by graphics Team | Feb 24, 2019 | Podcasts
Many people ask me for investment advice. They think that they can achieve wealth by following in my footsteps and become a multi-millionaire too. But their assumptions fail them.
You can’t make a million copies of the same T-shirt and expect a million people to look sexy and great wearing the same thing. One size does not fit all! And that’s the same with investing.
Which Investment Is The Most Profitable?
Too many people get distracted by the noise in the marketplace. There’s too many options: Bitcoin, stock market, mutual funds, real estate, gold, and oil. What is best for you to invest in?
It actually depends on many factors. Before you even talk about investing, you need to think about your income level. If you’re struggling to pay off debts, you’ll be choosing a different investment vehicle than if you are wealthy. The amount of risk you can take on is another factor.
When you are younger, you can be more aggressive with your investments. When you are older, say 40 to 50, you might want more protected capital. So choosing investments is like buying a car.
You can’t just tell me you want to buy a car and expect me to have an answer for you. I need to know if you’re driving it for leisure or business. If it’s for you or your family. All of these factors affect your final decision. So before you start to invest, you need to do your research.
Let’s start with the first question to consider.
Type Of Investor
So first you’ve got to know what type of investor you are. Are you more for growth? Capital gain? Security? Do you want dividends? All that makes a difference. Then you have to think about the investment vehicle.
I’m a real estate guy, not a stocks guy, but I have friends who do well with stocks. I don’t like the lack of control I have with stocks. With real estate, I have control of the cash flow and appreciation. So you want to think about the returns you want and your risk tolerance.
Capital Gain Investor Or Cash Flow Investor
Next, you’ve got to consider if you’re a capital gain investor or a cash flow investor. A capital gain investor buys something at a certain amount and it appreciates, so you make money on the upside.
A cash flow investor on the other hand invests in something. You are looking for consistent cash flow. I’m a cash flow investor, so for example, I know my investment is making a 10 percent return every year. If there are no changes, it will take me 10 years to get all my money back.
What Stage In Life Are You At?
The third and most important thing is the stage where you are at. If you are making less than $250,000 a year, the best investment that you can make is in yourself. Upgrade your skills and knowledge first.
When you have extra cash flow, do your research and find the right investment for you. There’s always plenty of opportunities, so invest in something you understand, and invest in yourself. That is the path to take to riches.
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by graphics Team | Feb 23, 2019 | Podcasts
Bright lights are shining on you. Thousands of people are watching from their seats as you walk across the stage to the mic. How do you feel? Excited? Or do your limbs turn to jelly as you become too paralyzed to speak?
If public speaking floods you with terror, this podcast can start you on your way to becoming a great public speaker. And if you already pounce on every speaking opportunity you can find, you might discover some golden nuggets in this podcast on how to make your speaking skills a level better.
Before I Was A Great Speaker
Let me take you back to the days before I was a TEDx speaker, before I made presentations in front of a crowd of thousands.
When I was in high school, I couldn’t speak English because I’d just arrived in Canada from Hong Kong. I was that invisible kid at the back of the room and I had no friends because I was afraid to talk to people. One day, I couldn’t hide and be invisible anymore.
Ms Fallon, my English teacher, dropped a bomb on me when she said I had to make a speech or fail the class. The day I gave the speech, I was sweating and shaking so badly. But surprisingly, I didn’t die from the experience, and my confidence started to grow.
How Toastmasters Builds Your Speaking Skills
I realized my shyness was holding me back in life so I joined Toastmasters. It’s a non-profit organization with many locations, and its purpose is to help members improve their speaking skills.
I just told myself to show up to every meeting, and then I found myself delivering a speech every week. After six months, people started telling me, “You’re a natural,” and “Great speech, Dan. What you shared really touched me.”
I started to understand the power of words. I was voted the President of the Toastmasters club. While I was managing it, the club became one of the most successful in either our division or district. We won awards because we produced some of the best speakers.
As I became a better speaker, I realized there was even more that I could contribute to improve myself and help others.
Becoming Confident As A Public Speaker
It was never my intention from day one to become a great public speaker. I would just show up and practice a lot so my brain would know what I was doing, with or without a script. I learned to connect with the audience.
Over time, I realized I had a talent for speaking in front of people. Being a great public speaker was my gift. So I came to use this talent to impact people and transform lives.
So start by showing up and rehearsing. One day, your speech could impact and change thousands.
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by graphics Team | Feb 22, 2019 | Podcasts
Most people make money online by looking for the latest gimmick. What most don’t realize is the key to succeeding with the latest trend is something that predates modern technology.
I’ve been marketing online for over a decade now, but in terms of the internet age, I’m like a dinosaur. My success started pre-Google, pre-Facebook, and pre-Yahoo.
It started when I was a copywriter making six figures, and when I transitioned into selling and marketing online, I noticed my success continued.
That’s when I realized if you want to make money online, copywriting is the number one skill that you need to make more sales. Here’s how.
The Skill That Makes You Money Online
I used to buy Bruce Lee collectibles from Hong Kong – because I’m a huge Bruce Lee fan – and flip them on eBay. What I noticed was that changing the headline or the listing description affected how much I would sell, how much I could charge, and how fast something would sell.
Now, because I already had a copywriting background before I transitioned into marketing and selling online, I noticed that my writing skill was transferrable. It meant that the number one skill you need to master in order to make money online is copywriting.
