How to Show Up for Success

Had a great day with Yanik Silver and Frank McKinney yesterday here in Miami at the Maverick Business Adventures annual get together.

Some heavy hitters were in the room donating thousands and thousands of dollars to McKinney’s Caring House charity and pledging to travel to Haiti with him to build homes (Frank has helped build 17 self-sufficient villages in the world’s poorest country).

As you might know, one of my “daily guiding documents” is from Frank’s “Make It Big” book, and I was elated to learn that he had watched my video explaining my daily habit here:

Very cool.

Now on to your questions and feedback.

Question: “I’m starting a membership site. What’s best for:

– How often to update content ex: 1x per week?
– How much content needs to be created in the beginning to hand off to the web guy?
– Best practices to increase retention rates?” -Jared

Answer:

Hi Jared,

1) On my sites I just update with a monthly program. I have not tested or recorded stick rates with any other variations.

My formula is simply:

Big Monthly + Forum

It probably wouldn’t hurt to add in another content piece in the middle of the month. So that way, there’s something every
2 weeks.

It really depends on the volume of content delivered each time. You don’t want to give so much content that they can’t consume it…or worse, get overwhelmed and drop out.

I feel that way with the Glazer-kennedy inner circle because I get 3-4 CD’s each month and I don’t have time – or frankly the interest – in listening to a couple of old guys talk that much, that often.

2) I would have at least 3 months of content in there.

For the 24-7 membership site, they had 8 weeks of workouts and then another 4 were delivered before their 30-day trial was over.

Question: “When you built your website how did you determine what the look, feel brand and logo would be? This is where I get stuck. I know the branding is so important but I’m not creative. Is it practical to hire a creative designer for a startup?” – PJ

Answer:
Hey, don’t over-think things. Just try to find an image that conveys what the end-user wants to experience. For example, with Internet Independence, folks want freedom.

The picture of the person on the laptop on the beach is the ‘ideal’ for many people.

Use www.proebookcovers.com – they do all my sites and ebooks.

Question: “I was up late reading Financial Independence Monthly and ETR Premium. You can see how excited you are about ETR. It comes through in your writing.  With your excitement you can see you want to give even more (247 Product Launch Autopsy and interview with Isabel). Thank you for giving, sharing and being my coach.” – Rick

Answer: No problem Rick, you are a great student. Thanks for taking action, helping others, and trying things out. Really cool to see you “cooking up stuff in your little lab”.

Remember, I failed many times on my quest to create something like ETR/FIM.

But all those failures lead to success.

Partly because I learned how to do things better, but MOSTLY because other people saw me taking action.

If you listen to Isabel’s interview, we keep going back to that one line:

Show up.

Hardly anyone else has it in them to show up.

You keep doing that…and there you go. Success.

****
Note: I highly recommend that everyone SHOW UP on their own terms with Financial Independence Monthly here:

And make sure to listen to the interview I did with Isabel.
You will find it in the Success Stories section of the customer area.

Feedback of the week:

“How I wish I’d had your right on, wise counsel when I was setting up my business! Although I’m retired with no plans to work (for remuneration, at least) I enjoy your apt wordsmithing. Thank you.” – Candace H.

“Hey Craig, I’m launching a new Blog in a few weeks and this is going to be my number success strategy get up earlier and write my post. I’ve discovered my creative time is before I ever see a client. Thanks for continuing to out work everyone in sight and inspire people like me to become all we can by following success.” Rahz Slaughter, NYC

“I dream that soon I will be able to prove you right. At the moment I alone, in my little microcosism of life, believe that you are. I suspect that the cost of my subscription to your world is the best investment I’ve made so far. Thanks.”
– H.L.S.

***CB – Thank you, I really appreciate your trust and look forward to sharing a lot more information with you each month in Financial Independence Monthly.

Keep getting out of your comfort zone and SHOWING UP.

While I am down here in Miami with dozens of great people, the truth is I’d rather be at home writing, but SHOWING UP to these events is extremely important.

Outside comfort zone = Dramatic steps forward.

Apply the same principles to your life:

1) Show up.

2) Get outside comfort zone

3) Take the necessary actions to move forward

4) Get the social support you need

5) Never give up.

Have a great weekend,

Craig Ballantyne

“Sacrifice today for a better tomorrow.” – Frank McKinney