At times, you simply can’t think of an analogy, and you reach for something that’s been used many times before. However, there’s zero fun in using a tired analogy. How can you take this rather overused analogy and turn it into something with oomph? Let’s find out.

The Power of Analogies (Part 2): How to use everyday life to create stunning analogies Probably the biggest mistake that most of us make is that we try to find analogies. We sit down at a desk and wrack our brains trying to find an analogy that's just right. Instead, we end up with analogies that have been used repeatedly by other people. Or analogy doesn't seem fresh—and certainly not memorable. Yet, there are dozens if not hundreds of analogies waiting for us round the corner. And by that I mean literally round the corner. It's a secret waiting for us in plain sight. Let's find out how to go about creating those analogies by the dozen!

When we sit down to write an article, or design a presentation, we tend to slip in an analogy. However, most of the analogies that we seem to come up with a "boring and tired". The reason why we struggle so much is because we're going about it the wrong way. And allergies – in general – should be written backwards. How do you write an analogy going backwards? That's what we'll find out in this episode.

We start on a learning journey and then we quickly get lost. Why is this the case? We might have systems in place, reminders that keep going off, but we still don’t have a clear understanding of what will get us to a level of fluency. This level of fluency is called “base level of success”. Unless, you and I know the base level, we simply practice, and while we get better, we don’t get very good at a skill. Well, it’s about time.

When you go for a meal, you follow a sequence. When you are part of a wedding ceremony, there’s also a sequence. Sequences allow us to follow a thread, but it also gives the client a clear pathway. In this episode we look at the power of sequences, how to implement one and why you may want to change your sequence as technology moves forward. Let’s go!

The Internet has and will always be a great source of getting clients. However, if you notice, it’s also a very crowded space. There’s a place that’s a lot less busy. It’s called “the world offline”. Here’s why you need to do some exploration away from your computer.

We continue on our two part series of why adults struggle with learning. And this time around, we have an unusual enemy. The enemy is “vocabulary”. How can that be the case?

We all believe that languages should be learned early, and we’re not wrong. However, most adult learning is based on a school system that’s boring and plainly illogical. Why do adults struggle so much? The short answer is that they don’t learn like kids. The question is: what do kids do differently that makes learning so enduring? Let’s find out.

In most cases, you can increase your prices by as much as 15% by moving from left to right. But what if you wanted to increase your prices by, say, 20%, instead. Well, then you move from right to left. What does all of this right, left, right mean? Well, listen to the podcast and it will make sense in a few minutes.

Giving a presentation is often nerve wracking. You know you need to relax but you are driving yourself up the wall. The usual way to solve the problem seems to be that you need to practise more. You practise, practise, and practise, but the stress won’t go away. So what does reduce the pain? It’s simpler than you’d think.

When we get into a learning situation, we’re usually excited. Then, almost immediately we feel unsure. We stumble along, not keen to move ahead. What’s happening in our brain? I’ll tell you what: a pain map is being created. This pain map is because of a lack of good instructional design. How do we avoid creating this pain map for our kids and especially for our clients? Let’s find out

When we fall behind, the core instinct is to catch up. In most cases, that’s a strategy that stresses us out, and achieves very little. It feels like one foot inside and another outside. But is there a better method? Try the “next sunrise” method and see how well it works for you..

We are told time and time again that we need to practice. That we need to work hard. That’s usually a load of rubbish. Learning depends less on you as a learner and more on how the learning is designed. Here’s an understanding of how “prompts” in learning make the client eager to get to and finish an assignment, even if the learning journey is extremely long and complicated.

You've probably heard it before: I am bad at names. I don't remember names so well. But are you truly bad at names? Or is it something that we all say? In this podcast you can test yourself and figure out how impressive your memory really happens to be. Best of all, you will never say that you're bad at names – or even have a bad memory. Your perception of memory will change quite substantially. Let's go, shall we?

