Ray Edwards Show

What you believe controls how much success you’re willing to allow yourself to experience. Is it possible that by tweaking what you believe you could start to achieve things you once thought impossible? In this episode we're going to begin to examine and share some of our core beliefs, how they influence our business, our […]

I just listened to an episode of Amy Porterfield‘s podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy. That episode shook me up (hah hah, the first Parkinson's joke of the episode). After hearing Amy speak so powerfully, I felt an overwhelming sense that I needed to say a few things publicly. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. I'm sharing not because it's important to me (believe me, I'd rather not be talking about this) – but because it's important to you. WARNING: This episode may not be suitable for those uncomfortable with the cold, hard truth.

I just listened to an episode of Amy Porterfield‘s podcast, Online Marketing Made Easy. That episode shook me up (hah hah, the first Parkinson's joke of the episode). After hearing Amy speak so powerfully, I felt an overwhelming sense that I needed to say a few things publicly. Click here to download or listen to […]

Stories have a way of sticking with us. The world of marketing is changing around us, and those businesses that don’t invite their customers into a heroic story will soon find themselves forgotten. If you’re tired of your marketing having the same affect as a monkey yelling into a bullhorn, then you’re listening to this podcast at exactly the right time. In this episode my guest Don Miller is going to introduce you to a roadmap that will clarify your message and draw customers to you like a magnet. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations If you’re like most people, you were raised with an understanding of The Golden Rule, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) Regardless of your belief system, you have to admit that this is a pretty solid idea. But does it apply to governments as well as individuals? In this episode Sean and I have an provocative discussion that is sure to raise the hackles of more than a few people. Tip of the Week We’ve discovered the greatest camera ever made. Pretty bold statement, right? If you’re a content creator who relies on outstanding video (YouTubers I’m looking at you) then this camera is going to change your world. With this camera you can take stunningly sharp videos and crisp photos with one device. The mirrorless frame is lightweight for easy travel, and the 20.3-megapixel technology delivers on clarity. We go into a whole geeky discussion about this inside the episode, but suffice it to say that this camera is a photographic rock star! Feature Presentation: “Building A Storybrand with Donald Miller” Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and every year helps more than 3,000 business leaders clarify their brand message. His audiences are challenged to lean into their own story, creatively develop and execute the story of their team, and understand the story of their customers so they can serve them with passion. Don’s thoughts on story have deeply influenced leaders and teams for Pantene, Ford/Lincoln, Zaxby’s, Chick-fil-A, Steelcase, Intel, Prime Lending and thousands more. Combined, Don’s books have spent more than a year on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Here are some snippets from our conversation: If you confuse you lose – Why asking your customer to focus on more than one idea is killing your business (17:49) Even a caveman can do it – Why the “Grunt Test” is important and how you can use it to test your marketing in five seconds or less (19:22) Accidentally ignoring the important – How story plays such an important role in our businesses and why it’s so often ignored (22:05) Using resistance as a compass – Why your insecurities and fears can be used as a guide to the life you desire most (24:09) The Storyteller’s Formula – What movies can teach us about making marketing matter (26:15) Clarify to amplify – How the human brain processes story and how you can use that revelation to multiply the results in your business (28:38) Survive and thrive – What you need to know about the human brain, and how that knowledge can cause your message to stand out in the marketplace (30:37) The making of a President – What the results of recent elections can teach us about the power of story when used correctly…and incorrectly (33:55) It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it – How using the proper framework can transform your marketing from sad to successful (36:07) Resources Mentioned in This Episode Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die The Greatest Camera Ever Made Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen How To Help Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

Stories have a way of sticking with us. The world of marketing is changing around us, and those businesses that don’t invite their customers into a heroic story will soon find themselves forgotten. If you’re tired of your marketing having the same affect as a monkey yelling into a bullhorn, then you’re listening to this […]

