What Makes Character?

"People of character do the right thing, not because they think it will change the world but because they refuse to be changed by the world."

Actor and Author of Michael Josephson
Radio Commentator

What Is IT?

Bob Proctor explains "IT":

"Great politicians have IT. Movie stars and sports heroes have IT. Super sales people and exceptional business leaders also have IT. What is IT? If IT was exclusively connected to personalities, you could possibly narrow this mysterious quality down to personal magnetism. However, there are times when you hear a new song on the radio and instantly you recognize this particular song is on its way to the top of the chart - this song has IT. The same is true of movies - some have IT.

There have been many low budget movies that have had IT, and conversely, some multi-million dollar productions with big name stars that did not have IT. Advertising agencies spend countless hours with some of the greatest creative minds in their industry looking for that one word or line that has IT, which will turn the ad campaign into the sensation of the year. On the radio you will find certain disc jockeys that have IT. Every Christmas a product hits the market that has IT and millions are sold. Every young woman will tell you there are certain guys who have IT and the guys will tell you there are certain gals that have IT.

What is IT? That is a good question, which no one has been able to answer although many have tried for thousands of years. IT, that magical, elusive something which most everyone is attracted to, cannot be purchased at any price and, if it could be, the price tag would very likely be out of our reach.

How do you get IT? I don't honestly know, although I've thought long and hard about it. I have come to one conclusion, if you happen to develop, find or stumble upon IT, you will probably be the only one who will not recognize you've got IT. And, since you won't know you have IT, you won't be able to tell us how to get IT.

Finding IT would surely make a big difference in our lives. Let's keep looking."

- Bob Proctor

The Price of Accomplishment

"Every worthwhile accomplishment has a price tag attached to it. The question is always whether you are willing to pay the price to attain it - in hard work, sacrifice, patience, faith, and endurance."

John C. Maxwell
Author

What Makes a Great Person Different?

"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing."

Michael E. Gerber author of
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Wow Creator: What Every Marketer Should Learn from the Ron Paul Revolution

As you know, whenever I see someone doing something remarkable online, I can't resist examining their success. If I can learn something, I want to share it with my customers! That's what today's marketing tip is about.

Traditionally, people who want national exposure for their product, service, or message, have had to spend millions of dollars for national marketing campaigns. But with the growing influence of the internet, things are changing. There's YouTube videos, podcasts, email campaigns, article marketing and other no-cost or low-cost viral marketing methods for getting your message out to both a national and international audience.

The question is: Can someone who is taking the internet by storm transfer virtual fame into the "real world?" That is what presidential candidate, Congressman Ron Paul, is hoping will happen with his wildfire online popularity.

Regardless of your political orientation, there is much to learn from the "Ron Paul Revolution." His name is searched on Google more than any other presidential candidate. After both the California and South Carolina Republican debates, Ron Paul came out number one by a landslide on MSNBC and Fox polls. Even though these polls block duplicate voting, Dr. Paul's competitors still claim his supporters must be tricking the system or are just overzealous extremists.

The interesting thing is, if they are outsmarting the polls or are overzealous voters, why does no other candidate engender such devotion or creativity? Articles about Ron Paul consistently fly to the top of Digg. He has more subscribers on YouTube than any other Republican candidate. His fans join online groups to alert each other to every piece of media Ron Paul receives. Media clips turn up on YouTube and become viral marketing messages.

Ron Paul supporters gather in person in thousands of meet-up groups across the nation. The last I heard, he has more meet-up groups than any other presidential candidate.

But what about money? Doesn't it take money to make it to the primaries? It sure does. According to a July 1st, 2007 report Republican candidates had the following net campaign assets:

Rudy Guiliani $18,326,220
Romney $ 3,176,535
Ron Paul $ 2,354,855
McCain $ 1,567,009
Tancredo $ 583,451
Brownback $ 460,236
Huckabee $ 406,125
Hunter $ 212,926
T. Thompson ($ 5,787)
Gilmore ($ 67,163)*

* Dropped out of race

For a candidate with sparse coverage on major networks, Ron Paul comes in third! Evidently Paul's supporters are putting their money where their beliefs lie. And since he's doing much of his marketing via grassroots methods, he may not need as much money as other candidates.

As an internet marketer, I cannot help but try to analyze this success. I'm also carefully watching to see how and when Ron Paul translates his internet success into off-line popularity. Isn't that the quandary for so many of us online marketers? For example, how do we turn internet ebook sales into New York Times best sellers?