We all struggle with information. We’re almost always behind, always making notes, trying to catch up. Should we cut back on information completely? Is that the solution? Or is there a simpler, more elegant way to relax and take in endless amounts of information? Let’s find out

When you read a book about negotiation, it seems like you should be able to get exactly what you want. However, when you go out into the real world, your negotiating turns to custard. Others don't seem to agree with your terms, and you're left hanging. Often this problem arises because of a simple set of stages that we ignore. In this podcast, we look at those three stages and see how they boost our negotiating power, without us doing anything extraordinary.

When we create information, we tend to think of a single book, a single article—and may I say—a single podcast. That system works fine, but there's a method that is far superior. It's called a series. Here's why a series works so much better and how to go about creating a series of series.

We don't always realise it, but we go through precise psychological stages when we are becoming entrepreneurs. The biggest problem is that one stage is more deadly than all the other stages put together. It's the stage where we lose control because we are driven by outside forces. How do we know which stage we are in? And how do we prepare ourselves for the stage that is going to seriously rock the boat?

On any given day we will have some amount of chaos. And someday the chaos is just looking outside the door, but other days it forces its way through with an intensity that's hard to control. It seems like we are always juggling too many things, but there is a method where we can manage chaos in a less frustrating manner. Let's find out how we can look at chaos differently so that, in general, we have mostly wonderful days.

We often want to help others. It's a great trait to have in a world that is rather selfish. Yet, it can be a terrible idea when you're communicating with friends and clients.

People rarely want your help. What do they want instead?

 Listen to the "hug, hear, and help" method to change the way you see the world and also the way the world sees you.

 

Next Up: The Not So Obvious Angles For Succeeding In Life

Sometimes we think that we're just wasting our time writing articles or recording a podcast. Or maybe even the advice we give seems to go nowhere. You'd be surprised to know that you're making an impact beyond your wildest imagination

Do you feel like you're in the world where everybody is just angry with each other? How do you cope with a situation where you don't agree with the other person? You may not agree with their politics, their way of life, and you may have no intention of going over to the other side. The answer to most "aggressive conversations" is simpler than you would expect. And it's also a lot more fun and you get to stay friends. Let's find out how.

While writing an article, report or book, you're more than likely to need a metaphor. In fact, you may need at least a dozen. The problem with metaphors is that they're usually very predictable. How do you take a "boring method" and make a metaphor quite exciting? Let's find out.

The quickest way to get out of a rut is to have a deadline.

The moment you don't have a deadline, you're in trouble. Soon, that blip becomes a blurb, which becomes a balabooza that you can't control.

How do you get out of a rut quickly—really quickly?

Let's find out in this episode.

 

Next Step: Listen to—How To Get Unstuck Bit By Bit (And Why Speeding It Up Doesn’t Usually Work)

 

 

We all want to praise others, but sometimes, it seems extremely difficult to do so. 

This is why we often resort to something like "great job" or "that's cool. And Facebook has trained us to just "like" everything. This means that the person you're praising rarely feels the impact of that praise. 

In this episode we'll look at how to go about praising someone, and especially how to give praise when you don't have much to say.

 

Next: Let's look at

How To Introduce Yourself At An Event (Without Describing Your Achievements)

 

 

Usually a "NO" feels like a door slammed in your face.

However, in many cases, a "NO" isn't a forever thing. If you look at "NO" differently, there's a good chance you'll get a bucketful of "YESES".

Here's my experience of going from "NO to YES".

 

Next Step: Listen to 

Three Ways To Harness The Mastermind Mindset (And Use It Across Your Business)

You'd think that success parameters are everywhere—and they are.

Yet, some of them are so obvious that we completely miss them. In order to turn things around and get people to get your clients—and yourself—to understand success better, you have to know the difference between ego and mastery.

In this episode, that's what we explore and why it makes such a vast difference.

 

Next Step: Find out
How Ego-Killers Can Drive Clients Away

Have you heard yourself saying: I'm not good with names!

