The Unscripted Entrepreneurial Network

As a follow up to the post above, the solution this entrepreneur arrived at was NOT to abandon his business or industry. While his business is seasonal, he was earning about $50K for 5-6 months of work, which gave him a ton of free time in the off season. He’s been documenting his local success in various employee training manuals, and even developing his own management software for people within the industry. His “Fastlane strategy” is to sell his successful B2B training guides, CRM management, and other industry tools that he can license via subscription. As for the software that he intends to sell, he is architecting it in a “no code” solution. While his local business might not “go Fastlane,” his domain knowledge might translate to a Fastlane. Remember, not everyone wants to make millions and for many folks, a business that earns $50K a year and is operational only half of the year would be a dream come true. If this subscription aspect of the business doesn’t work, he still has a great business that makes $50K a year and gives him a boatload of time to experiment in other Fastlane opportunities. This “experience” is not Slowlane, or a waste of time. It is what creates multi-millionaires. REMEMBER: Nothing is Slowlane if your intent is to go Fastlane.

You can't fit square pegs into round holes when it comes to business. When there are systemic issues in your industry that prevent scale and growth, it is futile to fight the reality. I mention this because over the weekend I met with a local entrepreneur who has a successful business that services my local community. He wanted to scale. He wanted to grow. And as a customer of this entrepreneur’s service, I know he had the mental and physical fortitude to make big things happen. The problem was, his successful business is seasonal and only operates 7 months out of the year. This makes scale and “going Fastlane” a huge problem. If you have a big company with 20 trucks and 40 employees, but have to lay off all your employees in the “off season,” your problem is systemic. Your great employees won’t likely come back as they need to work, and need a steady paycheck. For this entrepreneur, hiring and training 40 new employees every spring is not feasible, cost effective, nor reasonable. It also isn’t reasonable to pay employees during the 5 months of “off season” as it prices you out of the market. This poses a systemic problem if the goal is Fastlane growth and scale, and systemic problems are like asking pigs to fly. The answer to systemic problems isn’t something that can be easily fixed, even using first-principle thinking. The answer, unfortunately and yes, harsh -- is you’re likely in the wrong business if you’re working for a Fastlane outcome.

Great “long form” story on the founding and evolution of CANVA. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/21-questions-from-aussie-startups-highs-lows-lessons-learned-perkins/ Firstly, CANVA is the best piece of cloud software that I use and pay for. If you’re not using it yet, you should. Many people on the forum also vouch for the awesomeness of the software, which was how I found it. CANVA is by far my favorite tool, and an incredible value for the price paid. Second, the story behind how CANVA evolved, from identifying the need, to the pivot, to the growth— a lot of the lessons learned along the way is “must read” material, even if you have no desire to build a billion dollar company. Take some time to read the story. You won’t be disappointed.

Happy 2023 everybody! I apologize for disappearing at the end of the year but I ended up getting Covid and had to spend some time in bed recovering and taking care of myself. I’m much better now and back in the swing of things. With that said, let’s start 2023 with some wisdom!

Short thought for the day that I also tweeted... "Hard work" has become a dirty phrase in culture & it is easy to understand why. Working hard under today's obsolete template is like pedaling harder on a tricycle. Fastlane entrepreneurship gets you off the tricycle where your hard work is rewarded with wealth, not mediocrity.

Important distinction here that I cover extensively in my second book, Unscripted. As entrepreneurs, we hear a lot about “creating value" -- but nothing about the real impetus for sales and growth, and that is relative value. Relative value means that your offer is unique, or different, or better than what is currently offered. Making a blog post about 10 great "must read" books has value. But it DOES NOT have relative value. Lists like this are a dime of dozen. In another example, I compiled a list of great, must read books that are underhyped and underexposed ... the reception on that document was quite shocking. Why? Because it had RELATIVE VALUE. A document that listed the same old books that everyone on every corner of planet Earth recommends (Atomic Habits, Rich Dad, Think and Grow Rich) is NOT valuable. It's more of the same. Relative value is fire and transforms marketing into an accelerant. “More of the same” value (I call it surplus value in Unscripted) is a frozen river and marketing acts like fire. Marketing is required to turn ice to water. One makes business easier, the other makes it extremely frustrating.

