knowledge is the key to success and you have just shared all of your most valuable experiences in business with everybody on this forum. I am deeply moved and impressed with your commitment to help and give back to the community.

    This forum rocks because of people like yourself.

    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Surminga
    Oh. my. god, this is the way to start a thread off. This information here is something which marketers alike can look to for inspiration as well as same feelings as this will never out date. I mean this was posted in 2011 and I have only just somehow stumbled across it and can relate to many of your points.
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Montgomery
    Great post it really was an excellent read and point 25 made me smile so by following your other points maybe I can tick off this point
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  • Profile picture of the author JabMonkey
    44. Seth Godin is one smart cookie; read everything he publishes, your marketing efforts will be better for it.

    (EDIT: we all have our favorite authors. I like authors that make me THINK, even if I don't agree with them on some things. Seth makes me think and my business has been better for it).
    Without a doubt. Seth's teachings should be required reading for everyone.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sonara
    Thank you Mr. Rod. This not only made my day. It allowed me to relax and feel normal. It's been two months since I began and despite the fact that I am financially unable to commit to much, I have been overwhelmed. Too many gurus and too much to learn. I am now confident and will set up a first step in the morning. Thank you again.
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  • Profile picture of the author Keepa
    Thanks for this amazing post, appreciate your sharing and caring, Luv it.
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  • Profile picture of the author charm01
    Wow thank you for sharing your experience
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  • Profile picture of the author lifesofree
    I've read your post for the ... like 15th? time ... it's so powerful. Rod, I even wrote an homage text shortly after you've postet this one.

    Or, in two words:

    Thank you.
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  • Profile picture of the author ownergolan
    Great stuff. Thnx much!!
    Signature
    "Aiyyo I'm gonna be on ti-dop, that's all my eyes can see..
    Ill put in work, and watch my status escalate"
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  • Profile picture of the author kstavert
    Rod, thank you for this awesome list...

    I copied it and will keep it by my computer
    to remind me...
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  • Profile picture of the author Naim717
    This was a really great read!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Ten
    I prefer vodka or whiskey over tequila.
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  • Profile picture of the author lalit657
    A brilliant post for the new comer on the internet....at least they stick to a particular place instead of shaking their heads to somewhere....
    Signature

    If you're going to tell members to check your signature, this is what they'll see.

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  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    Great post for any new comer on the forum. I saw this post a while ago and read it through a few times. It was one of the threads that inspired me to start doing this full-time actually.

    I just wanted to let anybody who is seeing this know that these are great and invaluable lessons so to learn them for free is almost incomprehensible.
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  • Profile picture of the author OfflineKing
    List is very true, Ive experienced many of these myself... the hard way. Good points to keep in mind and remember always tweak and tune your methods because others dont!
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  • Profile picture of the author Sean Mckee
    Awesome! Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Tyler S
    Thanks Rod. You always have such great content.
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  • Profile picture of the author shon morley
    This is inspirational.I'm new to internet marketing and this forum and after reading a ton of garbage I finally get it.Thanks a lot this should be an ebook or paperback book any way you win

    Thanks alot
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    • Profile picture of the author wulfgar2012
      great post, some good tips there.
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  • Profile picture of the author Searchlabmedia
    Hey Rod,

    Just the fact that you took the time to write all of this out in such detail, shows the type of individual you are.

    Love the "veteranos" line, lol, I think we might live in the same hood! :-)

    If you are still in SoCal, would love to connect.

    Fight On,

    Dave Cisneros
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  • Profile picture of the author eire01
    Great advise dude, thanks for sharing!
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  • Profile picture of the author mikeac
    Thanks for sharing this Rod. This advice right here is golden and every internet marketer could learn a thing or 2 from this including myself.
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  • Profile picture of the author CPA Monster
    Awesome YEAR ENDING THREAD !!! I will print it and read it once a day , hope within 1 month I get 11 Years EXPERIENCE
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  • Profile picture of the author Jab 3
    Rod,
    Thank you for your valuable feedback.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rewbert
    Banned
    Great thread, Mr Cortez.