Almost everyone you run into is likely to say something similar. Is it because we're bad with names and have terrible memories?

Or is it a myth that we've been perpetuating? Let's find out in this slightly odd view of memory.

 

Next Step: Have a listen to

Why A “Lack Of Memory” Causes You To Be Less Talented In Life

The first line is what pulls us into an article.

Yet we end up writing a really boring first line. What's worse is that you could use the power of story to create an intensely powerful first line in minutes.

Don't believe me? Well, do you have 10 minutes? Let's start.

 

Next Step: Don't miss the series on Writers's Block
Writer’s Block Series: Why Discussion and Feedback Are A Writer’s Secret Weapon (And How Professionals Use it to Their Advantage)

If we went back in time, we'd all feel a little less stressed out.

We weren't being pounded with endless information all the time. There weren't a million courses, workshops, training and videos, let alone an endless parade of books.

It seems like we'll never keep up. And no, we won't.

But there's a way around the problem and it's quite permanent. Let's fix it, shall we?

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Here is another podcast on Overwhelm

The Overwhelm Virus: How To Get It Out of Your Daily Routine

 

I was chatting with a client, and he told me how he needs to improve his drawing. "I always draw stick figures", he said to me, "and somehow, I need to improve these drawings."

This strategy struck me as odd because I didn't see a problem with his stick figures.

The stick figures looked as good as they would always be, with little room for improvement. "You don't have a problem with stick figures," I said. "You have a problem with memory!" My comment confused him because he was talking about drawing and learning to draw, but I was referring to "a lack of memory".

What is this "memory" bit all about?

 Let's find out.

 

Once you finish listening, you may like this podcast too:

 Rapid Talent (How To Get There and What Holds Us Back)

The biggest underlying success factor of a business is repeat clients.

Yet time and time again, we have to keep looking for new clients. This sorry situation is often because we are seduced by information, not results. We know results are important, but we still go in the "opposite" direction.

How do we solve this ongoing nightmare?

Let's find out.

 

Next Step: How To Gain Momentum In Business Using The Subsets Technique (And Gain New Clients Too!)

Do you remember the story of the Three Kings in the Bible?  You might have heard that they didn't come empty-handed. 

That's because they understood one of the core principles of living was "giving".

Not all the advice you get is obvious. Today, let's look at some not so obvious ones, shall we?

 

You can also listen to:

Why You Should Pay Attention To Giving (And Why Receiving Is Just As Important)

 

We're told we need to practice if we want to get better. However, most of the times when we're practicing, we're quite bored.

Instead, "play" is far superior in every way.

It's not boring and like that kid next door, we "dribble" all the time. Let's look sideways at dribbling, instead of just practice, practice, practice.

 

Next Step: Don't miss

How To Get Results Like A Pro (Without Endless Practice)

Last week we heard about willpower and how ineffective it can be when we most need it. 

Today, we have guest—the first ever—Keira Menon. She not only gives you her version of willpower, but also tells you how she went about recording this podcast.

This a fun listen so don't miss it.
We had so many people write and tell us how much they enjoyed the episode.

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OMG I did, and it made me smile so much. I know you have been involved in your niece's life for some time as Sean has mentioned her often in the past, to hear her sounding so grown up and mature! 

We're told time and time again that what we need is better willpower?

Yet, science and endless studies have shown willpower to be ineffective. If you're tired, for example, you'll do things that you don't normally tend to do. Your willpower is completely ineffective in many situations.

 

However, numbers help. How do they help and why are they so underrated?

Let's find out.

No one needs to tell you how stress can take its toll.

Yet there seems no easy way to ramp down the stress factor. If anything, we seem to be more stressed than ever before. The news closes in on us on all sides and we seem trapped.

 However, there's a way that can ease that stress considerably. It could even be considered a form of meditation. It's called "writing down what delights you".