As The Fastlane Forum approaches 1 million posts, I've heard from many people over the years. One item worth mentioning: Many people unnecessarily complicate Fastlane entrepreneurship and business in general. Simplified, successful Fastlane entrepreneurship boils down to 3 things. Focus on these three things, and you will eventually succeed. #1) Create relative value Have you created a product/service that is marginally different from what is already offered in the marketplace? This is the product development stage. #2) Convince people of that value. Can you convince people of that value to a buying threshold? This is the marketing, positioning, and the branding stage. #3) Repeat. Not only repeat, but how many times can you repeat? This is the sales and growth stage. How many sales can you structurally make in a day? 10? or 10,000? Fail at any of these steps, and you will stunt your progress and stunt your ability to create life-changing wealth. Sadly, many entrepreneurs have chosen to skip Step #1, product development and relative value, and think that they can succeed if they're slick enough of a marketer. Don't be bro-marketer pushing commodity products and hoping to win the "best price of the day" competition. Stop the shortcuts and instead create relative value, convince people of that value, and repeat. And nothing will stop you!

As promised, here is the document with 101 MUST READ Business and Self-Development books that are NOT overhyped or overexposed on any best-seller list. The best books aren’t always found on best-seller lists, although it seems to be an obvious assumption. Books found on these “best-seller” lists are often the result of great marketing and social media influence, not because the author is a superb writer or revealed some legendary information. Worse, some books are more readily promoted and hyped into the mainstream if they reinforce an agenda supported by institutionalized powers, receiving millions in free publicity. I hope this document changes that, but please, don’t mistake this to read, “stop reading best-sellers.” I’m suggesting you need to broaden your horizons and start reading different viewpoints... viewpoints that aren’t peddled by billionaire hypocrites who suggest coffee abstinence is the secret to wealth, or viewpoints found on the front page of Yahoo Finance glorifying the ascetic practice of “you’ll own nothing and be happy.” Freel free to share this document as you desire, or use in any purpose in your business (like a giveaway)! Document is in the following post.

There's a great discussion going on right now about ChatGPT at the forum. If you don't know what this blockbuster technology is, you need to know. In effect, it is like the Star Trek "computer" for those of you familiar with Star Trek. This thing already likely saved me 3 hours of my time in a matter of 10 seconds. I haven't been this impressed with a new technology in 15 years, the last time being the Apple iPhone replacing a flip-phone. It can spit out computer code for you in seconds, stuff that would take 10 different Google searches amount 100 different results filled with SEO manipulated filler and garbage. If you're a writer, this thing will help you describe scenes in foreign countries, write dialogue in different types of personalities, and conquer blocks in a matter of seconds. It does have some inaccuracies and errors, however, as a Gen 1 version, I'm impressed. How can this new tech be incorporated in your life? How can it help you? Check it out, it has grown to millions of users with little mainstream publicity. https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/chatgpt-ai-is-a-huge-breakthrough-a-google-killer.106275/

UPDATE: A lot of people have asked me about the “underground” book document which profiles great books that aren’t super-known best-sellers. I haven’t forgot! And let me apologize for the long delay in having this data compiled. I’m happy to announce that the document will be released on Friday, December 9th. Some great books are listed in there that have made my "to read" list. That said, if you'd like to get an early look at some of the books, visit the forum and hit the official thread posted below. There are about 15 books listed in the thread that made the list. I hope to release a document like this every year. If you have a book you'd like to contribute, feel free to add it on the forum. Or, just surf the thread to find your next book read. https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/great-books-that-are-not-best-sellers-share-yours.104414/