    This thread served me well, seeing as i'm new in this whole field of marketing. I'll take your lessons to my heart and try to keep most of them in mind.

    People get what people deserve.
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  • Profile picture of the author greatjay
    Thanks and God bless you for sparing your time in writting this wonderful article, I ll book mark it and make it my source of inspiration. One thing I ll choose now is the Number 2," try to focus on one thing at a time". Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author wiggles122
    Great Stuff, I am a beginner and I learned a lot from reading your post.
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  • Profile picture of the author affiliateagle
    Great Post! Many wont admit what you just admitted on your post, however I can definitely relate. Glad you made the post, there are many who can benefit greatly by what you just wrote.
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  • Profile picture of the author mayagh
    nice lessons, truly accurate !!
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  • Profile picture of the author HorstStreit
    Good, thank you.
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  • Profile picture of the author KseniaTrushina
    Banned
    Just to learn.thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author ThatOneGuy
    One of the best posts I've read on this forum.
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    I Haz Website! ThatOneGuy is now up, running, and ready to dispense advice and log its journey to Internet success.

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  • Profile picture of the author wesd22
    Got to #19 and stopped when I saw you rave about Tony Robbins. It killed your credibility.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
      Originally Posted by wesd22 View Post

      Got to #19 and stopped when I saw you rave about Tony Robbins. It killed your credibility.
      Interesting point of view. While I realize not everyone likes him, his information was directly responsible for transforming my life and my business. He's had more impact to me both personally and professionally than any other single living mentor.

      I realize you have your reason or reasons for not liking him, but stating that I have no credibility because I had him as a mentor is both unfair and rather myopic.

      I'm going to have to disagree with you on this.

      RoD
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    • Profile picture of the author Complex
      Originally Posted by wesd22 View Post

      Got to #19 and stopped when I saw you rave about Tony Robbins. It killed your credibility.
      What do Andre Agassi, Bill Clinton, Hugh Jackman, Donna Karan and Serena Williams have in common?

      They've all hired Anthony Robbins in some capacity or another. These are all people with the money and connections to hire anyone in the world ... and they chose Anthony Robbins.

      His track record ain't too shabby.

      Yours???

      @ RodCortez - epic post. Your credibility is fully intact in my opinion. Perfect example of why I come back to this forum every now and again. This has been bookmarked and I bookmark almost nothing.
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  • This post is Very Inspiring.
    I am just now getting ready to begin implementing an online business. After all of the training and courses I have completed over the past 2 years; I am going to begin implementation. I have a few business models that I have narrowed down and making final decision on which one to begin marketing and creating a revenue generating plan.
    .
    Tips 25, 31, 32, and 50 were especially inspirational as I see the potential that 'real' hard work can pay off Great Rewards!
    .
    A/B Testing can Increase Profits; up-to 5-10 X's
    Eventually everybody has to learn how to do A/B split testing :confused: or learn where to outsource it . But this skill or investment can wait till you have things in place and have collected data over time via a plugin tool.
    .
    Those who TEST, optimize for maximum ROI!!

    .
    Good Luck to everybody planning a new online Venture. Keep positive and keep learning! The success & money is possible for us who keep learning and optimizing.
    Signature

    no sig

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  • Profile picture of the author babyleaps
    Thank you. I am so new here I don't even have the official "thank you" button yet, but have been working on my business (and lurking here) long enough to hear the truth in what you've shared.

    I agree about your observation regarding energy vampires, and in that group I would include those people who I foolishly told about the initial tiny successes I had. I should have realized that once the initial flush of enthusiasm was past, they would fall away from the work that was required. I am here for many reasons, but one of the main ones is to be part of a community who understands the process, and the work, that succeeding in this business entails.
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  • Profile picture of the author revinkevin
    Rod, Just to say thanks for this, Its so hard to focus when my inbox is bursting with the next one click wonder and how easy it is to make a fortune overnight.... Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author alvinchua91
    I have one more thing to add in: When you realize that you are drifting away from your goal, do not change your goal, change what you are doing to get there!
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  • Profile picture of the author Kroncept
    A big bowl of wisdom with some common sense sprinkled on top.