You’ve heard and read me talking about this topic of prosperity for some time now. If you’re still reading, chances are you have at least cautiously accepted the idea that you, too, may prosper. At this point you may even be thinking, “Ray, you’ve sold me on this prosperity idea. But how do I start? What’s next?” The rest of this podcast attempts to answer that question. Let’s get started. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations 4 Principles for Living a Prosperous Life Find your ultimate joy and satisfaction in God. View your business as a means for glorifying Christ. Serve others as a demonstration of your love for them. Continually ask God to bless you. Tip of the Week Free training on powering up your platform! Feature Presentation: “How To Live Long & Prosper” Having established a foundation for prosperity, you now want to build on it by focusing on vision, mission, plans, strategies and goals that apply specifically to your business. Create a Prosperity Pathway There is power in a prosperity pathway. A prosperity pathway helps you: Develop clarity about how to proceed Focus on achievable outcomes Stay on course The steps in creating your prosperity pathway: Vision Mission Plans Strategy Goals Perhaps you’ve heard the acronym SMART Goals. SMART stands for: S – Specific M – Measurable A – Achievable R – Realistic T – Time-based SMART goals are a good place to start. The problem with conventional goal-setting in this fashion is that it’s: All or nothing Pie in the sky Demoralizing Demotivating Without goals we have no idea how we’re doing, or where we’re heading. So, here’s what I suggest and what I do: I set BAM! Goals. BAM is an acronym and stands for: B – Baseline A – Amazing M – Miraculous Resources Mentioned in This Episode Client First Training How To Help Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

You’ve heard and read me talking about this topic of prosperity for some time now. If you’re still reading, chances are you have at least cautiously accepted the idea that you, too, may prosper. At this point you may even be thinking, “Ray, you’ve sold me on this prosperity idea. But how do I start? […]

Things can change so quickly in the online world it sometimes feels like a full-time job just trying to keep up. Which platforms are still relevant? What are the emerging trends I need to keep my eye on? In this episode my guest Mark Mason will tackle these questions, clear out the cobwebs of confusion […]

Things can change so quickly in the online world it sometimes feels like a full-time job just trying to keep up. Which platforms are still relevant? What are the emerging trends I need to keep my eye on? In this episode my guest Mark Mason will tackle these questions, clear out the cobwebs of confusion and shine a light on the path forward. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations In the church world today, when people are presented with an opportunity it’s common to hear them say, “I’m going to wait on the Lord till I get a sign from Him that this is the right thing to do.” This drives me nuts because God has given us eyes, ears, and a glorious brain to think with…we should be able to evaluate opportunities using the tools He has given us. So, I found some Scripture to back up my viewpoint, which is what you do when you’re a Christian. Check this out: Proverbs 10:5, “He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.” Or how about Proverbs 14:23, “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” We serve a God who doesn’t have any problems making decisions. Let’s follow His lead and strike when the opportunity is hot. Tip of the Week The tip this week is one of the coolest apps I’ve seen in a long time. If you ever watched the TV show Fringe you’ll remember how they had those 3D titles that showed the name of the city floating on the screen. It looked really cool. Now with Placer Cam you can create that same effect in your videos just using your phone. Getting perfectly tracked text in your videos has never been as fun, quick or easy. The best part is that there’s no expensive editing software required, do it all on your mobile device! Feature Presentation: “An Interview with Mark Mason” My guest this week is Mark Mason, the host of the brilliant podcast Late Night Internet Marketing. There you can expect to hear practical internet marketing advice you can apply to your own internet business, great interviews with successful and interesting marketers, and tidbits of helpful information delivered in an easy-to-understand format. In this episode I get to pepper Mark with questions we all want answers to, like: Is affiliate marketing still a real thing normal people can do? Why would one approach an internet business as a side hustle, instead of burning the ships? Day Job Secrets: Should You Tell Your Boss About Your Side Gig? Do you think all this vlogging, snapping, Vining, and Instagramming is a sign of rampant narcissim? Why don’t you post a bunch of quote memes to show us how smart you are? How hard is it for the Average Joe to optimize a website? And finally, why a post about depression? Here are some snippets from our conversation: Let there be value – Why leading by example has helped Mark Mason lead the way in helping people build profitable side businesses (8:58) Get Ziggy with it – How to get what you want by helping people get what they want (11:01) Jesus was a smart Dude – Why the Golden Rule has always been the key to longevity and prosperity in business (13:10) Playing with fire can get you burned – The real reason that building a side hustle is the smartest way to transition out of a job (15:22) Stay away from the eject button – Why it’s always better to run to something than run away from something (18:07) Stop waiting for your “calling” – How to enjoy what you’re doing while you’re doing it so your calling can find you (20:34) To tell or not to tell – The questions you need to answer before you decide to tell your boss about your side hustle (23:42) Expect to be discovered – A parable about what to do if your side hustle is discovered (29:35) The value of narcissism – How to spot the fine line between making it all about you and entertaining and enlightening your audience (31:40) An alternate view of depression – How to overcome the things that drain our energy and move your business forward every day (37:29) Resources Mentioned in This Episode Placer Cam Late Night Internet Marketing Zig Ziglar The Ethical Side Hustle How To Help Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