So marketing and selling means learning how to use words to communicate. It means persuasion in print. It means turning words into money, into cash.
It doesn’t matter what it is that you want to do online, whether it’s e-commerce, Shopify, or EBay. Writing the product description is copywriting. If you’re selling an online program or coaching services, your landing page is copywriting.
Email, Facebook ads, YouTube video titles – all of that is copywriting. Everything that you write is all about copy. It’s about communication, and that communication is what will make you the money.
Why Copywriting Makes You Money
Mastering copywriting will give you tremendous leverage. The same ad, the same amount of traffic, and the same advertising dollars that you’re spending could have very different results if you just change the words in the ad, the headline, or the checkout page.
You could change just a few words, and instead of spending a dollar and getting a dollar back, you could spend a dollar and get five dollars back. Wow. With the same product or offer. All you have changed is how you have articulate and communicate with your audience. That’s the power of copywriting.
If you’re serious about making money online, and you want to learn more about copywriting, I have a special training called “Copywriting Secrets.” I want to give that to you as a gift when you become a member of Dan on Demand, my global community.
So go ahead. Click on this link and the page you see is a form of copywriting. When you see the video, that’s also a form of copywriting. That’s how you make money online.
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by graphics Team | Feb 21, 2019 | Podcasts
If you’re a business owner who believes that sales, marketing, and branding are not that important, then you’re making an extremely costly mistake.
Here’s the deal. Most entrepreneurs and business owners struggle because they lack sales skills. Most haven’t taken any sales training and don’t know how to sell. Even fewer are good at marketing because they don’t think it’s important.
An even smaller, tinier percentage of business owners are actually good with branding, and that needs to change. Personal branding is such an important part of your business. Next, I’ll share with you why you need to build and manage your personal image.
Why Most Entrepreneurs Are Not Building A Personal Image
Have you read E-Myth by Michael Gerber? It’s a phenomenal book for small business owners. In the book, he says that most entrepreneurs are actually not entrepreneurs. They are actually technicians.
These business owners are technicians who are good at what they do. They have a craft, a skill, and then they have an entrepreneurial seizure. They’re doing their normal routine and suddenly it hits them: they hate their boss and they could be a better boss. So they decide to start a business. This might describe you.
A big problem is most business owners don’t think of themselves as a brand. You think Michael Jordon is a brand. Oprah Winfrey is a brand. But you think: Me, John Smith? I’m a brand? What do you mean? I’m just a person, John Smith. I’m a father, a husband.
You don’t think of yourself as a celebrity. So you don’t work on your personal branding.
Personal Image Vs Personal Branding
So what exactly what is personal branding and why do you need it?
First, let’s back up a bit and explain personal image versus personal branding. Personal image is what people instantly see at a glance, like the way you dress. It’s the first impression people get.
Now, personal branding is different. Personal branding is what people think of you over the long term. When they say your name, what words come to mind? When you’re not in the room, when they’re talking behind you, what do they say about you?
Your reputation is your brand. It’s the public perception of you. Your personality, skills and values. It’s not everything that you are. Just aspects of you that you project to the public because very few people actually know the real you anyway.
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by graphics Team | Feb 20, 2019 | Podcasts
If you’re married, the temptation of being with an enticing woman or man who isn’t your spouse is as safe as kissing a venomous snake.
Dealing with sexual temptation in marriage is a much heavier topic than what we usually talk about on this show. What’s more, it’s a bit taboo.
But we should address it because it’s a common issue and the consequences of being tempted can be extremely severe.
So what are the scenarios where sexual temptation could occur, and why do they occur?
Harmless Flirtation Scenario
In this scenario, men flirt with women, not necessarily because they want to sleep with them, but just so they know they still “got it”, especially when they are older.
They remember how they were the popular guy in their 20s, so they want to know that they can still get a phone number when they’re in their 40s. And they aren’t the only ones who are guilty.
Married women in their 40s will also do this for the same reason – they remember how popular they were with men when they were in their 20s. They flirt for validation, fulfillment, or entertainment. Any one of these reasons.
Sexual Benefit Scenario
In this situation, the married person wants to have sex with the person they are fantasizing about. Chances are, if they are considering that temptation, they aren’t very sexually satisfied in their marriage.
An example of this is when the man loses his job and his wife is making all of the income in the household. She’s not happy with him and her new role as the main breadwinner. Meanwhile, the man meets a young lady who looks up to him.
In scenarios like these, the married person flirts because ultimately they want a sexual benefit from outside of the marriage.
New Environment Scenario
In this scenario, the married person is getting some new attention because he or she is in a new environment. This person has become famous, for example, and is now meeting new people. The temptations are walking right up to the person’s doorstep.
At this point, that man or woman must think about the long term price for cheating on his or her spouse. That one-night stand could result in a divorce and impact other areas of the cheater’s life beyond the marriage. Would 30 minutes of sex be worth it?
Why Dealing With Sexual Temptation In Marriage Is Crucial
Before playing with fire, the spouse that’s thinking of cheating needs to ask himself or herself, “Would I want to be treated the same way?”
So think about this at a deeper level and with maturity. Yes, there could be some satisfaction from having sex with someone who is not your spouse. It’s a temporary high.
But when you’re married, if you are strong enough to manage your emotions, then you can manage everything else.
As a man speaking to the men out there, I’m asking you to have that strong, mental focus. You will have respect from other men who will see you as a leader because you are able to handle temptations in marriage.
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