Every choice we make has an opportunity cost. If you pick one thing, you’re actually declining another. Your actions always express your priorities, no matter what you tell yourself. Whenever you make a choice, you’re declining something else. Life is about choices, but also about the opportunity cost, what is forgone, from making those choices. When you play video games for 45 hours a week instead of investing in yourself, you’ve made entertainment and escapism your priority. Easy decisions are easy for a reason. Hard ones, hard. When you put hard before easy, you’ll create your best life. Unfortunately, many people try to “pick everything” and in doing so, you deprive yourself any progress and consistency to become successful at something. The following excerpt was recently posted at the forum and it is a great metaphor for making a choice and committing to it — or the worst two of all 1) Doing nothing or 2) Trying everything and becoming a master at nothing. “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.” ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar Make the hard decision and express your priorities. Or let life’s inertia, easily express them for you.

I love that people read my books and say they changed their life. I hate that people read my books and make impetuous, emotional decisions. Two such decisions that likely aren’t good choices is the decision to QUIT YOUR JOB, or DROP OUT OF COLLEGE simply because you were inspired by my work. This can apply to any book that moves you, or inspires you. I posted at The Fastlane Forum 4 definitive conditions that justify a bold action such as quitting your job, or dropping out of university. If you can meet these conditions, dropping out or quitting is likely a good decision. If you cannot meet these conditions, you might be making a rash decision based on emotion. Quitting a job or university is an EVENT, starting a profitable business, is a PROCESS. Fastlaners are PROCESS driven. Here are the first 2 conditions which can help you determine the right decision and the right timing for any QUIT decision. Visit the Forum to get the last 2. #1 - Existing sales with adequate profit margins. Are you repeatedly selling? Is there a nominal enough of a profit that can pay your bills, much less, change your life? #2 - Do you have at least a six-month runway (cash flow) to pay your bills while adopting a frugal lifestyle? This can be reduced to three months pending the answer to #3 and scale. Have a great week! https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/mjs-4-conditions-the-definitive-guide-on-when-to-quit-your-job.106078/

If you haven’t yet considered it, I highly recommend moving to a new city and a new culture on the other side of your country. Or hell, even expating to a new country. Don’t let “sacred cows” keep you immobile and planted like a tree. A “sacred cow” keeps you planted with lame excuses like, “oh I grew up here, I can’t move.” Or, “my family is here,” or “My favorite football club is here.” While family is important, most families are dysfunctional and many of them simply aren’t supportive of an Unscripted existence. Moving to Arizona from Chicago was one the best decisions in my life. If you have negative or uninspired history in a particular city, it can add significant mental baggage to your progress. Living in a place where you have struggled, failed, and lived unhappily is a mental burden, no matter how you want to frame it. ...Oh there's my old high school where I was bullied... ...Oh there's the intersection where I got into an accident... ...Oh there's my old best friend's house before he cheated with my girlfriend... ...Oh this is the route to my old job that I hated... …Oh there’s the McDonalds I used to work at… …Oh here’s the shitty weather that I can’t stand… …Oh there’s my old neighborhood where my parents were divorced… ...Oh there's that grocery story where my X-girlfriend works... ...Oh there's that local park where the neighborhood bully beat me up... Folks, STOP KIDDING YOURSELF. There is nothing stopping you from moving. I moved to Arizona with $900 in my bank account. I realize that those with family, things are more complicated, but it's not rocket science. It's a matter of importance and prioritization. Do you want to own a business? Or do you want a job that keeps you mildly entertained for 50 years? Making big decisions like this is on par with the big decision to become an entrepreneur. You only live once. Yes, happiness is largely a choice. However, you can make choices that make the choice to be happy, much easier. Make happiness a priority. Make choices that make happiness more likely. Another way of looking at it... if you grew up in a home with a lot of bad memories, what the hell would you choose to stay there? Why do you want to be reminded of bad times? And if your city/home does a good job at reminding you of unhappiness, PACK YOUR DAMN BAGS and MOVE. https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/unhappy-then-pack-your-damn-bags-and-move.105971/

