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Kudos to Infusionsoft Consultants:
Sixth Division

My man Brad

OK, this has nothing to do with network marketing or my normal stuff I post on this site, this is a HUGE thank you and kudos to a company and people that have helped my business tremendously. Sixth Division are a group of infusionsoft consultants based in Arizona and this post is solely focused on how much they ROCK!

How Did Sixth Division Help Me?

A few months back I bought Infusionsoft to help me better segment my list as well as help me with my personal product sales. I had never collected one lead or made one sale through Infusionsoft and had spent thousands upon thousands on programmers to help me do so but was getting nowhere. When I arrived at the doors of Sixth Division I was thoroughly disgusted with my progress (or lack thereof) of trying to get Infusionsoft up and running.

After spending just two days with these rockstar infusionsoft consultants, my business started collected more leads than ever and making sales on auto-pilot. If you would like to see what they did for me, you can see some of it by opting into the form on the upper right hand side, none of that was there before sixth division. By the way, if you go to their two day, make sure you request Bret, he is a total rockstar and has gone far and beyond our expectations.

Video Testimonial for Sixth Division

Why Would I Post This On My Page?

Folks, sixth division did not ask me to post this on my page, I posted it because they are an awesome company that really helped me out. Too often I have seen people in this industry forget who helped them, those people are known as ingrates and quite frankly disgust me. NEVER forget who helped you get where you are, this one attribute will get you far in life and prevent you from having to constantly rotate your circle of friends. Many others have helped me including Numis Network, MLSP, and Magnetic Sponsoring. Gratitude to all those out there truly giving great service and focused on helping others like Sixth Division!

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Ray Higdon
Skype: ray.higdon
Email: RayHigdon@RayHigdon.com

Work With Me – Numis Network

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image: Andy Newson / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PS: If Your Upline Does Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Success, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access

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May 2012 Home Business Mastermind Event

Custom Cake From Last Home Biz Mastermind

We ROCKED it in January and now it’s time to ROCK it again! This is the official announcement of the May 2012 Home Business Mastermind and this intimate event is going to SUPERCHARGE your business!

What is the Home Business Mastermind?

The Home Business mastermind is an event I put together that is designed to have only a few key speakers in different areas in a very intimate environment. Most events in our industry are large events with many speakers where you don’t get to spend as much time with each speaker as you might would like to, the mastermind is designed to be a smaller, more intimate crowd with plenty of time for each speaker to really dive into what is working for them in their business and how you can implement their ideas. Questions are encouraged and each speaker is held to having a lot of interaction from the crowd, enhancing the learning and energy.

Where The VIP Party is at

Introducing Your Home Business Mastermind Speakers!

Jerry Clark is my personal mentor and coach and has helped coach the biggest names in network marketing and MLM training. Anyone that has ever seen Jerry speak knows this dude is powerful and brings together some of the best home business ideas of any trainer in the industry.

Jerry Clark became a self-made millionaire while still in his 20’s. Today, through his company Club Rhino, Inc., he conducts personal and professional development seminars around the World. Jerry’s training products are currently being used by dozens of Direct Sales and Networking companies in over 35 countries worldwide. Jerry recognizes that change occurs at the individual level, and he’s committed to training others how to improve themselves by teaching peak performance strategies that get results.

Michelle Pescosolido is arguably the fastest rising star in the home business industry. Famed for going from zero to 6 figures in 6 months by using Facebook, we are most excited to have her as as speaker at the Home Business mastermind. Michelle is someone I have personally worked with the last 6 months or so and she is not just a powerful leader but one of the best teachers I have ever met. In her presentation she is going to go in depth into how she develops her Facebook PPC that generates her massive leads and money. To get this much intimate time with such a highly sought after trainer is worth the price of admission alone!

Daegan Smith is one of the best copywriters, email masters and advertising geniuses in the home business niche. Daegan is the UNDISPUTED king of traffic and getting leads and has been teaching home business entrepreneurs how to get massive traffic for years. Daegan just got back from teaching in Singapore and it is such a treat and honor to have him speak at the mastermind.

I will also be a speaker and I am going to talk about how to build your online brand and empire. How I went from zero traffic to averaging 40,000 unique monthly visitors and almost 2 million hits per month. As you can see this mastermind is going to be pretty heavy duty when it comes to learning how to get leads and traffic for your home business.

How to Grab Your Ticket at the Early Bird Price

An interesting thing happened with my last home business mastermind…we sold out of tickets! I had no idea how many people would come to my very first one but quickly found out when we sold it out. Now, usually in any industry when you have more intimacy, you pay up. I recently attended an event in Washington DC that was $2,000 for 2 and a half days and did NOT have any breakouts or intimacy but usually when you get to spend quality time with the speakers versus a standard speaker-palooza, you spend the big bucks. What I envisioned for these masterminds is two things, intimacy and affordability.