    Thank you so much!
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  • Profile picture of the author JSL Publishing
    Hey Rod,

    Nicely put together and thanks for taking the time to do it...Greatly appreciated.

    Jan

    Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

    Edit: Updated for 2013

    Warriors,

    I first stumbled upon the Warrior Forum back in 1999 through a free viral report written by Allen Says, the owner of this forum. I browsed through the forum, intermittently in and out over the next few years, not really giving it much of a thought. Boy, what a mistake that was.

    I quit my job back in 2001 and thought to myself, "why would I ever need to go and waste my time in a forum?". Well, it took me a while to figure out that you only get out of something what you PUT into it.

    When you ask bad questions you tend to get bad answers and that's what I was doing. After a lot of lurking I registered my account in 2004. And it's one of the best things I've ever done because I finally chose to look at the glass half full.

    Since then I've seen a lot of people come and go. A lot. Thousands. Some have moved on and a few have stayed. But one thing has remained a constant: there's a steady stream of newbies, many whom are frustrated or overwhelmed with all the information that is out there, even a few veteranos as we like to say in my hood.

    After a while, they begin to wonder who in the heck can they trust. And I don't blame them. I was in their shoes at one time, getting burned and burned again by those who had no ethics, but I was able to rise above that and you can too.

    There are a lot of personalities here, an eclectic set of belief and value systems in this forum, some are bad, some are great, and others are...well....different. The diversity in here is simply amazing if you choose to focus on that instead of the few bad apples that come and go. If you don't agree with that then you're focusing on the wrong things.

    If you're new to internet marketing or a grizzled veteran who hasn't really attained the success you want yet, I want to humbly share with you my many years of experience because I really think it can help you. You see, I have made and lost fortunes. I have had so many ups and downs in my life my close friends have advised me to write a book about it. Uhm, maybe someday, but not now.

    No matter how rough things get, here are some tough lessons that I've learned after so many failures and successes, all those nights that I stayed up wide awake, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. Despite all those failures, successes eventually came because of the things that I'm about to share with you.....

    Though I've never gone without a meal or a roof over my head, I've been out of work before, I depleted my 401k to start a business and failed, I've had JV partners take all the profits and not pay me, and many other obstacles, too many to list here.

    After a lot of hard work, focus, and mentoring I cracked the IM puzzle for myself. So this is the list I wish I had when I first got started......

    1. You have a lot more power than you think. And don't let anyone tell you differently. Power simply means "the ability to act" and all of you possess this. You just have to decide to use it. Power is like the muscle, the more action you take, the easier it gets. Science has already proven this to be true as the neural strands in your brain get thicker the more you do certain things.

    2. When I first got started I wish someone would have advised me "look, you're going to focus on ONE thing at a time and master it before you move onto the next". Focus isn't just a word, it's the ability to keep your eye on what you want to accomplish so any obstacles you see will be ignored.

    EDIT: By "master" I really meant be competent at something. I didn't have to "master" PPC before I starting making a profit with it, but I did have to go through 3 months of losing money before I found a campaign that was a winner.

    3. The first thing anyone should do is get clarity on what they really want. Making 10k per month is not a real goal. It's good to have, but if you don't become CRYSTAL clear on the WHY behind that goal, you're going to let obstacles kick your butt. Wanting money never got me anywhere. Now spending time with my loved ones and telling my boss to go pound sand.......PRICELESS!!!!

    Focus on what money will do for you and what it will give you; in my case I wanted freedom more than anything in the world. Anytime things got tough I would focus on that freedom; it kept me from quitting when I felt lost.

    4. Trust no one, at first. Yes, there are some FANTASTIC people out there that are willing to help you, but there are also a lot of charlatans. I paid a lot of money to consultant a few years ago to help increase my conversions, after the hour long phone call I realized he didn't know what he was talking about. But boy could he talk a good game. Yes, he was able to sucker someone with 20 years of business experience. Look at what Bernie Madoff was able to accomplish...... some people have the gift of being able to fool others, if only they would use that power for good.