It's the dark secret of many small business entrepreneurs – most are a couple of bad months away from total bankruptcy. I learned this lesson the hard way after generating hundreds of millions and having nothing to show for it. While I changed that over the last few years, I am still a work in […]

It's the dark secret of many small business entrepreneurs – most are a couple of bad months away from total bankruptcy. I learned this lesson the hard way after generating hundreds of millions and having nothing to show for it. While I changed that over the last few years, I am still a work in progress. And many small business owners I know are still living check-to-check. The book Profit First changes all that once and for all. Ask yourself. “What would it be like if I could immediately start taking profit from ny business – this month, and every month from now on? What if I could be permanently profitable?” Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Keeping your accounting straight and your business profitable is not just a good idea – it’s biblical. “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations.” – Proverbs 27:23-24 Tip of the Week Try this with me: one book, one month, deep. Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz. Feature Presentation: “Profit First, Broke Never” TESTIMONIALS FOR PROFIT FIRST Darnyelle Jervey: “It feels good to be building a business that serves me. Profit First is helping me to live out my mission in my own business.” Bottom Line: $296,763.20 in profit, 258 percent revenue growth, and more than a million dollars in sales. Carrie Cunnington: “My business finances are organized and clean. I’m profitable (yeah!), disciplined, in control and motivated.” Bottom Line: Debt free and posting quarterly profits. Christian Maxin: “I now need just 60 minutes a week to manage my financial planning.” Bottom line: Christian can see the financial health of his business at a glance: $250,000 in new profit and business growth of 20 percent. Paul Finney: “Once you have cash, opportunities start to appear like never before.” Bottom Line: 500 percent growth in weekly sales; costs cut by 20 percent. Helen and Rob Faulkner: “After 18 years of being in business, we finally feel we’re a success.” Bottom Line: Helen and Rob turned around their business and posted a first-ever profit distribution within four weeks of starting Profit First. Notes and Quotes from Profit First: Money problems occur when one of two things happen: Sales slow down. The problem here is obvious when you operate check-to-check and sales slow down: you won’t have enough to cover expenses. Sales speed up. This problem is not obvious, but it is insidious. As your income climbs, expenses quickly follow. Exchanging the newly leased car for a rust-bucket, laying off employees because we’re overstaffed, saying “No” to our partners—all of this is very hard to do because of the agreements and promises we made. We don’t want to admit we’ve been wrong in how we’ve been growing our business. So rather than reduce our costs in any meaningful way, we scramble to cover ridiculously high expenses. We steal from Peter to pay Paul, hoping for another big payout. Most business owners try to grow their way out of their problems, hinging salvation on the next big sale, customer, or investor, but the result is simply a bigger monster. (And the bigger your company gets, the more anxiety you deal with. A $300,000 cash-eating monster is much easier to manage than a $3,000,000 one. I know; I have survived operating both.) “Profit must be baked into your business. Every day, every transaction, every moment. Profit is not an event. Profit is a habit.” THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLES OF PROFIT FIRST Old “Profit Last” Formula: Sales – Expenses = Profit New “Profit First” Formula: Sales – Profit = Expenses Here’s how you apply the four principles:   Use Small Plates—When money comes into your main INCOME account, it simply acts as a serving tray for the other accounts. You then periodically disperse all the money from the INCOME account into different accounts in predetermined percentages. Each of these accounts has a different objective: one is for profit, one for owner compensation, another for taxes, and another for operating expenses. Collectively, these are the five foundational accounts (Income, Profit, Owner’s Comp, Tax, and Operating Expenses). Those five accounts are where you should get started, but advanced users will use additional accounts (outlined in Chapter 10). Serve Sequentially—Always, always allocate money based upon the percentages to the accounts first. Never, ever, ever pay bills first. The money moves from the INCOME account to your PROFIT account, OWNER’S COMP, TAX, and OPEX (OPERATING EXPENSES). Then you pay bills only with what is available in the OPEX account. No exceptions. And if there isn’t enough money left for expenses? This does not mean you need to pull from the other accounts. What it does mean is that your business is telling you that you can’t afford those expenses and need to get rid of them. Eliminating unnecessary expenses will bring more health to your business than you can ever imagine. Remove Temptation—Move your PROFIT account and other “tempting” accounts out of arm’s reach. Make it really hard and painful to get to that money, thereby removing the temptation to “borrow” (i.e., steal) from yourself. Use an accountability mechanism to prevent access, except for the right reason. Enforce a Rhythm—Do your allocations and payables twice a month (specifically, on the tenth and twenty-fifth). Don’t pay only when there is money piled up in the account. Get into a rhythm of allocating your income, and paying bills twice a month so that you can see how cash accumulates and where the money really goes. This is controlled, recurring and frequent cash-flow-management, not by-the-seat-of-your-pants cash-management. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Profit First book Profit First podcast Profit First Info Graphic (Ray’s Notes – Coming Soon!) How To Help Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

