Where is BigFrank When You Need Him??!!??

Hey Jordo,

Sorry if I've misinterpreted your post, but it sounds like you're asking for "permission" to launch.

Here's the deal - you can bet you missed a step. I don't care how well you prepare, there will always be something you could have done, or that you could have done better.

The web can be very forgiving. If you post something and decide you could have done better, you can edit the original post in the blink of an eye. Forgot something, or didn't plan on covering a particular topic and then decided that you should have - no problem. Write another post.

As for the decisions you've made. That's great, but they are just the first in a long line of decisions that you'll be making as you progress (most will be on issues that aren't issues today).

I've read a lot of your posts - both questions and answers. You're no dummy.

I think you know that if you want to be successful, you have to do that pretty much on your own. Bouncing ideas off others, and seeking out answers to something you have no experience with is fine, but don't look for others approval.

Your plan will fly based on YOUR commitment to it - not someone elses.

Paging Big Frank. Cleanup on Aisle 6

Jordo,

Get started. As Sid mentioned, you don't need permission and you can fix any corrections you think are needed later. But you need to get started.

You can make corrections, but you can't get yesterday back.

It took me six months of steady blogging to start getting consistent traffic from google. Now, I probably could have done a better SEO job--I use the Yoast plugin but don't research keywords; I just write about what I feel like in my topic area. But you ought to have other sources of traffic than counting on SEO.

Forum sig; paid on FB, Outbrain, etc.; related newsletters.

Start getting some content up there and attracting people to see it.

A free report giveaway on your blog is another useful way to encourage signups.

It's been a year and a half for my own blog, and I get consistent traffic even though I post only two or three times a month compared to every couple days in the beginning.

One major factor which I haven't done a lot with but should is promotion. I'm well past the point where there's "enough" great content...what's necessary now is for more people to know my blog EXISTS.

I would build promotion more heavily into my strategy if I could go back and do it again.

If you want to rile Frank you'll need to change the forum thread title to: How can I turn $5 into $900K in a week?

At your beck and call.
Nothing that I post here, to my mind qualifies as 'writing,' other than for lack of a better descriptor, putting words to paper. 'Writing' indicates a certain creative element or style that rarely applies to anything that I would post on any forum. I believe that you meant to say that you enjoy my no-nonsense fashion of presenting my message. OK, I'll take it back. I guess that qualifies as writing, although it's only 2 steps up from reading the ingredients label on a box of Jello pudding-pops.
I'm going to assume that you meant to say, a "bit" harsh, even though 'big' harsh passes the muster of colloquialism. I can't argue this point with you as 'degree of harshness' is subjective and will be scored based on one's sensitivity level. I have often been accused of using my words as a two by four, with which to whack someone upside their head with. Guilty as charged. The first requirement in engaging someone through the written word is to get their attention. Rarely does communicating in a namby-pamby fashion achieve that goal. Part of my method is to write a sentence that is off-putting to the point that you find yourself in utter disbelief that I would have written it and to force you to keep reading in order to see if I can top myself, which I am usually quite capable of doing, without so much as breaking a sweat.
It matters not what I call it. The only thing that matters is how you perceive it. A question I always find myself asking others, is, "Who's reality would that be? Mine, yours, or anyone else's reading these words?" Is it correct to say that there is only one reality? Or, might there be a stark reality for each of us, based on our own unique perception of the world around us, our personal experiences over our lifetime and perhaps it's current colorization affected by an immediate situation one may find themselves in? I do not know. This is a mighty deep subject for my shallow, little mind.
Oh, I see. You find yourself in a bit of a quandary, so you come up with the idea that in order to quench your burning frustration you'll just head over to WF and throw bananas at Big Frank to see if you can entice him to make you laugh by doing the monkey dance. Not only will this allow you take your mind off of your banal existence for a few brief moments, but it will afford Big Frank the opportunity to get in his much needed, daily exercise. You're correct. You do need a major ass-kicking, but not for the reasons you stated.
I have nothing to offer you in this matter and truth be told, outside of the few areas where I actually have any actual expertise, quantified by a proven track record, rarely have I been called upon to evaluate anyone's 'IM game plan.'