Let's find out how easy it can be to be delighted and decrease our stress considerably.

One of the biggest problems when starting up a speech is that you have to find something that captures the attention of the audience. Instead, what we often get is a round of introductions, blah, blah etc. All of which causes the audience to get restless.

 

How do you get the attention of the audience instantly?

Better still, how do you do it with a story that has already gotten a great response? Let's find out.

When we want to increase our sales, we search for new methods. However, that search is often quite unnecessary. What's needed instead is a tiny bit of common sense.

With little or no effort, you can change the way the client perceives you and your company.

Re-oxygenation isn't that hard. Check out this episode!

 

You can also listen to:

Why Restricting The Numbers Of Sales Increased Profits (And Will Give You More Downtime)

After three months of staying put in New Zealand, we finally made a long trip.

Long in terms of distance, as well as duration. For the past three years, most of our travel has been within New Zealand and a week in Fiji. 

However, the month-long vacation is what brings out all the stories. And here are some stories from Spain!

 

More travel stories: 

Bumpity-Bump Travel Stories

 

Often enough your client may need a transcript for a long video or workshop.

Not everyone needs or wants a transcript, and it does cost a lot to produce transcripts for everything. In the past we've had AI driven transcripts, but they too have been untidy and it requires a lot of tidying up.

However, Chat GPT is different.

Learn how to use Chat GPT and YouTube to create a superb, accurate and very context-driven transcript for just about anything.

 

More on Chat GPT

Will AI And ChatGPT Replace You As A Writer?

All of us cringe at the thought of getting feedback. Yet, we all need feedback to improve.

There are formulas for feedback but they don't work as well as they should. However, this method of balance is tricky. We can't praise people all the time, and we can't say what we really think.

Is there a way out?

Yes, there is, if you use this method of balance by Randall Stutman from Admired Leadership. His method works so well, you could give feedback all day and people will ask for more.

 

More on Feedback: Listen or Read

Why Clients Shy Away From Giving Feedback Despite Liking Your Products and Services

There are times when you need to introduce yourself, such as for a personal website, social media profile, or professional bio. That's where you and I often get stuck.

We were told not to keep praising ourselves, and yet, without listing our achievements, how are we supposed to create an aura of expertise? 

The answer is simpler than you think. All you need to do is add a touch of surprise, and your blurb becomes super cool. Find out how in this episode.

 

Next recommended podcast:

How to avoid embarrassing time overruns when making presentations?

When we start writing, we know we're hopeless. However, in time, we all get to the stage where we're average.

What does it take to become outstanding and then an absolute maestro in writing?

The answer doesn't lie in "practice, practice, practice". Instead, it's something as mundane as a combination of "structure" and "confidence". But even as you try to get better, your brain won't let you progress.

Why does all of this happen, and how do you get out of this rut? Let's find out in this episode.

 

Next Step: Can you create expertise through article writing?
Here is how: A mini-booklet that helps you quickly improve your article-writing

What if you ran into clients that have never heard of you?

And what if they've never heard of your products or services? Would they still buy from you?

 

It seems highly implausible, even impossible that you'd get a client interested. And yet, the reality can be remarkably different. A business philosophy can turn a client around and make them interested in you, after hearing just a single line. 

Let's find out how.

 

Next Step: Here are three fun podcasts
Psychotactics Philosophy
The Crazy Philosophy Of Psychotactics (And Why It May Help You In Your Business)
The Philosophy of Psychotactics—Part 2

 

It's more than likely that you've tried to create uniqueness before. Yet, it seems a bit of a pain, because it sounds so trite.

Well, how about we look at uniqueness from a "construction" point of view.

Instead of just trying to dream up the uniqueness, how about we look at it with "guardrails" so that we hit the target every time? Let's give it a shot because one—or two of these methods—will certainly work for you.

More on Uniqueness: 

Why Being Contrarian Creates A Stunning Uniqueness Factor In Business

When a client buys a product, what goes through their mind?