Right now, I have a block of tickets that are going to be sold at the early bird price of $89 and $137 for standard and VIP tickets. Like the last mastermind there is a REAL limit on how many tickets I am selling as I don’t want this to be 300 people that get lost in the crowd, we will NOT sell more than 150 tickets TOTAL which will keep the room size down enough so you can really get your questions answered and enjoy the event. We are also offering a half price discount on your second ticket in case you want to bring a spouse or partner.

One Standard Ticket

Two Standard Tickets

Standard includes admission to both all day sessions on Saturday and Sunday

One VIP Ticket

Two VIP Tickets

VIP includes admission to both all day sessions on Saturday and Sunday as well as VIP access to the party at my house on Saturday (the last one was AWESOME) .

THE ABOVE ARE ALL EARLY BIRD TICKET PRICES, THEY WILL GO UP. Remember that last time we did this we actually sold out DURING the early bird tickets as I do keep these events smaller and more intimate. Attending a mastermind like this can have powerful results on your business as you really get to spend the quality time with the speakers.

Details for the Home Business Mastermind

When: Saturday May 12th ,2012 and Sunday May 13th. 9am to 5pm on both days. The VIP party will run from 7pm to whenever on Saturday night at my personal residence.

Where: The event is being held at the Holiday Inn Fort Myers at Town Center, 9931 Interstate Commerce Drive. Fort Myers, FL (239) 561-1550. The VIP party at my house is roughly 12 minutes away.

Got Questions? Contact my Business Manager, Thomas, at 616-745-8700 or thomas@thomasbouwman.com.

Feel free to share this with any of your teammates, leave a comment if you are attending and let me know!

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Ray Higdon
Skype: ray.higdon
Email: RayHigdon@RayHigdon.com

Work With Me – Numis Network

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PS: If Your Upline Does Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Success, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access

XXXXXXXXXX – Snag a Copy of My New Audio CD – XXXXXXXXXXXXX

If you Wanna Get Supercharged, Snag a copy of my brand new Audio CD that was just released called “Maintaining Your Power”. This CD will have you strong like bull while prospecting and it also makes a great gift to your downline as well. You can now pick up a copy of this audio CD for only $14.95. You can buy by going here and be sure to ask about our bulk discount by emailing me at rayhigdon@rayhigdon.com

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Should You Attend No Excuses 3 Summit? Here Are Your Bonuses

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard of the No Excuses Summit. It is THE event for our industry where the best online and offline marketers and top earners come together in Vegas once a year to share their secrets. The first and second No Excuses events were amazing and the third looks like it is going to bring down the house!

Who Should Attend No Excuses 3?

Anyone serious about exploding their home based business using the most up to date and powerful online and offline marketing tactics in existence. The hand picked group of speakers represent the most recognized names in our industry including:

Raymond Fong and Ferny Ceballos
Ryan Angelo
Ann Sieg
Russell Brunson
Dean Kosage
Todd Falcone
Ray Higdon (woo-hoo!)
Dan McCormick
Tim Erway
Norbert Orlewicz
Geoff Stephen
Sonia Stringer
Andrew Cass
Amish Shah
Brian Fanale
Michelle Pescosolido
Cesar Rodriguez
Pamela Herrmann
Plus, an amazing speaker panel
Mark Hoverson
Diane Hochman
Michael Force
Ty Tribble
Brian and Rhonda Swan
Greg Gomez
Cheri Tree

At the No Excuses Summit, Speakers Cannot Pitch from Stage!

Ever attend a big event with a billion speakers and leave wanting to take a shower from being sold to so much? Well, that is NOT the No Excuses Summit! At the No Excuses event speakers ARE NOT ALLOWED to sell anything from stage. That means you get pure value so make sure you bring notepads.

As an attendee of No Excuses 1 and a speaker for No Excuses 2, I can tell you that I made some great connections and even added quality people to my team from these past events. One major reason you should attend is to connect with other people serious about their business that might be open to working with you. You never know who you can meet at a VIP mixer or breakout room.

Bonuses for Those That Buy No Excuses 3 Tickets Through My Link

My No Excuses link is right here. Those that buy tickets through that link will get a ridiculous set of bonuses that I am laying out. To show my gratitude for being chosen a No Excuses speaker for the second year in a row, I want to help Ray and Ferny fill those seats and to do so, I wanna bribe you to buy!

Grab Your Bonuses When You Buy

Those that go to this site and get the general admission ticket will get the following:

Bonus #1 ($197 Value)
30 min coaching call with me one on one.
Imagine spending 30 mins with a top earner to ask your tough questions.