In analyzing Ron Paul's campaign, there is one thing that I believe stands at the root of his success. And it's something from which we can all learn.

It's All About the Message

There is no other candidate with a message like Ron Paul's. It's unique and it's one that many people crave. It's about liberty, smaller government, and a return to Constitutional principles. It's about a shift in U.S. foreign policy which would minimize our involvement in wars. It's about shutting down the IRS and getting rid of the income tax. It's about keeping the internet free and untaxed. It's about more individual responsibility, less government intervention, and hope for a better world.

It's a message that no one else is preaching, and he always delivers it with an optimistic smile. It's edgy, requires integrity, and few would have the guts to teach it, much less stick by it unapologetically. Yet, he does with the trust engendered by a kindly wise grandfather. In Congress, special interest groups won't even knock on Congressman Paul's door because they know if what they're asking for is unconstitutional he will not budge.

As edgy as his message, it's resonating with many Americans. In a recent interview YouTube conducted with Ron Paul, he praised the younger generation who were stepping forward to clean up the mess previous generations had made. Even though he's in his 70's, he's popular with a younger crowd who resonate with a peaceful, freedom message.

Unlike many politicians, Ron Paul doesn't just tell people what they want to hear. He sticks to his principles and trusts that those who resonate with those principles will step forward to support his cause. They do so in evangelical numbers.

So, how can you apply this to yourself? You define your message. You get clear about who you are and what you stand for. You make no apologies for it. Sure, there are going to be some people who don't like the way you do things. There are going to be some people who don't want or need what you're selling, but you don't worry about that. You decide your message and stick to it with integrity. If your message is powerful enough, your customers will start doing your marketing for you!

To learn more about what makes Dr. Paul's message unique, view Google's interview with him.

Wow Creators Believe

A friend sent me this and I thought it was perfect for those of us seeking to Create A Wow:

THE SEVEN STEPS TO STAGNATION

You may recall that for centuries people believed Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. The philosopher was regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of all time, and so it follows that he MUST be right!

But nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle's death someone actually tested the theory. In 1589 Galileo Galilei summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He pushed two weights from the top of the tower -- one light and one heavy. They landed at the same instant. But the power of belief was so strong that the professors denied their eyesight! They continued to teach that Aristotle was
correct.

Galileo and others also tried to convince the educators of his day that the earth revolves around the sun. But they would not believe anything so radical and eventually forced him to recant his support of the Copernican theory. He lived the last years of his life under house arrest.

Erwin M. Soukup compiled a list he calls "The Seven Steps to Stagnation." You have no doubt heard these statements before. Most of us have said them! They are:

1. We've never done it that way before.
   
2. We're not ready for that.
   
3. We are doing all right without trying that.
   
4. We tried it once before.
   
5. We don't have money for that.
   
6. That's not our job.
   
7. Something like that can't work.
   

There is tremendous power in belief. Our beliefs shape our future; what we believe to be true quite literally becomes true for us!

And there is a bold and exciting tomorrow awaiting anyone with the courage to believe something new CAN HAPPEN -- things CAN BE DIFFERENT! Your life -- your organization -- can be stagnant or things can change.

Tomorrow can look very different than today for those who believe.

(The original author of this is unknown. If you know who wrote it, please let me know, I'd like to give proper credit)

Interview with Wow Creator: Gayle Lynds, Best Selling Author

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to interview NY Times Best Selling Author Gayle Lynds. Her books have won such awards as "Novel of the Year" (The Last Spymaster) given by the Military Writers Society of America, and have been People magazine's "Page-Turner of the Week" and "Beach Read of the Week."

Publishers Weekly lists her work among the top ten spy novels of all time. With Robert Ludlum (Bourne Identity), she created the Covert-One series and wrote three of the novels. One of them, The Hades Factor, was a CBS miniseries in April 2006.

In the interview she talks about her latest book, and also gives lots of great tips for authors – how to find a literary agent, working with editors, surviving in the publishing industry, promoting your work, and how she conducts research.

I recently finished reading The Last Spymaster and loved it. Gayle Lynds knows her subject and does a fantastic job of interweaving action and suspense while still reaching deeper into human relationships. The story is a rich exploration of the mentor - protégé relationship as well as what happens to people who are thrown together in a crisis situation. For those of you coming from my "clean romance" site, you'll be happy to know that The Last Spymaster has a wonderful romantic twist. Do be aware that there are a couple sentences that would be considered a little more graphic than I'd write, and there is strong language throughout the book.

To listen to the interview, click here.