Often you'll notice they have a similar product, so why do they buy again?

There are four reasons why your client (and you and I) keep searching for products. And no matter how saturated the market seems, clients will keep searching. This is good news for you, because if you give them what they want, they'll keep coming back. It seems irrational, but it's perfectly rational.

Let's find out why this irrational behaviour exists.

 

Once you finish listening to the podcast: 
Listen or read—Selling Strategies: How To Sell Without Selling In A Crazy Online Market

AI has sent a chill down the spines of many of those who create content for a living.

—Won't so much content saturate the market?
—And why would a client choose your work when some other work can easily be put together by AI?

The reason why you needn't worry, is because people have not changed much.
They still make their decisions based on specific logic.

Let's see how you, me—we all make decisions.

 

Next Up: Will AI And ChatGPT Replace You As A Writer?

 

Rerun 6: Three Unusually Zany Tips To Change Your Mindset (And Behaviour)

Rerun 4: How To Restart A Stalled Project: The Middle Of The Project Method

If you're a teacher, you might be surprised at times at why people seem to learn so slowly. You may wonder if it's because of your method of teaching or if it is the material. 

The reasons why learning is so slow aren't always apparent, but it usually comes down to a factor of trust—and control.

Find out how trust and control become crucial elements in learning as well as teaching.

 

Once you finish listening to the podcast, head on over to find out:  
Learning Strategies that help you  retain what you learn

We all know the little things that recharge our batteries. 

For most of us, a walk in a real forest would calm us down and give us that much needed energy. Yet, as we go about our everyday lives, there seems to be no way to slow down. If anything, we're told to speed up. 

Here's a solid case for why that walk into that forest is so needed and how to recalibrate your energy once again.

Next Step: Read or listen to: How To Increase Energy (Even In The Midst of Chaos)

If you haven't already heard the news on the street, you soon will. AI is going to take away all our jobs as writers.

 

Anyone can create a course in minutes, write an article like a pro, or generate thousands of outstanding headlines.

Is this just a rumour or is this our dystopian future? Here's a slightly sane answer from New Zealand.

 

Next Step: Read or listen to

Writer’s Block Series: How A Lack of Energy, Not Time, Causes Writers to Stall and Crash

Even if you have a workable metaphor, how do you use the metaphor in your article?

 

The key is to go backwards and find the one word or one idea that you want to convey. Almost magically, the word seems to fit the metaphor.

Not convinced?

Listen to this podcast and find out how to go about this relatively-easy task.

 

Next Step: Here are—Three Unknown Secrets of Riveting Storytelling

 

 

You'd think you would need to have some scintillating stories to write a metaphor.

Or worse still, you'd believe it's a skill that only some people have and can never be learned. Well, you know what they say, right?

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. And the proof of writing metaphors isn't in some fancy story but rather in the mundane activities in our everyday life. 

Ready to go on a metaphor trip that's fun? Well, here we go.

 

Next Step: It's time to find out—Why Storytelling Needs The Thumpity-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump

The myth that is perpetuated is that you just need to sit at your computer and get an endless number of clients. 

The reality is the face-to-face connection is far superior. 
This is why musicians, politicians, et cetera hit the road. Face-to-face – even with the smallest audience is extremely powerful.

Here’s how you go about it.

________________________________________

Next Up: Why List Building Fails (And How To Avoid The Almost Obvious Failure)

 

Why are some books, videos and audio so much "better" than others? 
Or rather, why do we consider so many to be dry and boring?

The style of delivery matters, of course. A well-spoken audio, a well-crafted book is always going to stand out. Yet, all information can do with the cherry on top—namely, entertainment.

In this podcast, we're going to explore why entertainment is so crucial and how much is too much.

Next Up: How To Create Your Information Product In Four Layers (And Why It Appeals To Clients)

Sometimes, all it takes is for us to sit in a car, and all hell breaks loose. 
Here are a few stories of how things went a bit "off-the-road" during our travels.