Bonus #2 ($497 Value)
My 4 hour Leadership Video Series
Sneak Peek: Session 2 is on how to create intellectual property and how to tap into public domain information to GREATLY increase your leadership branding (and profits)

Bonus #3 ($97)
Underground VIP Marketer Mastermind Video
This is a never before released video from my home mastermind where I break down how to become a bada$$ marketer regardless of your skill level or experience (Rookie Friendly)

Bonus #4 ($197)
Live Access to Million $ Speaker Formula
Mmm, this is going to be one bad mammy jammy. In this webinar I teach how to go from where you are to an in demand speaker and once there, Sell the heck out of whatever you want. I already have several of the speakers presenting at No Excuses that have asked me for this training. You are going to be able to attend live and ask your questions but also have the recording in case you miss it

Bonus #5 ($97)
Live Access to Email Marketing Mastery
How do I keep wining contest after contest? It is by having a great relationship with my email list and in this one night only webinar, I will show you how to have your list hanging on your every word even when your list is small

Bonus #6 ($29)
I am going to mail you a physical audio CD of me being interviewed by Mr. X, a 20 year veteran of network marketing on how I went from Foreclosure to Fiji in less than 24 months. How did I go from personal foreclosure to $50k a month? It is all laid out in this CD you will receive in the mail

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Total Bonuses for Those that Buy a General Admission ticket ($1,114)

Those that go to this link and get the VIP upgrade will get the following:

VIP Bonus #1 ($395)
(2) 30 min coaching calls. This is for anyone who buys a VIP upgrade

VIP Bonus #2 ($699)
Blog Mastery Video Series with Transcripts
Over 4 hours of how I got over 14 mill hits to my blog last year along with affiliate sales of over 100 k.
Session 1: How to create content at will regardless of imagination
Session 2: Look over my shoulder to see what exactly I do with each blog post to get massive traffic
Session 3: What makes a good blog? Listen in on me reviewing multiple blogs live (avoid mistakes now)
Session 4: How to brand your blog as a leader
*This bonus also comes with the written transcripts which I have never released (follow along while I talk)

VIP Bonus #3 ($1,114)
All the above bonuses listed for general admission tickets as well!

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Total Bonuses for Those that Buy a VIP ticket ($2,208)

I wanted to make this a no brainer for you with the above bonuses to go ahead and buy, I already know some people will buy even if they may or may not plan on attending the actual event. Get your bonuses instantly by buying on this site ==> http://rayhigdon.com/noexcuses3

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Ray Higdon
Skype: ray.higdon
Email: RayHigdon@RayHigdon.com

Work With Me – Numis Network

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PS: If Your Upline Does Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Success, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access

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Which Internet Marketing Event I am Planning to Attend!

I spend a lot of money on improving myself and my marketing game. In the last 12 months I have spent more on marketing coaching than I MADE in the entire year of 2009. There is an event coming up that I am attending that I paid thousands for that you might consider if you are serious about your marketing game.

When Can You Stop Investing in Yourself?

My answer to that question…when you die! You are always either growing or dying and I want to always be growing! Constantly working on your mindset, marketing and yourself is the ONLY way to ensure long term success. That does not mean to buy everything out there but to selectively choose events to attend and products that will bring you closer to your goals, and, the cool thing is, it’s actually fun to spend money on cool events where you will meet new people and learn new things.

Marketing Event: Yanik’s Underground Online Seminar 8

The other day my good friend Daegan Smith sent me an email on an event he was going to and wanted to know if I was going. If you don’t know Daegen, he is a traffic ninja that taught all the guys that teach traffic now (including guys like Jonathan Budd). I have been wanting to work closer with Daegan for awhile so I thought if he is ponying up the money to attend this marketing event, I will too (leaders typically make fast decisons).

This is not a cheap event but if you like to save money like I do, you can save 40% if you decide to attend before January 31st. If you decide to go, and you buy through my link here – Get Your Ticket, I will shoot you over my cellphone number so we can meet up at the event and talk about your marketing. If you have been on my list for any length of time you know I am very, very particular on what I affiliate myself with. However, I have a cool story about Yanik, the guy who is running the event.

Yanik and Branson

How I First Ran Across Yanik Silver

It was 2009 and real estate had completely crushed me. I have a total of 8, yes, 8, foreclosures coming at me and I was depressed, feeling worthless and seriously questioning what the hell was wrong with me. My girlfriend Jess was working at Nordstroms at the makeup counter to pay my utility bills and I really didn’t know what I was going to do.

A friend of mine introduced me to a network marketing company and things started turning around. I was hammering away at my warm market and doing a lot of offline work to find prospects and it was going fairly well. Then, a friend of mine who had been in a past network marketing company called me, said he was moving and was getting rid of some of his marketing books and DVD’s and wanted to know if I wanted them, I told him I would take a look.

2 of the books Bob Sanders gave me

Turns out he had bought several products from Yanik but had actually never even opened them! Have you ever done that? OK, I admit I have. So I took all the Yanik stuff he had and dove in. What happened over the next 3 months is we got more Internet marketers into our company than any other company out there! My business exploded and just a few months later had my first $40,000 month in my primary company but what really mattered is that I changed the way I thought about marketing and that has forever changed my income, way of life and of course my results.