I seriously doubt that outside of the newbies who sustain themselves by proffering the meaningless bromides imploring you to 'build a list,' 'scale-up,' 'rinse and repeat' and above all else to, 'just believe in yourself,' there is anyone less qualified to critique your personal business model, than myself.

Now, if you would like me to assume the role of a poser, I can certainly respond to each of your points, ad nauseam and convince you that I am an expert on these topics. That's not what I do, though. If you ask anyone around these parts about me, you'll get lots of colorful responses. We can start with troll, imbecile and moron and then move on to douche bag and cretin, all the way up to syphilis-brained pecker-head. I won't argue with any of those descriptions, but I would say for the record, each of them would have to be prefaced with the word 'honest' in order to be fully accurate. 'Honest' is what I do best and I believe that if you are seriously committed to helping someone achieve their goals, then giving them the most honest information, unencumbered by an expectation of anything in return, is the absolute best way to deal with them. Even when I say something that I know for a fact to be true, with the perfect understanding that the words could hurt you, I'll generally still use them. Would you rather have the words of a syphilis-brained pecker-head hurt you, or a close friend? Think about it. At the end of our intercourse you can walk away and never have to think about a single word I've said, if you feel that they were of no use to you and did hurt your feelings. Would you be able to divest yourself of those words and the effect they might have on you as easily if they emanated from a very close friend of yours? Of course not.
Obviously, not. The simple fact that you are sitting around, daydreaming and looking for others to either lambast, approve or edit your plan shows that you are not ready, at all. Long before you arrived at the stage you are at, you should have spent a great deal of time delving into personal introspection to make sure that the career path you have laid out is based upon something you feeling strongly enough about to devote your life to. Or, is it something you feel is as good as anything you might choose to do with your life, as well as a possibly easy way to make money, a premise which in reality is built upon a flimsy bed of pipe dreams that abound on this forum?
See, above!
That's commendable, but could be dangerous and while it could help you achieve a modicum of success, it could just as easily lead to abject failure. Listening to the advice of too many people, thinking that they all must have something good to share will more than likely lead to the most dangerous syndrome in all of IM and that is 'information overload.' The truth is, this is not rocket science. There are thousands of posts (speaking of ad nauseam) on this forum which outline the prerequisites of starting out in IM and many more with some advanced knowledge which could also be greatly beneficial. But, that's more part of the problem than a solution to anything. Developing a focused strategy is one of the foundational building blocks to any business, online or off, true as well with almost any type of project you will undertake in life,

Look at it this way. How many great bakers are there in the world that have written books on baking cakes? Hundreds, at least. So, if you were going to bake a cake, would you take a little bit of a recipe from a dozen competent authors or would you look at the authors of each book, peruse the foreward of their books where they clearly define their concept of the process of baking a cake and sticking with the recipe of the one that is best aligned with your as yet undeveloped cake-baking philosophy. Of course you would choose the latter, even if the foreward was written by someone other than the author, which is often the case. You would still get a feel for how the baker approaches their craft, or artistry, depending on how you view this type of both creative and practical effort.

Now, and I offer the following suggestion with no intent of lessening the actual qualifications of many people on this forum, so please - no body-slamming. If I were going to recommend that you start to follow the advice of one individual on this forum, it would be Jason Kanigan, especially relating to the direction you seem to want to head down. Look - I don't know Jason at all. I doubt that we have ever personally exchanged a single word. There is nothing he has that I need so I am certainly not looking to ingratiate myself to him. I recommend him because first, he is genuinely interested in helping people without looking for any remuneration, unless of course you wish to formally procure his professional services.

Next, I have read almost every post that he has written since I arrived here and many of his posts that are archived. They abound with expertise. It appears to me that Jason has forgotten more information than most people will ever acquire in their lifetime.

Next - his suggestions and ideas are based on practical experience - 'real-world' application of the techniques and tips that he recommends to others. None of this, "I read it in some book, crap!" He's done it, not just talked about it.