We all have fears and beliefs that hold us back, but what we don’t usually have is a proven process that can destroy, once and for all, the limits those fears and beliefs place on us. This week I sit down with my friend Cliff Ravenscraft for an in-depth discussion on this very subject. We’re […]

We all have fears and beliefs that hold us back, but what we don’t usually have is a proven process that can destroy, once and for all, the limits those fears and beliefs place on us. This week I sit down with my friend Cliff Ravenscraft for an in-depth discussion on this very subject. We’re going to introduce you to tools and strategies that will unleash your potential and allow you to take the big leap from your Zone of Excellence to your Zone of Genius! Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Feature Presentation: “Breaking Through Your Upper Limits: A Conversation with Cliff Ravenscraft” We all have a thermostat in our lives that regulates how we feel with the amount of financial success, relationship success, and also business success that we have in our lives. In a very real sense, that thermostat has put a ceiling on how much greatness you allow in your life. Imagine for a moment that there was no ceiling…what would that make possible in your life? That’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in this episode. But first, as some of you may know, Sean and I recently bought a local artisan coffeehouse here in Spokane, and we thought you might enjoy a little insight as to why we did that. Enjoy! Here are some snippets from our conversation: Part One: The Coffeehouse Chronicles Sad news & an idea – How to spot opportunity in the most common areas of your life (3:22) Coffee and Community – Why a successful business is more than just a business (4:04) The strategic growth plan – How your unique skill set as an online entrepreneur can create new growth opportunities in the brick and mortar world (5:10) No more excuses – Why we believe coffee can open the door for all the brick and mortar businesses that are unsure online strategies will work for them (5:30) “I just don’t want it to close” – Why it’s okay, and even encouraged, to get emotional about business (7:38) King Solomon was right – Why it’s always a good idea to have multiple streams of income (8:37) Keep your eye on the prize – How to make your money go to work for you (8:48) A gathering place for friends – How to create a business model that turns customers into friends (9:06) Part 2: Breaking Through Your Upper Limits What’s the big deal? – How a cryptic message from Cliff changed my life (12:32) Control your temperature – How your inner thermostat dictates how much success you’re allowed to have in your life (14:10) Introverts and the post-vacation blues – How your mindset controls how much joy and excitement you are willing to allow in your life (18:51) The $25,000 check – Why most people refuse to accept random acts of kindness and how to fix that forever (22:55) The Upper Limit Injury – The never before released reason why your unconscious mind is fighting against your success, and what to do about it (25:31) The new high-water mark: How to identify your underlying positive message so you can blow the roof off your potential (27:01) Let’s get real – An intimate look at Ray’s experience with the Upper Limit Challenge, and the “miraculous” victory that came from that (27:33) The unintentional criminal – Why continuing to do something you’re awful at is robbing someone of the blessing of using their gift (31:37) Is this the best use of your time? – Why doing things others can do better is costing you money and draining your most valuable resource (35:04) The Land of Milk and Honey – Why your business should be based on something you do that comes easy to you but is difficult for others (36:59) The Zone of Genius – Why your unique gift is the key to enjoying all the love, financial abundance and creativity that’s rightfully yours (39:50) Watching Television Professionally – What can you do for long stretches of time without getting bored or tired? (45:01) Live long and prosper – What Spock can teach us about living with an abundance mindset (45:29) Working hard or hardly working? – Discovering the work you do that doesn’t feel like work (52:23) The Russian Doll Experiment – The magic of uncovering your unique ability by asking the right questions in the right order (53:03) I’m looking at you – Everyone has a Zone of Genius and it’s your personal mission to discover and share it (55:04) Feel the fear and do it anyway – How to defeat fear and use The Resistance as a compass (57:35) Now hear this! – The important information about the first Ray Edwards Live Meet-Up at Revel 77 (58:57) Resources Mentioned in This Episode Revel 77 Coffee The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level How To Help Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.