Early Bird Bonuses

Yanik has a ton of early bird bonuses to those that buy before January 31st including a VIP networking dinner, the complete recordings of Underground 7, and the fundamental series of starting with online marketing. You can check out the bonuses and all the details about the event on his page at Underground 8. I really hope to be hanging out with some of you at the VIP dinner and excited for what 2012 is going to bring us all. Here’s to your learning!

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Ray Higdon
Skype: ray.higdon
Email: RayHigdon@RayHigdon.com

Work With Me – Numis Network

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PS: If Your Upline Does Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Success, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access

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Hunger Walk – Helping Families in Need!

I am doing a hunger walk this Saturday and we are working to raise money to help get food in the hands of those less fortunate. Appreciate you taking the time to read this message. I also have a special offer to those who contribute.

What is a Hunger Walk?

Hunger walks are community sponsored events to raise money to purchase food for those less fortunate. It is a great way to show support and feel a part of the process. If you are in the state of Florida and wish to join us, the hunger walk I am doing this Saturday starts at 9:30am at Miromar Outlet Mall in South Ft Myers on Saturday, January 21st.

What is the Harry Chapin Food Bank?

Harry Chapin was one of the most inspiring individuals when hunger began to enter America’s conscience in the late 1970s. Harry was a popular folk/rock performer (“Taxi,” “Cats in the Cradle,” “Circle”) who donated the proceeds from every other concert he gave to end hunger. He also co-founded the organization World Hunger Year. Harry spent a great deal of time on Capitol Hill, convincing members of Congress and their staff to enact solutions to the solvable problem of hunger. Tragically, Harry Chapin died in a car accident in 1981 at the age of 39. In 1987, Harry was posthumously awarded the Special Congressional Gold Medal for his tireless fight against hunger.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank started in 1983 in his honor. The cooperative’s primary responsibility was to help distribute the huge surpluses of cheese and other dairy products held by the federal government. Almost immediately, the cooperative began recovering other food products through food drives and by salvaging nutritious foods from retailers and growers. Throughout the 1980s, the cooperative grew in size and effectiveness, earning the reputation it deserves today as the #1 safety net for the hungry in Southwest Florida.

By the end of the 1980s, the food bank had become the exclusive distribution agent for USDA and FEMA commodities for Southwest Florida. Today, the food bank provides food for more than 30,000 individuals each month.  In the past fiscal year, (Jul 1, 2010 – Jun 30, 2011) the Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed nearly 12.5 million pounds of food to Southwest Floridians in need, with a food value of more than $20 million.

My Area of Southwest Florida and Why This Means so Much

Southwest Florida was one of the areas hardest hit by the real estate crash. At one point SWFL was the second fastest growing area in the country and the number one source of concentrated home builders in the country. When it was hot it was hot but unfortunately that came crashing down years ago. Almost every area has been affected by the economy and real estate bust so this is not to determine who was hardest hit but I can tell you there are a lot of people out of work and no longer able to afford their previous lifestyle and there are even people that have gone from professionals to homeless..

Here is the reality and why this means so much to me: I could have been one of them. In 2009 I was in personal foreclosure and most of my real estate went belly up and I was in a mental and financial coma. A different fork in the road and I could be the one personally asking for help putting food on the table. Fortunately, I was able to get out of that mess and feel the need to give back, especially to those I could have so easily joined the ranks of.

My Bribe to you

I have a personal donation website for the Harry Chapin Food Bank located here – Ray Higdon’s Food Bank Page. I will be donating my time and some money to the cause and would love for you to consider doing the same. A lot of you reading this are NOT in the SWFL area as I have sales teams all over the world so I would like to bribe you. Keep in mind I do NOT get to keep any donations nor do I believe there is any prize (other than feeling good) for bringing in lots of money. Those who donate at least $50 will get a personal one on one coaching session with me. If you are in the states it will be over the phone and if you are outside the US it will be via skype. I want to applaud those who have already given as you did so without any bribe but I do hope my bribe gets a little more money toward people that could really, really use it. Gratitude and Honor to you =)

How to donate

Just go to this page and donate what you can! – Ray Higdon’s Food Bank Page

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Ray Higdon
Skype: ray.higdon
Email: RayHigdon@RayHigdon.com

Work With Me – Numis Network

Image: vichie81 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PS: If Your Upline Does Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Success, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access

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Why I think Ron Paul is the Best 2012 Presidential Candidate

I am usually not very political because I don’t believe that the President of the United States determines my personal success or happiness. I have never been that engaged because I have always thought that most politicians pretty much sound alike. For the first time ever, I am publicly letting everyone know that I think Ron Paul is the best choice.

Smartest or Those Who Just Say What People Want to Hear?