Next - his scope of information is very broad and it's not an example of the 'Jack of all trades - master at none' scenario. While he has his areas of expertise, he knows enough about most things in this field to be able to not leave you hanging in a particular area and if you needed information he did not have, unlike myself whom would simply tell you that "Lincoln freed the slaves and go look it up yourself," he'd probably find it for you - a practice that I highly dissuade people from ever doing, unless someone IS paying you. lol

Next - brevity. An ability to communicate all of the information required in the smallest word count required. No bloviation. - unlike my method. Life is very, very short. Acquiring the most beneficial information in the shortest amount of time that you can implement as rapidly as possible will be one of the most important operational techniques that you will ever employ in your business. Subscribe to this theory and you will take years off of your journey.

Next - videos, too. He has a nice little collection of videos that you can access that can be very helpful to you.

I could go on and on about his approach to business and his contributions to this forum, but I don't need him hitting me up for man-sex. Not while I spend so much time fending-off Claude. Suffice it to say that if I were to get a second chance at life and could emulate anyone in the way they deal with humanoids, I'd want to come back as Jason. lol

I'm confident that if you are deadly serious about wanting to be successful at IM, will follow his lead, will work at achieving your goals as is humanly possibly, there is nothing I can offer you in the way of a path to potential success than that. I am not inferring that you need to pester him. Everything you need to know he has already posted. To ask him questions that he has already provided the answers to, without searching for the relevant posts, would be highly insulting and a waste of his time. You won't make any friends or get much assistance, acting in such a selfish fashion.

Like I said, lots of good, talented, knowledgeable folks here but it's best to stick with one. If after reading Jason's offerings, if you feel his style doesn't mesh with yours, just find someone else. The bottom line is you need to stop asking and start doing. You can second-guess your way into poverty. What's the worse that can happen if you make a mistake, Possibly you wasted a little time and money, but hopefully you will have learned a lesson and you won't repeat the mistake.

One thing I want to clear up. Many folks get down on me because I ridicule the "Just believe in yourself and you will be a tremendous success" crowd. They miss my point, completely. They come at it from the idea that it doesn't matter what you do or don't know, or what you do or don't actually do. They truly feel that believing, wishing, hoping and praying has a concrete effect on your life. It does not!

If - and that is a BIG IF - if you determine you are serious, if you research your market, if you attempt to learn everything there is to learn, if you work as hard as possible every day, if you maintain a balance between work, family and friends, if you pay attention to your physical and mental health, if you are honest in your dealings with others, if you help others along the way where you are able, if you keep your eye on the goal, if you don't set those goals at an unrealistic level and if you don't allow anyone deter you, then and only then will a healthy belief in yourself actually mean something that can serve as a rod of strength that can help you when things could be going better. No one believes in themselves more than I do. It is the driving force that has kept me alive through sickness, homelessness and great loss, both personal and financial. I know that I can do anything I put my mind to. I know that because I have accomplished it, not merely believed that I could. There isn't a person that I personally know that has done more with so little in the way of natural gifts than I have. So believing is good, once you know that you possess personal attributes that warrant that belief. Anything else is just, well - you know - applesauce! :-)

Before you can believe you can do anything you have to actually set out and do something. Otherwise you are simply playing pocket pool with your brain.
If you are true hockey fan than you have already have a certain set of values instilled in your psyche that most don't possess. I'm sure using them to their maximum potential will help you achieve you goals in life. lol

Now - get off of your dead ass, quit posting in this forum and take positive steps and the required action to put your plan into place. If a few days go by and you haven't started on your journey, just take a 3 x 5 card, write the word 'LOSER!' on it in big, bold letters and tape it to your bathroom mirror.

Cheers. - Frank

P.S. I apologize if this was a bit disjointed and some thoughts ended abruptly. I was not prepared for writing such a lengthy missive. Hopefully, you got my point. :-)

Well that was a much-needed lift, having been continually lumped into the "other liars" club by haters and the cynical over the past couple years.

I often have no idea if or how I have affected others. I get maybe a couple messages a month.

Thanks, Frank.