    So be careful and don't be afraid to ask for references. I didn't in the beginning and I learned this lesson the hard way.

    5. Automation and software are key to running a business, but there is no such thing as a push button solution that will make you rich. Anyone who says so is selling you snake oil.

    6. Hard work and persistence are great, but always take a step back so you can make sure you're going in the right direction. No sense in ending up in the south pole if your intention was to go to New York.

    EDIT: It is very important to take breaks and evaluate your business from time to time to make sure you are going in the right direction. Your focus should be on providing value to your target market and making sales. If you're focusing on too many other things and notice that you are drifting away from increasing conversions and making sales, then it's time to reassess what you are doing.

    7. Mediocrity rules the marketplace. I don't care if it's improving your golf swing, finding the mate of your dreams, curing sweaty palms, or saving for retirement.......you will almost always win if you truly EXCEED your customer's expectations.

    In the words of the late Cory Rudl, "Take care of your customers and the competition will take care of themselves."

    8. Ranting and complaining never made anyone rich. Take any negative energy and go outside for a walk, hit a punching bag, or double your promotional efforts for your business. Complaining and ranting accomplishes nothing.

    9. You can't please everybody and to try is folly. Stay true to yourself, throw your heart into your business, and stand firm in your beliefs and good things will happen to you (as long as your heart is in the right place).

    EDIT: Some people have PMed me stating that one should always try to please everyone because that's what customer service is all about. And I agree with that. But that's not the point I was making. For example, I have a very specific type of writing style that I have when I talk to my subscribers in the various niches I'm in.

    I've had people write me and tell me that I should write this way or that way, but ultimately, I like to write to people like they are people and I like letting my personality shine through. Some people don't like that and that's okay.

    Don't be afraid to be yourself when your run your business. Take a look at Brad Gosse, that guy is a great example in how to brand yourself and be yourself. Also look at Ron Douglas, Kay King, Paul Myers, Willie Crawford, just a few Veteran Warriors who aren't afraid to be themselves. And it works.

    10. Always take income claims with a grain of salt. Remember, they are not YOU and.....you are NOT them.

    11. Embrace fear and don't let it rule your actions. Even the late Johnny Carson, the master public speaker and entertainer, got nervous before each show.

    12. Adopt the "student" frame and always keep it. Nobody knows everything. I promise you, if you have this mindset you will never stop learning and growing and life will bring you good things.

    Even masters at something have mentors (and so do their mentors).

    13. Learn to help others anonymously once you make it, it WILL come back to you ten times over. And if it doesn't, you still made this world a better place.

    (EDIT: People have been asking me about this one. What I mean by this is that my philosophy is that one should help themselves and their families first. This way they'll be in a better position to help more people later on.).

    14. Making money is simple, but it's not easy. Yes, it's simple, almost ridiculously so, but it takes W-O-R-K in the beginning. A lot of it. Are there exceptions to this rule? Very, very few.


    15. If you don't write down your goals, you're running a hobby, not a business. Just remind yourself daily that virtually all profitable corporations plan out their year(s) ahead of time. IN Japan they plan out 25 to 50 years ahead of time......

    EDIT: Yes, I realize there are people out there advising people to rip up their "to-do" lists and that setting goals and writing them down is counter productive. But study after study have shown that writing down a goal increases the chances of you achieveing that goal significantly.

    On the flipside of that, if your to-do lists aren't working for you, then find something that will.

    16. If you don't write a deadline by your goal, by definition it's not a goal.

    EDIT: Same philosophy here: some people don't believe in setting deadlines. Some people advise that you should "do it as soon as possible". Hey, if that works for you, then do it. But for me, writing down a deadline gives me clarity.

    17. Internet marketing techniques will always change and evolve, but business principles will remain constant.

    (EDIT: people have been asking me about this one too. This topic alone would take up another thread. A few examples would be the ability to create effective sales copy, basic market research, knowing how to price a product / service, how to deliver value to your customers as efficiently as possible, investing in oneself, giving back to your community, solving a specific problem, providing great service, promoting your business, etc.).