Did you enjoy the travel stories series? Here are a few more.

India Travel Stories: The Cheese Story
India Travel Stories: The Goa Cashew Nut story
3 ½ Slightly Unusual Vacation Tips (That Makes Travel More Fun)

 

 

At the start of the year, it's almost natural to want to wipe the slate clean and start doing something new. We create goals, set deadlines and hope like crazy that things will work out well. 

The part we consistently forget is the "stop-doing" bit.
The very same issues that have been a pain in the neck before, will continue to be a nightmare in the future.

Why is this stop-doing list so very important?
Let's find out in this episode

________________________________________

Next Step: Listen or read 
How “Doug Hitchcock’s” Goal Setting Worked Wonders—And Why We Successfully Use It Year After Year

 

No matter what industry you're in, there's already competition.

This isn't just some random competition, but rather people who are better established than you. They've worked with your clients before, have a greater profile and probably a fancy portfolio.

And then there's us—you and me with no way to get our foot in the door.

But are things really that hopeless?
Can we come from behind to take over the coveted job from our competitors?

Here's how you go about understanding how to overcome your mental block and put a quick, workable strategy in place almost overnight.

 

Next Step: Find out—How To Overcome Mental Blocks That Derail Your Progress

 

 

 

Practice, practice, practice! Isn't that how you get better?

Well, yes, but the problem with that mantra is that few of us have the time to get to schedule in as much practice. What if you stopped believing in endless "practice, practice, practice"? Suddenly you'd have to have answers to problems pretty rapidly. Instead of spending endless time in practice, you'd be able to get fluent not at just one, but two, possibly as many as a dozen skills.

However, first you've got to figure out what professionals do and how they go about their lives.

Let's find out, shall we?

 

Next Step—Listen or read:
The Charlie Brown Moment: Why We Choke Under Pressure (And How To Practice Under Lucy Moment)

 

We all seem to know that fluency takes time—lots and lots of it. It also takes a lot of effort and learning. We're told that to be fluent, we have to put in thousands of hours of work.

However, what if that premise were wrong?

What if you could be fluent at something in a matter of weeks, or better still, in a matter of minutes? It sounds almost scammy doesn't it? And yet, fluency is closer than you'd think.

Here's a look at fluency in a manner you've probably not encountered before.

 

Next Step: Have a look at: (Audio and text)
Accelerated Learning: How To Incredibly Speed Up Your Skill Acquisition

In the first part of this podcast, we noticed that there's a logic to choosing what elements to fix on the sales page. We're looking at attraction, conversion and risk. And at the same time we're trying to slow down the client from skimming.

This episode puts the brake on skimming by using graphics and captions.  Let's learn how to use them effectively.

 

Next Step: Are there different copywriting strategies for landing or sales pages? 
Here is a link to 21 articles on "How To Write Your Sales Page".
(Audio and text)

When creating sales pages—or even when fixing them, you have a long list of elements to tackle.

So many in fact, that you may just put off the fix for a few weeks, which ends up taking a few months. The reality is that you and I can't do it all at once. Why not take on a few elements, instead?

If you were to fix things, where would you start?
Here are two of the ones I'd get cracking on, right away. And there are two more showing up in the second part of this podcast.

 

Next Step: Have you listened to How To Create Extremely Focused Sales Pages—The Pebble System? Let me know what you think. 

We know how it feels to be in a state of flow. Our work seems so effortless. However, we almost seem to be rushing to meet a deadline, and work seems—well—just like work.

We've always thought getting things done on time is a good thing, and it is. But is it possible that getting things done on time is one of the biggest reasons why we always feel behind?

How do you get into a state of play if you're always stressed?
Let's find out in this episode.

Next Step:  Learn how to get to the finishing line of all your projects—The Dual Boomerang System Of Learning.