Thanks Sid, Jason, Frank,

Some wise advice. Boils down to GET STARTED. Much appreciated.

Just realized how little I actually do know but like you said Frank it's not brain surgery.

J

BigFrank,

As you put it "nobody believes in themselves more than you believe in yourself". Sounds like you have faced many hardships ie: homelessness and other situations. What is it that brought you around to really believing in yourself as it's evident by your writing 'style' for lack of a better word you have a high degree of self belief. How did you destroy and put the dagger in the heart of self doubt? I'm sure your answer would benefit many on this forum not just me. You say you need to do something first before you are able to believe in yourself but that is very difficult when your "down and out". Do you just make up your mind to believe in yourself no matter what? Thanks J

Jeez o petes, Frank - just slap a cover on it and call it an ebook.

Jeez Jordo....

Frank was already pretty difficult to take. After this ego explosion, he is going to be downright impossible for a while.

Thanks a lot.





(I kid)






(well, sort of)

Thanks Claude, Frank, and Jonathan,

Very good advice. Essentially it's a decision to be made and stuck with. I think all of us at certain times have more self confidence than other times but it's about choosing to stick it out in those down times. BigFrank do you have an eBook on "How To Become A Raging Narcissist?". More serious than joking. I would pay $29.97 for an eBook that could deliver. Life would be so much easier being a narcissist.

http://thehappysensitive.com/how-to-...a-arsecissist/

J

All kidding aside I think that a micro niche eBook like this would be in high demand as many people I know feel like they feel too much or too deeply. This world is a cold place and rewards the cold hearted more often than not. lol not that I'm calling you a cold hearted b*****d BigFrank although some how I think you'd actually take that as a compliment haha. Is there a way to 'draw the line' so that you are not a narcissist with your loved ones and just a narcissist with the outside world? I always thought of a narcissist as a 'non-dangerous sociopath'. When did you first discover you where a narcissist BigFrank? Forgive me for going off topic I just feel that there is a skill set there that is invaluable in business. The iconic fictional character from the epic movie Wall Street played by Michael Douglas aka Gordon Gekko was a sociopath they say but didn't he exhibit narcissim as well? Thanks J

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss...s-best-friend/

"They possessed greater self-efficacy as rated by subordinates"

Thanks BigFrank, so can one 'train' to become a narcissist? Aren't you overly selfish with your family members? I wouldn't say I'm a narcissist but I am very aggressive and have a controlling personality. More because I want to get things done and as you say most people are so wishy washy about results. I guess like anything one can build their narcissistic muscle would you say that is a correct statement?

Thanks J

Fake it until you make it? lol. What a gift to be born a narcissist. J

Z overdoing it is the only way to go lol especially if it's McDonald's Hotcakes and Sausage. J

Wow. Consider the pot stirred.

Now THAT is an appropriate tribute to the big guy.

You're welcome, Frank.

Jonathan and Frank, you guys are both right. It's all perception at that point. I'm sure you both have learned from each others past posts so lets keep in mind we are all on the same side here. IMers against the world.

This post was asking for Franks advice as I think the world could use more no nonsense people. Some others chimed in and I would consider it a successful thread.

J

Thanks Claude,

Yes I like BigFrank too and think he's a nicer guy than he lets on "a narcissist in his own mind" perhaps?? lol. If he was as big a jerk as he would like to think of himself as he wouldn't be helping out new IMers like myself.

I appreciate all insights even those that may not be what I want to hear. As long as they aren't malicious and rude I'm cool with whatever anyone has to interject.

I mean come on give BigFrank a break he's still pissed off the Rangers lost to the Lightning in the Eastern Final this year. Had to do it BigFrank lol a little NHL fan rousing. I don't know what you can say because my Wings where only 1 OT goal away from beating Tampa which means they where 1 OT goal away from at least being in Game 6 of the SCF. Not to mention 23 and counting straight years in the playoffs. Next year they'll make it 24 straight for Bob #24 RIP.

J

Claude, who says your the second best ugliest guy on the forums??? I'd say you deserve first place!

Frank used to be a hitman for the mob in NY then moved down to Florida and become an IMer lol.