    18. Run a principled-based, purpose-driven business and you will radically increase your chances at long-term success. (EDIT: it could be as simple as under-promising and over-delivering for your customers and having that as your core purpose).

    19. Follow results, not sales copy. Here's one example of following someone who GETS results: Tony Robbins "gets it". He's a good mentor to have because he can help you understand HOW your brain works and once you learn that there is nothing that you will not be able to achieve. His paperback books or digital books are very affordable.

    From a personal stand point: no single mentor or guru has had more influence on me than Tony Robbins. Why? Because he has the amazing ability to take the best of the best and put it into a concise format that anyone can use. And it makes sense because this has been his life's focus.

    He helped me lose unhealthy weight, to understand the social matrix, how to build wealth, lower my blood pressure, and make my doctor grab me and exclaim, "how did you do all this without prescription drugs?" (I used to have super high blood pressure, high fat content in my blood, and high cholesterol and I lowered it all naturally without using any drugs. I did it all by permanently changing the way I eat).

    20. Don't be afraid to create your own products, there ARE people out there that want to buy from you, over and over again....and again. At least 20 to 33% of them from your existing customer base.

    (EDIT: you don't have to create your own products, people do really well with affiliate, CPA, and adsense marketing. I have a bias toward product creation because I like having more control over the products I promote, the sales process, the follow up, etc. But if you want to create your own products, then I say go for it).

    21. Feeling overwhelmed is a very common feeling, but don't let it rule you. The best way to deal with it is to have your goals WRITTEN down and then focusing on one of them at a time. Remember, Rome was not built in one day. And it took 30 years for the Taco Bell triple stack to come to market......

    22. Don't try to be someone you're not. Whether you believe it or not, you have some AMAZING things about you. Find out what those things are and use those things to find the Unique Selling Proposition for your business. And remember, mediocrity abounds on the internet, you can usually compete on value and service.

    23. Never, ever compromise your CHARACTER. Integrity, honesty, and wanting to give value will ALWAYS make your business stand head and shoulders above everyone else. This isn't my opinion, it's the basic law of the attraction universe.

    (EDIT: when you're a person of integrity your customers will see it come through in the way you run your business. In the long run it will increase your customer base dramatically).

    24. Talent recognizes talent, and you have much more of it than you think.

    25. If you have 2 or more solid info products on how to make money online in your hard drive then you probably have enough information already to make 6 figures by next year. No, I'm NOT kidding.

    The list of Warriors and other enterpreneurs who have proven this theory would be longer than the Twilight Trilogy.

    26. Education is key. Invest in yourself, always.

    27. After submitting thousands of pieces of content in the form of articles, videos, podcasts, original blog comments, etc. I've come to learn that CONTENT marketing not only works, but it will be around for decades to come. Applications might rule the next decade, but after that something else will rule.......but people will always demand quality content, regardless if the format it comes in.

    28. Remember, to make money you have to SELL something. Whether it's a click, a product, a link, a service, etc. and everything else is just mental masturbation.

    (EDIT: what inspired me to write this one was watching clients spend endless hours on things that did not make them money. If you're not selling with some consistency then you either need more traffic, better conversions, more products, or you're not promoting your business enough).

    29. It is very difficult to build a multi-million dollar organization on your own. You should out source as soon as you can afford it (and it might be sooner than you think). Yes, I advised to trust "no one" in the beginning, but once someone earns your trust you better hold onto them.

    30. Once someone earns your trust, don't be afraid to make them part of your mastermind / group/ or business.

    31. One-product launches are a recipe for disaster. Start off with at least 3 and you'll more than triple your chances for success. This is based on pure mathematics.

    (EDIT: I got a lot of questions on this one. All I mean by this is that you should have an effective product launch strategy. What's going to be your first product? What are you going to up-sell or cross-sell? What mix of products or services are you going to market to them AFTER you've made the sale? This goes hand-in-hand with building a list).

    32. Build your own network of people who "get it" and you will NEVER be poor. Whether it's building a list, a Facebook fan page, or a forum like this one or a membership site, focus on building your own network of people that KNOW and TRUST you and you will have wealth for as long as they are with you.