I have always asked myself and others why the smartest people don’t run the country. I personally think we finally have a candidate who has the intellect that is needed to run this country and bring it back to prosperity. He has been consistent with his message for more than 30 years. He is the only one who predicted the financial mess that we are currently in. He clearly is the smartest guy in the race.

He clearly does not just listen to advisers that tell him what the American people want to hear. If you came to this blog post with preconceived notions about Ron Paul that someone else or the media helped you with, perhaps, for the next small bit of time, suspend what you think you know about him and then decide after you finish this blog. No one will ever get 100% approval but I don’t think there is another candidate getting as much media smackdown as Ron Paul (almost makes you want to believe in him more doesn’t it?)

We All Know the Media is Always 100% Accurate

OK, that was a joke. Most educated people know that corporations with political ties own the media and that contributes to why most elections (and most contestants) seem to be similar every election. You may not agree with some of his views because of the way the media portrays him but I believe that if you watch these 3 very short videos. You will find out what he is really about. Freedom, Liberty, Free Markets, Limited Government, and the Constitution.

But Aren’t his Foreign Policies Sheer Insanity?

If you disagree with any of Ron Paul’s message including Foreign policy I would ask you to keep an open mind and don’t listen to the media spin on Dr. Paul’s beliefs and positions. Many people say that Ron Paul is unelectable. I don’t believe this. Even if Dr. Paul does not get the nomination he is on track to finish with the second most delegates. This will force the big spending, big government establishment Republicans to adopt parts of Dr. Paul’s platform if they want to attract the young and independent voters.

Dr. Paul has come in second in the first two contests and has moved up 11 pts in the South Carolina polls in the last several days. All of this without the big money wall street money machine behind him. No corporate lobbyists, no superpacs, just grass root individuals who are finally waking up and realizing this is the only true fiscal conservative in the race.

Me and My sons in DC

Offended? Sorry..

I respect everyone’s views and would never NOT like or associate with someone because of their political or religious views. I struggled with whether I should write this or not and every person I consulted told me I probably should not, but, here is the reality..I think our country is in big trouble. I think we are in much bigger trouble than wall street, the federal reserve or the government want us to believe. I believe something drastic needs to be done and I just don’t see anything but more of the same with all the other candidates vs Ron Paul who I think will actually cut some of our spending and operate this country more intelligently. Tomorrow we will resume our regularly scheduled message of this blog with marketing training and education but if these videos or your already existing stance of Ron Paul is positive, I ask you to share this message and if you are a blogger, don’t by afraid to talk about Ron if you really believe, like me, that he can help this great and wonderful country of ours.

I am also a candidate, sort of..

Ray and Ferny from the No Excuses Summit have posted a list of some potential speakers for the event in April and I sure would like to get up there again so I can help more people …but this time they are asking the public for input. If you have EVER been helped by any training I have done, and you think other people deserve some help, Would you PLEASE go to their speaker page located here =>>http://noexcusessummit.com/industry-leaders.html And click the “like” symbol above my head. You DO NOT need to be planning to attend to vote so please do this if you like my training and educational stuff I give away on a daily basis. And then if you really like my training, Ask your Facebook friends to vote for me. There are so many amazing potential speakers, I am honored if you see value in my stuff enough to click the “Like” button above my pic on this page – http://noexcusessummit.com/industry-leaders.html

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Ray Higdon
Skype: ray.higdon
Email: RayHigdon@RayHigdon.com

Work With Me – Numis Network

Image: vudhikrai / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PS: If Your Upline Does Not Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Success, Check This Out (Unless You Already Have Too Many Leads) – Click Here For Instant Access

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7 Reasons to Read Steve Jobs Autobiography

I just finished the massive tome of a book that is the biography of Steve Jobs. I used to be but am no longer in the IT industry and don’t really care about Google vs Apple or any of that nonsense but I can tell you that this book is chock full of awesome business advice, reflection and strategies. If you are serious about almost any type of business, I highly suggest you read the biography of Steve Jobs and in this post I will share 7 reasons why.

7 Powerful Insights from Jobs

What drew me into Steve Jobs Autobiography was that Jobs had it sanctioned to be written but told the author he would NOT be editing it or even reading it before it was published. He wanted to give the opportunity to the author to get conflicting views and see all sides of his story, character and past.

1. Jobs was never known as a nice person. He used full candor with his staff, people he worked with, well, pretty much everyone around him. You and your body of work was either total crap or you were a genius (sometimes, on the same day). Takeaway: How many more people need candor in their lives? Brutal honesty in a company is powerful and is needed to create revolutionary businesses versus just pattycake everyone or appease teammates.

