Before you read this, let me explain what I may start doing from time to time at MollerMarketing.com:

This blog post is a compilation of note taking, internal brainstorming, and reflection based on a great business conference I went to with Seth Godin.

I’ve read lots of Seth’s stuff. I know the guy is good. But I didn’t realize he was THAT GOOD.

Everything he said hit me right in the core.

I left the event with a new energy.

So anyway, from time to time I’m going to do blog posts in a brainstorming format (similar to this one).

Two Objectives for this Blogging Style

1. Help readers see how they can put their own brains to work.
2. Help me see and reflect on my own crazy ideas

I also hope this encourages questions, comments, and ongoing dialogue.

Seth Godin Conference

The more you fail, the higher your chances are to succeed!

Question: Are you a genius?

• Someone who solves a problem in a new way.
• Someone who figures out how to be a person, not a system.
• Doing a word map – PEOPLE is what shows up most.
• His new book talks to PEOPLE, not a company, system, organization.
• Henry Ford created the “factory world” concept.
• Interchangeable Parts – there used to be no such thing
• Ford changed that process
• Interchangeable parts leads to interchangeable people.
• Replaceable people – AT&T hired TONS of women to be operators.

Public school is a scam design to create compliant workers.

The reason they want you to fit in is that once you do, then they can ignore you. – Seth Godin

Hunting > Farming > Compliant COGS > “Artists” is where we are NOW

What is an Artist?

• Being a human.
• Connecting with others.
• Giving a gift.
• Making a change for the better.

We don’t need painters who are cameras. We need painters who paint the way the see the world.

Artists shake things up – they are hard to replicate.

Text books are obsolete.

If you can write it down, I can find it cheaper.

We have to radically re-think what we do ALL DAY.

Don’t become a professional bowler!

• The best you can do in bowling is 300.
• There are no super-star bowlers.
• No chance to stand out.

Don’t get in to a business where average is expected.

If you reward average, how are you going to get ahead?

The recession we are in is not about a bubble. There’s a 3rd thing going on.

A WALL has fallen down – you have the whole world at your fingertips. The world is now there with no middle man.

If you want to write a book, just publish it yourself.

Now you have no one to blame if you don’t succeed.

Why Being a Cafeteria Lady Sucks

• You’re mistreated by your customers.
• By your boss.
• You’re interchangeable.

The Law of the Mechanical Turk

Mechanical Turk breaks things up in to 1 minute segments to get something for nothing.

Lift
Hunt
Grow
Produce
Sell
Connect
Create & Invent – can you invent stuff I didn’t think of?

= VALUE

Taking notes are no good! (woops – I was taking detailed notes as he said that)

What questions ought one to ask to FIGURE THINGS OUT?

The way people/kids think now days:

• If you buy a lot of stuff at Abercrombie, you’ll be more popular.
• If you graduate with an A average – you’re “really good at school!”

The next thing I’m going to do is get a D, get laughed at, FAIL…

Most of Picasso’s paintings were HORRIBLE.

Don’t skip the few minutes that are filled with scariness.

Just because the tide is out doesn’t mean there’s no more water in the ocean.

Take a shot – make a difference.

I should try to fit in less. I should try to stand out more.

Gone is the day of Day’s Work = Day’s Pay

The most powerful voice in your head is the voice of the “lizard brain” – it’s the survival mechanism.

Anxiety of the experience of failure in advance.

How can I conquer the “lizard brain”?

If your “Art Doesn’t Work” you’re not pushing it hard enough.

Labor means DIFFICULT

DO WORK THAT MATTERS!

When your lizard brain speaks up and says stop – GO!

SHIP – conquer the lizard brain, get the stuff out the door

Make Art
Give Gifts
Do work that matters
Connect
Lead
Ship

Thoughts on this blogging style?

This is information I shared yesterday with 40 colleagues.

We talked about time management techniques and how we can better take care of clients, including how to better run an online business.

Homework

How would you answer the following questions?

How do I currently manage my time?

What are 3 things I can do better to manage my time?
1.

2.

3.

What will the results be if and when I do these 3 things?

Do you really have to fail to succeed?

Or is that just one of those stupid cliches that people tell you to keep you motivated?

What are some of your biggest accomplishments?

In life?

In business?

In whatever?

Were you a first time phenom?

Or did it take a bit of time before you finally “made it” to the top of your “game”?

Starting an online business is HARD WORK! It takes self-motivation and persistence that some people just don’t have.

You have to set goals, monitor progress, and work hard through hard times.

So how do people do it?

Watch, listen, learn and apply!

How do you plan to apply this?