If you ask a room full of people with jobs why they go to work, what do you think their answer would be?  Probably something like, “To pay the bills… because I have to… because I have an addiction to living indoors with plumbing…” If you ask entrepreneurs why they work, what will THEY say? […]

If you ask a room full of people with jobs why they go to work, what do you think their answer would be?  Probably something like, “To pay the bills… because I have to… because I have an addiction to living indoors with plumbing…” If you ask entrepreneurs why they work, what will THEY say? Probably something like, “Because I love my business… I’m doing what I love… I’m on a mission…” But pose the question differently and see what happens. Ask those same entrepreneurs privately, if they won the Powerball and a got a $25M windfall, what are the first 5 things they would do… and one of the top items on that list is ALWAYS “get rid of this business.” In this episode, we’re going to get to the root of this problem and help you live a more authentic life starting right now. Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Spiritual Foundations Recently I’ve been re-reading the classic book Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. Dr. Maltz popularized the idea of self-image and its effect on performance. There's a difference between self-esteem and self-image. Your self-esteem is how you appraise your value, your self-image is simply the picture you have of yourself. Who do you think you are? There's an ancient proverb that says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” I believe what He was saying is, what you say reveals who you think you are. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” I believe what He was saying is, what you say reveals who you think you are. If you consistently find yourself behaving in a way that you don’t want to behave… you must look closely at your “secret identity.” You’ll find that somewhere you hold conflicting views that cannot exist in the same person. You are at war with yourself, and you are at war with reality. The masses lead lives of quiet contradictions. That is the pattern of the ordinary behavior of the world. It’s why the Apostle Paul wrote “Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind…” We renew our minds by thinking different thoughts. How do you do this? Notice the feelings that alert you to internal conflicts. Trace your thought backwards and find the place where you find two conflicting ideas. Resolve the conflict. Establish a new thought that is not in conflict. Reinforce the “trigger” and the “thought pattern.” In this episode, we do a deep dive on all of this…trust me when I say that you don’t want to miss this. Tip of the Week In keeping with the theme of today's episode, How to Reinvent Your Business, Your Income, and Your Life, Jeff Walker opens his store today for you to enroll in his Product Launch Formula (PLF). We're big believers in PLF as an approach, and the tip of the week is about how you can get $20,000 in coaching and training from me and our company for free when you sign up for PLF through the link rayedwards.com/plf. These bonuses are only available for a limited time…until Thursday, September 14, 2017. So, if you want the $20,000 worth of free goodies from us, go to rayedwards.com/plf. While you’re there, be sure to watch all the videos because you would be surprised at how much you can learn from that content, and by observing the PLF launch process. Now go forth and prosper! Feature Presentation: “How To Reinvent Your Business, Your Income and Your Life” Let's pretend you won the New Life lottery…what would be the first things you would do? Most entrepreneurs, if they told the truth, would just get rid of their business. Why? Because they feel trapped by their business and they go to work in their business for the same reason that people go to work at a job, to pay the bills. So, if money were no longer a concern… How would you redesign your life? How would you redesign your income? How would you redesign your business? Here are some ideas and some snippets from our conversation: You are here – Answering this question honestly is the very first place to start when redesigning your life (30:05) Check your B.S. at the door – How redefining your belief system is the fastest way to make a life U-Turn (32:54) Opportunity comes dressed as work – How to give yourself permission to want what you want (34:50) How to eliminate the belief that there is a moral connection between hours worked and income earned.(35:54) The tug at your soul – You are a creative, productive person…and if you aren't creatively productive, your soul begins to die (38:05) Be fruitful and multiply – Why creating value is a Divine calling and simply the smartest thing you could possibly do in business (40:10) Reinvention simplified – How to do a wholesale redesign of your life with a minimum amount of disruption (43:38) The seven-figure solution – Why a product launch is the fastest and most strategic way to reinvent your business (47:53) The clock is ticking – Why setting a deadline for yourself puts you on the fast-track to success (49:24) Resources Mentioned in This Episode Psycho-Cybernetics Get Product Launch Formula + $20,000 in free training from Ray! How To Help Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.