Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
10 Things You Can Do This Year to Be a Better and Happier Person
The secret to substantial and enduring happiness, I have discovered, has nothing to do with putting yourself first, nurturing your inner child, or any of the many other forms of narcissism so popular among today’s pop psychologists. As someone who has spent too much time in the vain (and I do mean vain) pursuit of…
Read More#9 for the New Year: To Develop the Personal “You”
Today, let’s talk about the personal “you.” The “you” that you are when no one is looking. The person you turn into when you are by yourself. Who is that person — and, more importantly, who do you want that person to be? Let’s make some resolutions about that part of you — the…
Read More#8 for the New Year: To Continue to Build Your Network of Support
Never underestimate the value of good contacts. Having a powerful Rolodex can make the difference between success and failure, happiness and frustration. That’s how it’s been for me. All the successes I’ve had in my life — the businesses I’ve built, the projects I’ve accomplished, even my social achievements — have been the result of…
Read More#7 for the New Year: To Become Wealthier by Investing in Real Estate
Do you invest in real estate? I’m not talking about your home. Owning a home has more to do with security (emotional and personal) than it has to do with building wealth. If you aren’t investing in real estate (raw land, housing developments, buy-and-flip or rental properties), you should think about doing so today.…
Read More#6 for the New Year: To Become Wealthier by Investing Smarter
Last Thursday, in Message #1031, I encouraged you to make a commitment to increase your income by at least 10% this year. Let’s say, just to keep the numbers round, that it amounts to $10,000. Here’s what you should do with that extra money: 1. Set aside the portion of the $10,000 that the government…
Read MoreInvesting in Your Own Business
Yesterday, I urged you to resolve to increase your family income by between 10% and 25% this year. The way you are going to do that is by developing a financially valuable skill — selling, marketing, or profit producing. That resolution, by the way, applies even if you are employed by your own company. Having…
Read MoreIncreasing Your Financially Valuable Skill
Today, you are going to make a commitment to make more money. That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, does it? If you are ambivalent, consider this: The only way to be truly independent — to not have to rely on relatives, friends, and the government for material support — is to have a lot…
Read MoreLet’s Be Grateful for Things that Really Matter
“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Michael, my third son, never liked the private school we sent him to. Like his two elder brothers before him, he was unhappy not with the academic requirements and rigors but with the social ones. Proud…
Read MoreGet the Media to Sell Your Product
A great way to sell your product or service — without spending a dime of your advertising budget — is to send newsworthy press releases to magazines, newspapers, and radio/TV stations. In fact, much of the “news” that you see or hear every day has been pulled off of press releases. Instead of digging for…
Read MoreWhen You Make a Deal, Be Clear About the Intent
Whenever you make an important deal — whether the deal comes with a written contract or is simply a verbal agreement — quickly follow up with a short memo in which you identify what you think is the “spirit” of the deal, the big picture. Doing so routinely will save you a great deal of…
Read MoreThe Emotion to Pocketbook Connection
“When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bustling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.” – Dale Carnegie To be a successful businessperson, you need to understand the emotions that move people to buy whatever it is…
Read MoreAchieving The Dream
In Message #821, I pointed out that there are plenty of differences in terms of where ETR readers live, what they do, how they vote, and how much they spend — but there is one characteristic they all share: They want more out of life. Mike Garvey, an ETR reader just like you, is…
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