2. He quoted Wayne Gretzky, “Go where the puck is going, not where it’s been”. If you look at what Apple did with Steve at the helm, they did this, all the time. Getting music artists to agree to iTunes, the iPhone (and Google playing catchup with the Android), the graphical interface (that both Microsoft and Apple stole from Xerox but never marketed it) and the non-stylus driven iPad. He also talks about Henry Ford and the lack of relying on market research. Henry Ford is quoted as saying if he had asked people what they wanted before he invented the car, they would have told him a faster horse. Most people do not know exactly what conveniences or problems they may want solved in an exact way, until they see the solution.

3. He studied buddhism and eastern philosophy that relies more on intuition then on logic. Once a year he would read Autobiography of a Yogi (which you can download for free on the iPad). In some cases, his intuition was a much better indicator than logic. Example: The computer store had been tried and failed with Gateway so everyone advised Apple NOT to do stores. It is noted that in 2010, the Apple store in New York (been there) grossed more per square foot than any store in the world and more total dollars than ANY store in New York, that includes Saks, Macy’s, and Bloomingdales. Takeaway: There have been times when I went against my intuition with an opportunity and I cannot guarantee I was right 100% of the time, but it sure was close. Is there anything you are currently doing that deep down you know will not last?

4. He would have annual mastermind retreats with his top 100 employees, using a whiteboard he’d listen to ideas and new strategies, narrow it down to ten ideas then slash 7 and choose 3 ideas to focus on for the next year. Takeaway: When I look back over my varying careers or attempts at businesses, it is ONLY when I focused on a few key things that I had success. Are you currently focused on learning or growing too many things?

5. He put the pressure on him and his team by developing closed products. Microsoft achieved market dominance in computer software by being open and allowing anyone with any hardware to run their software. Apple did not. Not because they were against hackers but that they took the pressure upon the company to make the very best products.

6. Jobs only wanted A players in his team. Earlier in life I read the book, Straight from the gut, by Jack Welch and he talked about how across the board pay increases or across the board pay decreases was a company’s inability to address weakness. Welch also went on to suggest the letting go of the bottom 10% of every department annually to keep competition and the right players in the company. Steve Jobs had a very similar mindset that he believed A game players wanted to work with other A game players. Takeaway: I enjoy spending time with people that are hungry and motivated. I can spend 8 hours on the phone and time flies by. However, get me on the phone with complainers, people that are entitled, are needy in nature and looking for something outside of them to solve their problems and after 10 minutes I want to chew glass. How many people are you either working with or working on to get into your business that is simply not worthy of your time?

7. Jobs attempted to understand himself and teach others about how precious time is. Relating to my post yesterday on the precious asset of time, he did his Stanford commencement address on this concept.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. – Steve Jobs
Takeaway: How much better would the world be if we all followed our heart?

Stanford Commencement

There are a lot of things in the Steve Jobs biography that displays his lack of balance in life and his lack of internal peace. He was certainly human and like all of his had his certain character flaws. However, the leadership lessons in this book makes it a must read in my view.

Alert: Top 50 Blog Contest

Also, if you did not know, I am in the top 50 MLM Blog contest. If you vote for me on this site, you will get a private invitation to attend my LIVE and INTENSE 4 part series on Leadership. Go here and Vote if you have not already done so

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Ray Higdon
Skype: ray.higdon
Email: RayHigdon@RayHigdon.com

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Time Management – The Most Precious Asset

Yesterday a friend of mine passed away and it made me again realize what our most precious asset is, time. Time is what you can never get back and what most people waste on trivial things versus spending time on the important stuff like spending time with people you like and love. I am hoping that this post will help even a small percentage of people realize how precious this asset is.

To Do Lists with No Priorities

How many of you have spend time or repair a relationship on your to do list but it has no priority? This is indicative of thinking you have all the time in the world and the reality is, we do not. Some of you may know the story about me and my dad and how we reconnected after not seeing each other for 13 years. Well, since I have shared that story I have ran into a handful of people that had similar experiences but their father passed away before they could repair the relationship. Do not wait to spend time with the ones you love and do not wait to repair relationships or drop grudges, they do not serve you and you may run out of time.

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” – Buddha

The Past can be the key to your future

When I repaired the relationship with my Dad, I was in personal foreclosure and was devastatingly broke. I had failed at 11 different network marketing companies, a franchise, my real estate investment company and was in a really bad place financially. Within 14 days of repairing the relationship, I found my network marketing company and became the number one income earner and completely changed my life. When you repair things from your past, you open yourself up to a new future.

What to do next

Identify anyone who is important to you that you have been wanting to spend more time with or someone you have been angry with that at some point was important in your life. Reach out to them and tell them you love them, miss them or that you are sorry you have not been in contact. The trick here is to NOT be addicted to the outcome. They may be going through a tough time and not accept you back in their arms right away. Know that everyone is fighting their own battle and usually when someone is not nice to you, it is not because of you, but because of something they are going through. Just the other day I got an email from someone being very nasty to me and instead of taking it personally, I simply replied that I was sorry I offended them and the next day they apologized as they had been going through a tough time. The key is YOUR actions, not theirs. Do everything on your end to repair things but you cannot force anything.