What’s a failure you’ve made today that is leading towards success?

I help clients start online businesses via wholesale solutions, dropshippers, affiliates and blogging.  I then help them market these projects online with search engine optimization and social media strategies.

I’ve worked with clients who are very internet saavy.

I’ve worked with clients who are in the “older years” and need a bit more hand holding.

What I’ve found through these experiences can be summed up by a famous American:

That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well. – Abraham Lincoln

So what does this really mean?

While doing my daily routine today of reading and commenting on blog posts, working on Twitter, etc. I found this cool video courtesy of @chrisbennett.

You don’t have to watch the whole thing (up to 3:11 is enough) to get the gist:

You can do WHATEVER you set your mind to!

Now watch this video!

6 Year Old Proves You Can Do Whatever You Want

Questions to Consider

Do you think this little guy was initially scared to hit those jumps?

Do you think he wiped out a few times?

Do you think this skill was developed overnight?

Do you think he had to practice a lot?

Running a successful online business is so much like this snowboarding video.

How to Make Money Online

You have to break fears.

It takes failure over and over again + learning to deal with it and move forward.

It takes time.

It takes practice.

And eventually, with persistence, you can succeed.

Notice I DIDN’T say you WOULD succeed. I said you CAN succeed.

Your initial idea my not be the “Million Dollar Maker”. In fact, it may completely flop.

Johnny B. Truant shared his philosophy on the ultimate formula for success as an new online business owner:

For many (maybe most) beginners, the surest way to begin building a good income online is to focus on networking and business principles, not push-button systems and arbitrage.

• How do you network?
• What are business principles?

If you have these questions, your first assignment is to find the answers, probably BEFORE you even start your first business!

My biggest recommendation for success with an online business boils down to this simple statement:

But be persistent and BELIEVE YOU WILL SUCCEED!

I believe Johnny’s formula backs up my words of wisdom:

The one and only one true formula for success

1. Try.
2. Repeat step 1 until the desired result is achieved.

How does this cool video help you believe in your abilities to be an online entrepreneur?

I initially posted this article as a guest post on one of my favorite Twitter tips blogs.

The images I posted had some malfunctions. Here’s the update with a few edits to avoid duplicate content issues too.

You ever thought or heard these statements?

Twitter just takes too much time…

I don’t ever really see much come from my Twitter efforts…

Twitter does take time.

It can be hard to see immediate results from Twitter efforts.

Here’s a real-life success story on how I got lots of buzz and viral marketing – which means links, traffic, and brand building – via Twitter.

5 Simple Steps to Twitter Viral Marketing

Step 1: Guest Post on a Credible Blogs

• 5 Blogging Basics You Can’t Live Without

Step 2: Send a Few DMs to Twitter Friends

Be careful. I read an interesting article about “how to piss off your Twitter followers“:

Unless you’re trying to get more exposure for some noble charity or cause, asking people to RT your tweets just makes you look pathetic. Enough said on that front.

Step 3: Ask Credible Twitter Users What They Think

• Obviously the post has to be something half way decent if you expect any response.
• Obviously the post has to be something related to what the Twitter user Tweets about.
• Obviously, if you do this too often, you’ll be annoying and get un-followed!

Step 4: @CopyBlogger Re-Tweeted the Article

Thanks to @copyblogger (Brian Clark) for his willingness to pass on the article and link to his Twitter followers.

Step 5: The Viral Explosion Began!

Notice the effects @copyblogger’s RT had on the article distribution… Now the take-aways:

The 5 Keys to Twitter Viral Success

1. Don’t Spam all Your Twitter Friends asking for a RT. Imagine going to a party and having one of your “friends” stand on the table the whole time jumping up and down yelling, Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! – Get the picture? Don’t do this!
2. Reference other valuable articles within your blog post. Everyone likes a good mention, even big name bloggers. Referencing other credible blogs within your industry can help with search engine optimization efforts too.
3. Beware of OVER self-promotion. Dan Hollings (Why Follow @dhollings) explained Twitter in one easy statement -”Twitter is like a “cocktail party” – you can’t just talk about yourself over and over again – you’ll lose people.” Similar to the friend jumping up and down on the table analogy – Just. Don’t. Do. This!
4. Find Twitter users who have good listeners and become friends with them. The easiest way to monitor “listenership” is found in the proof above. If one friend RTs your stuff and then hundreds of their friends RT it, you know the friend has good “listeners”. Once you’ve found a friend with good Twitter listeners, don’t abuse the relationship.
5. Be grateful! Even the big names in your industry appreciate a “Thanks.”

How have you implemented these Twitter Tips to see results?

Update: