Michael Wilding

Category: Motivation

  • Beer & Chorizo

    Beer & Chorizo

    Yesterday I headed down to London to see a friend I’ve not seen for some time.

    We spent the first twenty minutes walking around Kings Cross looking for a bar where we could sit outside. 

    Man it was packed.

    I mean, what the heck are all these people doing drinking when they should be at work!

    Eventually we found a bar with a couple of tables available outside and made ourselves comfortable.

    You can tell what type of bar it was because the only lager they had came in a fashionably elegant bottle and was called Posh!

    When a bar serves beers like that, you know the choice of food’s going to be equally wanky.

    Don’t get me wrong, I love this kind of bar, but there’s no getting away from them trying slightly too hard to be fashionable.

    We got the menus and there was a range of tapas style dishes and hot sandwiches. I opted to go for the hot chorizo and cheese sandwich.

    Did I mention the menu was going to be a bit wanky?!

    So we sat down with a cold beer and chorizo sandwich, and got talking.

    Read the rest of this newsletter by becoming a full member of The Online Hustle at https://michaelwilding.com/join-the-online-hustle-clean/ before 6:30pm tonight.

    Have a great weekend,

    Michael

    The Online Hustle

  • The importance of drinking

    The importance of drinking

    It’s true, I like a drink as much as the next person. Well, maybe a little bit more than the next person, but not as much as the person after me!

    Anyhoo…

    Drinking is very important in business.

    Even if you don’t like alcohol, that doesn’t mean that drinking shouldn’t be a key element in your business. You don’t have to drink alcohol.

    Last week I went down to the London Lunch in Victoria, and what a great day it was. 

    In fact, it was so good I decided to miss my planned train and get a later one.

    I’ve not been to one of the meetups for nearly two years, and when I got there I realised how much I missed it.

    It was an opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

    What makes these events so great is not just the people you meet, but the ideas you get.

    Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t go to the pitch events. They’re not for me. I’m not interested in seeing webinars on stage.

    Which, if we’re being honest, is what they are. 

    You get a bunch of speakers on stage, they’re “training” you to achieve a goal, there’s some decent-ish content, before they hit you with a $1000, $3000, $10000 or higher offer.

    That’s not for me. 

    I’m not interested in buying a product for that amount. I never have, and I probably never will.

    Doesn’t mean they don’t work or aren’t effective, it just means they’re not for me.

    Why?

    Because, to a reasonable degree, I like to figure things out for myself.

    Some ways of marketing and making money just aren’t for me, I’m not comfortable with them, they don’t fit into my lifestyle, and whether they work or not for the coach, they would never work for me.

    But the smaller networking events, then ones which are purely networking, these are great fun.

    I’ve even registered for a couple of others local to me in Peterborough and Cambridge.

    I won’t get to all of them, but I’ll get to some of them, and I’ll be trying to get to the London Lunch regularly. 

    If you want to maximise the benefit that you get from these networking events then you need to do these two things:
     

    1) Make sure you don’t go to sell to people


    There’s nothing more irritating to other marketers than going to a non-pitch event and being pitched.

    Not only do you not want to pitch to people, you want to focus on getting to know people. 

    Nobody wants to be sold to by someone they don’t know, and wants to promote for someone they don’t know.

    What that means is, the best way to do to business is…

    …to get to know people!
     

    2) Listen to everything everybody says


    It doesn’t matter who it is, it could be a complete newbie or a seasoned veteran.

    Listen to EVERYTHING that everybody has to say.

    Why?

    Because you never know where you next $100k idea may come from.

    It’s highly unlikely anybody is going to give you their complete game plan, and it may not work for you even if they did.

    But by listening to everything being said you start to get your own ideas.

    Maybe take a notebook so that you can make some notes, but do it discreetly after the event, do not do it while you’re talking to people, that’s just rude.

    It’s amazing trees can sprout from a kernel of an idea.

    A lot of folk at these events are only interested in listening to what the well known or seasoned marketers have to say. And yes, there’s value in that, but there’s huge value in listening to someone who’s not already formed by the industry and may have an completely new approach to something.

    For example… I was talking with some very seasoned and large traffic providers at the London Lunch, and I hope to be doing business with them shortly.

    But during a conversation I was having with them and a few newbie marketers, I got a kernel of an idea from something one of the newbies said.

    Nothing complicated.

    Very simple in fact.

    And I’ve got no idea why I haven’t already done it, or why most people don’t do it.

    It would make life significantly easier, less stressful and kickstart a business five times as fast.

    So, it’s something that could make a huuuge difference!

    I’m going to share it with full Online Hustle members later this week, and it’s so simple it could be written in one sentence.

    But the bottom line is, find local networking events, the free ones, and go and meet people, it will be the quickest way to grow your business and get ideas. 

    If you want to become a full member, this is the place to do it, and it’s just five bucks a month.

    https://michaelwilding.com/join-the-online-hustle/

  • A Terrifying Thought

    A Terrifying Thought

    Sorry for the slight break in emails, I’ve been insanely busy and not had a moment to sit down and write!

    But, for better or worse, I’m back with you now 😉

    It’s been three days since the football team have been located in the cave in Thailand.

    They’re now saying that it may be possible for them to walk out, they’re pumping quickly but there’s an urgency as there’s monsoons predicted for the weekend.

    If they don’t get it pumped before then, they won’t be able to keep up with the rain coming in.

    While they’re trying to pump the boys are taking diving lessons to learn how to swim out of the cave.

    There’s also another team of people trying to locate the air hole which has kept them alive so far. If they can find the air hole it’s possible that this could be another entrance to the cave and they may be able to get them out through it.

    I’m following the story and hoping they’re out later today.

    Ciao,

    Michael

    How to Market Your Course to Generate Leads

    The world of online courses has gotten bigger and bigger. So much so that it isn’t just universities getting on board. Experts have realized that they can use their authority to build a base of willing students eager to learn from them. This has led to thousands of free and paid online courses that are used as a marketing tactic for different brands.

    If you are reading this, it can be assumed that you are at least interested in making a course. Or perhaps you already have one and don’t know how to promote it. Either way, here are 11 ways you can generate leads by marketing your course to the public.

    1. Know Your Audience BEFORE You Create Your Course

    For those of you who haven’t created your course yet, this is the best first step you can take. You probably have a general idea of who you are looking to educate. But how specific is that group? Having a more solid demographic in mind is going to help you to create a more balanced and helpful course.

    Continue reading…

    [divider]

    3 Ways to Hone the Skill that Can Advance Your Career as a Write

    There are writers. And then there are professional writers.

    Over my career as a writer and editor, I’ve noticed one key factor that enables writers to perform their craft professionally.

    I’ve said it before, so you won’t be surprised to hear:

    It’s the ability to self-edit.

    A strong self-editor doesn’t just show up to work; they show up with a seemingly counterintuitive balance of compassion and criticism that allows them to write prolifically and precisely.

    That combination is exactly what companies and publishers look for when they hire writers.

    Continue reading…

    11 Ways You’re Wasting Time Instead of Doing What You Need to be Successful

    When was the last time you found anything on social media that moved your life forward?

    It’s the end of another busy day, and you look back and wonder “Where did the time go?” Most likely, part of your time was eaten up with those little distractions that take away from the tasks that really matter.

    It’s important that you attach value to your time. How you use your time has a huge impact on your ability to succeed. Increasing productivity and using your time wisely means you will have more time to do things that matter to you, like exercising, spending time with family and friends, having a hobby or pursuing other projects.

    Set yourself up for success by cutting these 11 biggest time wasters from your life, and you may find you have more time than you realize.

    Continue reading…

  • $111,000,000 in 6 months

    $111,000,000 in 6 months

    If you’re into football then you probably know who Lionel Messi is. I’m not into football, but my attention was peaked when I heard he’d earned $111 million dollars in 2018 so far!

    That’s $596,774 per day.

    Which is a pretty obscene amount of money for a footballer to earn IMHO.

    In 2017 he signed a contract that pays him $80 million per year.

    Then he makes $27 million per year in endorsements.

    He has a lifetime deal with Adidas.

    Barcelona consider him so valuable that if he ever leaves, the club buying him will need to pay $835 million.

    Two things…

    1) I doubt I will ever be that wealthy, nor do I ever need to be.

    2) If you get this email to your inbox then my email reputation has recovered from when I killed it last year, because there are enough dollar signs to light up every spam filter going 😀

    Ciao,

    Michael

    [divider]

    How To Shift From Learning To Doing

    Entrepreneurs have to survive a tightrope balancing act when it comes to their own education.

    No group of humans is hungrier for new knowledge and practical wisdom. The best entrepreneurs know how much they don’t know. They constantly seek to close that gap.

    The serious, earnest entrepreneur assembles a personal MBA curriculum for themselves. Endless books. Courses. Events. It never ends.

    Continue reading…

    [divider]

    3 Ways to Become an Industry Influencer in Your First Year

    Here’s why becoming an industry influencer is one of the most impactful things you can do for your small business and your career.

    Establishing yourself as an industry influencer can do wonders, especially during your first year in business. It’s important to come out the gate strong to transform industry peers into loyal fans and followers.

    That’s exactly what I did after I launched my public relations and digital marketing business Flackable in 2014. I knew that an impactful online presence was necessary to grow a business, so made it a priority, particularly focusing on gaining prominence in my own industry.

    And by becoming an industry influencer with the following three steps, I established credibility in my niche market, formed valuable relationships and earned respect and recognition as a thought leader–and you can, too.

    Continue reading…

    [divider]

    A Guide to Content Strategy and Brand Storytelling

    My guest for this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is Kyle Gray, founder of The Story Engine. He and I discuss insights from his book, The Story Engine: A Busy Entrepreneur’s Guide to Content Strategy and Brand Storytelling Without Spending All Day Writing.

    Gray has helped dozens of startups and small businesses succeed in content marketing. He writes content that educates entrepreneurs on how to grow their businesses with content marketing, manage remote teams and scale up their businesses.

    Gray got his start as the content manager for WP Curve and helped grow the blog from a single contributor to a multi-person team of guest writers with documented systems and strategies. He helped the startup grow to nearly 1 million in annual recurring revenue.

    Listen to the podcast here…

  • Perception is everything

    Perception is everything

    It’s amazing how much difference perception can make. We’ve been looking at the BMW six series and inside it feels huge.

    When comparing it to other cars, there is no other car we’ve sat in that feels so big!

    When we put the car seats in it looks you could easily get two car seats and an adult in, and make them comfortable throughout the journey.

    There’s no other car we’ve seen that has the same size, or feels that it has the same size.

    So, we decided to measure it.

    And the difference… nothing.

    WTF?!

    How can it feel and look like you can get so much more in than other brands large vehicles, but in reality that isn’t the case.

    The first is the length of the vehicle. It’s big. Really big.

    That means an adult can sit in the back, the seat in front of them can be as far back as possible and a 6′ adult still has space to stretch their legs. This makes it feel big to an adult.

    Then there’s the height.

    Most cars a 5’10” adult sits in the back and their head is pretty near the ceiling. They’re designed to just about fit a 6′ person in but only just.

    In the six series a 6′ adult can sit in the back and still have massive amounts of space above their head.

    These two differences alter your entire perception of the interior of the car.

    Suddenly the car is perceived as being much bigger inside than other vehicles. Very clever.

    It’s important to never forget the power of perception in product design and marketing.

    Over ‘n out,

    Michael

    [divider]

    Workplace Chatter Is Really About People Trying to Be Heard

    Data shows that what workers really want is to express their individuality, their working styles and more of their authentic selves.

    Pings, dings, chimes, vibrations, banners, badges, flashing lights. We feel pressured to be always-on, always available. And we expect others to do the same.

    Freedom from our work desks was supposed to improve work-life balance, but for many it seems we’ve traded down on the culture of work by creating other dependencies. To find answers, we ran a survey of 1,264 chat users to better understand behavior, usage, and attitudes towards instant messaging at work. The results were surprising and revealing.

    Go beyond the chat-pocalypse in this post.

    (it’s something I happen to agree with!)

    [divider]

    Why Are Millennials Still Living With Their Parents?

    Yes, Millennials are still living with their parents.

    News flash…other Millennials have moved out, but are still living off their parents.

    Here’s what you need to know and how to become more financially independent.

    The Issue: Financial Dependence

    While the economy is strong, some Millennials are either still living at home, or they are moving out and remaining financially dependent on their parents.

    According to a Pew Research Center report, Millennials live with their parents longer than both Baby Boomers and Generation X did.

    For example, as of 2016, 15% of 25- to 35-year-old Millennials were living in their parents’ home. This is 5 percentage points higher than the number of Gen Xers who lived in their parents’ home in 2000 when they were the same age.

    Welcome to the boomerang effect – it’s when Millennials spread their wings to become independent during college years, and then move back after college.

    Continue reading…

    [divider]

    What is the Secret to Successful Blogging?

    “What’s the secret to successful blogging?”

    “How do I build a profitable blog?”

    I get asked these questions a lot. And my mission with ProBlogger is to address them.

    Let me start by answer the first question. There is no secret to successful blogging, and no magic formula for a successful blog.

    But there are some common things many successful bloggers share—decisions, behaviors, disciplines and habits—that take them closer to a profitable blog.

    It’s the accumulation of the basic little things you do every day that makes you a successful blogger. Small but consistent actions such as creating and publishing new content, responding to comments and interacting with your audience are more important than almost anything else in building a sustainable blogging business.

    This is how you blog successfully.