My Friend Duane

Duane, you will be missed my friend. I had such a blast hanging with you in Cancun and I only wish I would have reached out to you more and spent more time with you. You are one quality guy that I am honored to have known during your short time here and I know that everyone you touched feels the same way.

Alert: Top 50 Blog Contest

Also, if you did not know, I am in the top 50 MLM Blog contest. If you vote for me on this site, you will get a private invitation to attend my LIVE and INTENSE 4 part series on Leadership. Go here and Vote if you have not already done so

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Ray Higdon
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Reflection of Employment vs Self Employment

So I was having dinner at my Moms house last night and was checking out some of the pictures she had and ran across this one. I almost fell out of my chair. It immediately brought me back to 8 years ago when I was an employee for a local government and caused me to reflect on the differences and also the similarity of me then versus now.

My Life as an Employee in the IT Field

I touched my first computer in 1999 (never did computer classes in high school) and decided to go into the field. Looking back, I had never been interested in anything technical or how things worked or even science fiction but what prodded me to go into the field is a friend of mine who was really smart at computers made a comment one day that I could never do computers (I think hinting at my stupidity when it came to them) and that challenge, certainly not intentionally, prompted me to go into computers for the next 5 years. I had no idea how I was programmed or that I was on auto-pilot back then.

The job itself was not that bad but I was not happy. I had no idea what residual income even meant, had never been in network or Internet marketing and really my goals were hinged on the little box of that employer. There were some similarities though that I now find interesting.

Top Similarities of my time as Employee and Entrepreneur

1. I had a strong work ethic. I worked a lot of hours, leaving for work before the kids were awake and a lot of times got home after they were asleep. In the picture you can see that I was named employee of the month which was a real big high for me back then. I think (could be mistaken) that you got $50 added to your pay for being employee of the month but it was an honor. At the time the county had 2,000+ employees (I assume it is less now) and to be singled out was very nice.

2. I craved contribution and growth. I wanted to become more valuable and to do so I studied a lot and I actually spent about 4 hours a night on Microsoft newsgroups answering SQL server questions. I went out and got some IT industry certifications such as MCSE, MCDBA and CCNA. The funny thing was is I was and still am not very technical but when I set my sights on a goal I go after it and typically achieve it.

3. I saw employment as a game. A lot of people I used to work with really focused on getting credit for their work and ideas, being right or how someone else was treated/compensated. I focused on how to play the game to get to higher positions and increased pay. I started with the county at around $25,000 a year and 3 years later was around $80,000 a year. I worked my way up and achieved positions that required a college degree even though I did not, and still do not, possess one. To get promoted to database administrator I wrote a 5 year action plan and had it bound and on the desks of every member of the hiring committee the day of the interview. No one else going for the position felt the need to think outside the box.

Most important, What’s different between Ray the employee vs Ray the entrepreneur

That picture really got me thinking about how I used to think vs now. What were the differences? I think this is a great exercise to go through as it forces you to distinguish what type of thinking has brought you to where you currently are.

1. I thought too small. Similar to what I talked about above, my imagination had a very short ceiling. I could not wrap my mind around creating something I owned vs just work up the corporate ladder.

2. I completely lacked presence. I could be standing in front of the most amazing sunset ever recorded but I would be thinking of what to say in tomorrow’s project update meeting. This was the case with my kids as well. I spent a little bit of time with them on weekends but was not really there as my mind was solely focused on work.

3. I really cared what people thought of me. If someone in our department walked past me without saying hello, it would seriously ruin my day. I was so caught up with what everyone else thought that I didn’t think for myself.

4. I didn’t value my time. I would get up, go to work, go home, and repeat. Time is the killer for most people. I didn’t understand the difference between enduring life and enjoying it.This also meant I did not understand leverage. Leverage of time, intellectual property or passive income was NOT in my vocabulary.

What Caused My Employee Vs Self Employment Shift?

I ran out of goals. Any higher in the organizational chart and I would have been subjected to ten times the meetings and for a very small, if any, increase in pay. I started wondering if I was simply valuable because I was in a county government department and wondered how I would fare in the private sector. I jumped to an insurance company for a small increase in pay and then, I think because of my boldness, started having thoughts of what the hell was I doing with my life. I wondered why I was even in technology and what was the point. At the same time I had friends from high school making tons of money in real estate and I decided to jump into that and have never had a job since.

The Lesson: How to Create Shifts

To create a shift you have to face a fear. To face a fear you have to desire something more. This can be a desire of more money, more freedom, more whatever. The fear I faced when I lept from county government to the private sector was what if I was a big charade and wasn’t as good as I thought I was. The fear I had when I left a large salary with benefits to become a real estate investor was what if I didn’t make it and all my friends and family were right.

The more you face fears and take action in contradiction to them, the faster you will speed your results. Once upon a time I had a major fear of public speaking. Now I have spoken to audiences in the thousands and it is where I actually thrive. If you want different results in your life, it is NOT just taking more action but taking fear inducing action.

Contrasting Lifestyle

I used to barely see my kids, now I take them to school and breakfast everyday.
I used to be inside a tiny box, now I know anyone can accomplish anything regardless of the circumstances.
I used to really be bothered by anyone criticizing or not liking me. Now I go confidently in the direction of my dreams regardless of who’s permission I have.
I used to take one vacation a year. Now it seems like I am hanging with cool people at some cool location once a month.
I used to have to ask permission to get off work to take my kids to the dentist, now life has a little more freedom in it. =)

Know that you deserve the lifestyle you truly desire and you should never give up or give in that you are in a lifestyle that cannot be altered. Hope you have taken some value from this blog post and you use it to impact your life!

Also, if you did not know, I am in the top 50 MLM Blog contest. If you vote me on on this site, you will get a private invitation to attend my LIVE and INTENSE 4 part series on Leadership. Go here and Vote if you have not already done so

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Ray Higdon
Skype: ray.higdon
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Image: Felixco, Inc. / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Our Honeymoon in Fiji to Namale and LikuLiku

Namale Waterfall

We just got back from our honeymoon in Fiji and it was AweSome! We hit up Namale (#1 rated resort in Fiji and #4 rated spa in the world) and Likuliku Lagoon. In this blog I will share the good and the bad as well as some of our pictures and two really cool videos we made.

Why we chose Fiji for our Honeymoon

There’s just something about it…Fiji. When I think of Fiji I think of exclusivity and beautiful. We had been to Hawaii twice and all throughout the Caribbean so it was down to Bora Bora or Fiji. We chose Fiji as it gave us two things and that was variety and a cool over the water bungalow. We stayed 5 nights in Namale (Owned by Tony Robbins) and 4 nights in Likuliku lagoon (over the water bungalow). Also note that the US dollar is actually strong in Fiji unlike some of the other places we looked.

Our time in Namale

Namale was amazing. They have a 3:1 ratio of staff to guests so you are treated like royalty. Other than hiring your own entourage I do not believe you could possibly receive better service anywhere in the world. The resort is all inclusive. Food, Alcohol, basic Scuba and snorkeling trips, horseback riding, movies, room service is all included in the price.

Namale is on the eastern side of Fiji so it does get more rain than the western side but we still had plenty of very nice weather to do cool stuff. They have a lot of fun stuff there that you would not expect like a bowling alley, golf simulator, a cool blowhole and a ton more. They go really out of their way to make you feel special. On one of your nights they do a surprise dinner where they keep the location secret and take you there for dinner with your spouse to an amazing candlelit dinner somewhere that is extremely romantic. Every inch of Namale is dripping with romance. By the way, for anywhere in Fiji you only need to know two words: 1. Bula (hello) and 2. Vinaka (thank you).

Our time in Likuliku

Likuliku is nestled in a lagoon on the western side of Fiji. It has two really cool things, 1. The best snorkeling in the world I believe and 2. Close proximity to a bunch of cool islands such as Monricci which is where they filmed the movie “Cast Away” (you can see the island in our video for Likuliku as we went there).

Likuliku was the first place in Fiji to offer over the water bungalows and may still be the only one but not 100% sure. Likuliku does not have as many things to do, nor is as exclusive or has the service of Namale but still had a great time there. In the Liku video you will see a ton of underwater snorkeling videos as the snorkeling was obscene. Right off our ladder was awesome as was by the island bar so you did not have to take a boat to get to great snorkeling. Couple things I did not like (maybe because we were spoiled in Namale) was they did not offer any room service and their boutique was ridiculously overpriced (t-shirts were about $70 USD).

My review of Namale vs LikuLiku

Service
Namale – 11
Likuliku – 7

Variety of Activities
Namale – 10
Likuliku – 6

Snorkeling
Namale – 7
Likuliku – 10

Romantic and Private
Namale – 10
Likuliku – 8

Weather
Namale – 7
Likuliku – 8

Overall both Jessica and I believe we will revisit Namale at some point. As we feel we thoroughly exhausted Likuliku’s main attraction (snorkeling), I do not think we will return there but would instead opt to check out a new place. Kudos to my honeymoon specialist Jason Liptak for putting everything together for us. I highly recommend him for any of your honeymoon needs. You can contact Jason at JasonL@allabouthoneymoons.com (I do NOT get compensated for suggesting you contact him).

Here are the two videos, I really trimmed a lot from these videos so I think they are both jam packed and fun to watch, hope you enjoy them!

Video of Namale resort

Video of Likuliku Lagoon

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Ray Higdon
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Email: RayHigdon@RayHigdon.com

Image: Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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