    I have a neighbor that lives on my block who stills makes a very nice living marketing with post cards. When I asked him why he uses post cards to get his marketing message out, his reply was simple:

    "The mail doesn't have spam filters".

    (EDIT: one of my mentors has a customer list of 300 people that earns him over $100k per year, every year. They stay with him because they've "latched" onto him. They like the value he brings and they trust him and his advice. It took him about 3 years to build his first list. It took him 2 months to build his 2nd six figure list).

    33. You can build massive wealth in one year, though it will most likely take you 3 to 5 years.

    34. Reinvest your profits, don't buy things, initially, and if you don't believe me, read the book by Andrew Tobias called THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED, it costs less than a large pizza and it's entertaining too.

    35. Once your WRITE down your goals they are not set in stone. You can always change them as needed.

    36. Your friends, family, and even your significant other might not understand what you are doing. That's okay, as long as they don't inhibit your progress. Tell them to give you 2 years as that should be enough time to prove them wrong.

    (EDIT: When I first started IM I had been with my girlfriend at the time for 5 years. She became very "jealous" of my new business, despite the fact that I still spent a lot of time with her away from my computer. It got to the point where she was actually holding my dreams back.

    I had to end it with her and even though it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, it was one of the smartest things I ever did. I also stopped spending time with friends who were energy vampires. When you hang around people that are negative or unsupportive, they really have an effect on you. Sometimes you have to ask yourself what's more important........and only you can decide that for yourself.).

    37. Your 5 predominant habits will predict what your future will be like. So take some time and write them down. If any of them have anything to do with habitual complaining, blaming others, drugs, too much partying, spending too much money, or being negative in any way, then you already know what you need to change.

    38. Change is a lot easier than you think, you simply need to DECIDE that it is so.

    (EDIT: this is why it's so important to write down your goals and review them daily. It will help you stay focused so you can make the changes that you need to make).

    39. "There is no such thing as a 'normal life', there's only life Wyatt." - Doc Holiday.

    (EDIT: what inspired me to write this was a friend of mine who spends a lot of time worrying about living a "normal" life because his IM business is taking a lot of time investment and opportunity cost. And I told him that quote from the movie Tombstone. There's no such thing as a normal life. There's just life).

    40. Check your ego at the door. Nobody likes a know-it-all. If you stay teachable your rewards in this business will be monolithic despite what some people will tell you.

    41. Get a third opinion, really - it can't hurt in most cases. The worse thing that can happen is that you now have 3 opinions to work with.

    42. There should be an opt-in form of some kind on every single web page that you own. Yes, even "your contact us page."

    (EDIT: I've been experimenting with this for years now. I get a lot of free leads this way. Yes, it does leave a "foot print" that people can find, but personally, it's never been an issue for me).

    43. A proven viral marketing secret is this: give more value consistently than just ONE of your top competitors and you'll be raking it in. With the internet having more and more people share things with people they know, word-of-mouth advertising will never go out of style.

    44. Seth Godin is one smart cookie; read everything he publishes, your marketing efforts will be better for it.

    (EDIT: we all have our favorite authors. I like authors that make me THINK, even if I don't agree with them on some things. Seth makes me think and my business has been better for it).

    45. If you want traffic to your website realize that the following will never go out of style:

    a. Providing REAL value to your prospects and customers.
    b. "Original, valuable, but INCOMPLETE content will always get visitors to your website."
    -Jimmy D. Brown.
    c. Marketplaces and devices are growing every year, whether it's Amazon, Nook, a Kindle device, the iPad, iTunes, Lulu, Clickbank, Digiresults, etc. - if you continue your presence in more of them you are increasing your chances of more exposure which will get you more leads, which will lead to more sales.
    d. PLR content does not get the job done, in the long run.
    e. EDIT: Advertising: you can always buy traffic. Start small and scale up with your profits.
    f. EDIT: Free publicity: press releases, appearing as a guest on TV, radio, or online radio will continue to work as long as we have media. Study and learn about publicity and how it works. Millionaires have been created in a very short time frame by utilizing the power of the media.

    46. Press releases will continue to work as long as we have a media such as the news, TMZ, radio, television, entertainment, talk shows, etc. I suggest submitting at least one per month per website / business.

    47. Learn to PROTECT your wealth.

    (EDIT: Ask your financial professional about Living Trusts, Corporations, and other ways of protecting your assets. Remember Rick James @#$%!!. ).

    48. Warren Buffett didn't get rich because he's so smart. He got rich because he stuck to a proven system.

    49. Test, track, and tweak because 99.8% of your competitors are too lazy to do this.

    50. Niche research is a lot easier than you think, do these TWO things and you'll never run out of profitable niche ideas. Niche research is something people over complicate:

    a. Ask people (known or strangers) what's important to them. I found my most profitable markets by doing this (this is my favorite way to get new niche ideas).

    b. Follow the money. Where are advertisers spending their money? Where are people spending their money? There are ads everywhere, pay close attention to them.

    51. Screenshots are pretty worthless. And not because they can be faked. It's primarily because what they earned has very little to do with what you'll earn.

    52. Don't kid yourself. A blog is just a website with a different name. Should you have one though? Probably.

    53. Social networking is just the beginning. Collaboration is going to increase in the coming years and beyond. And it's only going to get better from there.

    54. After millions of transactions I've learned one essential truth: honor your refund policy, in the long run it can only bring you good will.

    (EDIT: there are some definite exceptions to this as some products or services, by their very nature, are not refundable. But if you have a refund policy, you should honor it).

    55. One tequila shot once in a while won't kill ya.....

    (EDIT: by this I mean make sure you go out and do something fun at least once a week, no matter what that is for you. I just happen to love fine tequila and enjoy it from time to time).

    56. It's OKAY to do your own thing. No, really.

    57. Build Your Own List / Network. If you build your list and/or nework of people who love your content / products / service/ etc. you will never go broke.

    Thank you for taking the time to read this list. If it helps one of you it will have done it's job.

    Warmly,

    RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author lofiegos
    Woww, thats a long list you have there. Very inspirational indeed. Thks a lot for sharing! Cheers
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  • Profile picture of the author World Marketing
    Great list here thanks!
    Signature

    I make $5,000+ a month online [CLICK HERE] to see how you can do the same starting today!

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  • Profile picture of the author dkallen
    Thank you so much. A newbie hoping to be one of those still standing in the future. Thanks again. DA
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  • Profile picture of the author curly sue
    OMG that is the longest post i ever came across! too much to take in but it was so worthy it, thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author briankno
    Great post Rob. I agreed with everything you had to say and this helps me see i'm on the right path to creating a long term business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Oliver13
    Awesome list. THANK YOU.
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  • Profile picture of the author basse
    A great read! Everyone new and old IMers should read this, awesome post
    Signature

    ==> I am back!: imbasse.com

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  • Profile picture of the author cwinning
    Fantastic list, great share.
    Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author bizforu
    Excellent, still all true today Sunday, June 4th, 2013
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  • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
    Thanks for sharing such a though-provoking post, and
    lessons learned in the school of hard-knocks.

    You rock!

    Willie
    Signature

    Here's A Ready-Made High Ticket Product To Make Your Own.
    Click To Go BIG!

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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Knowles
      Rod, appreciate the time you spent putting this together, Agree with all points, and TRobbins has even managed to influence this cynical IM'r... but that's another discussion.
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      • Profile picture of the author Phil Montreal
        Great post, and as many others have said, it should be read everyday.
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  • Profile picture of the author mario3
    Very nice posting.
    It's always nice to read something
    from an experienced Internet Marketer.
    Agree with Phil. Should be read every
    day...!
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  • Profile picture of the author RenardNET
    Excelent post, very inspiring. I hope I will learn a lot from this. Thank you.

    Tom
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  • Profile picture of the author adamrush
    This is awesome Rod. Thank you!
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  • Profile picture of the author datingworld
    Thanks a lot for sharing this, You have put too much efforts in it

    Rod, You Should Have Made WSO From It.... I Am Sure Many Would Have Bought It.

    Thanks Again
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