Can NEGATIVE appeals, such as FEAR and LOSS AVERSION work in marketing? YES. If you lose $1000, most people will feel PAIN in a greater magnitude than if they WON $1000. Loss Aversion is a powerful, motivating emotion, more than our need for pleasure. A fear-based, or a loss-aversion appeal in your marketing can convert much better than a generic appeal. *** 7 steps to help you avoid running out of money during your retirement… *** How one 3 minute article saved this couple from losing their life savings… *** How to protect your millionaire success from lawsuits and bankrupting events… Here are some examples of LOSS AVERSION via the LIFE CHANGING CONCEPTS newsletter: - People stick with jobs they hate. Because they fear the loss of status and stability. Even when they have the potential to earn more doing something else -People tend to overvalue what they own. Because they relate selling with losing (the endowment effect). So yes, Tyler Durden was right. The things you own end up owning you - Investors sell their winning positions but keep the losing ones forever. Because they don't want to realize the loss - People try to cover their mistakes even when it's inadvertent. Because they fear the loss of credibility. The audit firm Arthur Andersen that caused the Enron Scandal was not convicted of securities fraud — but of shredding tons of documents to cover up its errors and avoid potential fines - Organizations resist change. Because the potential losers of the change are always louder than the potential winners How can you use LOSS AVERSION or FEAR appeals in your business? PS: Credit to TheFronteraBlog and its LIFE CHANGING CONCEPTS newsletter. This newsletter makes you more successful in life with mental models and actionable ideas. I’m a subscriber and a big fan as it often takes a mathematical approach to every day life! To subscribe, visit here: https://sparklp.co/p/4212869804 (affiliate link) … or visit the URL FronteraBlog.com Have a great week with much progress!

Life has a CHEAT code. And it is super-simple to remember. The 4 CHs will get you everything your ever wanted... -- CHOICES -- CHANCES -- CHALLENGES and -- CHANGES You must make a CHOICE to take a CHANCE while expecting a CHALLENGE to follow or your life will never CHANGE.

Since we’re talking about PRODUCT v MARKETING, here is a great example on the power of a PRODUCTOCRACY, owning a product that potentially can sell itself, a product you can be proud of. A YouTube influencer with over 1,000,000 followers just posted an hour long video discussion on Unscripted, my 2nd book, and how it changed his life. He did a great job, probably better than I could. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt_ZQpDFL2s In today’s world, this form of market penetration is called “influencer marketing” — except this occurred without me asking. I did NOT approach or solicit this man. I did NOT pay this man. I didn’t send this gentleman a letter begging him to disingenuously push my books. By virtue of my product’s value, he felt compelled to share it with his audience. He spoke for one hour on the book and obviously, this ONE VIDEO will generate a lot of book sales for Unscripted, and for MANY YEARS to come. This, folks, is the POWER of PRODUCT that can sell itself without marketing. I call the magic phenomena that prints money a PRODUCTOCRACY (Topic not discussed in The Millionaire Fastlane, but only in both Unscripted and The Great Rat Race Escape). So here's the big question... How much would I need to spend in TIME and MONEY to get an hour long feature with an influencer with 1M followers? $4,000? $10K? $25K? Your product is your VEHICLE. Your marketing is your FORCE. Stop shining turds with marketing. Start shining diamonds with marketing.

Marketing strategy and product are symbiotic. Most gurus, however, like to focus on marketing because marketing can lipstick pigs. In other words, great marketing can sell crappy products. The art of any scam rests in slick marketing where ultimately, a product fails to perform like its advertising. This is why marketing is often the focus of many scumbag gurus, because for them, the product isn’t important. It’s a mere box to check-off in a multi-dimensional attack. If you can sell dirt that you claim has magic powers and been blessed by The Pope, who cares? The means justifies the ends. Money-chasers often gravitate to these type of “marketing gurus” because they’re more interested in driving sales with mediocre products, versus driving sales with unique value skew and problem solving. This is why I like to be product-centered. A great product can sell itself. A great product can grow by virtue of its value and with limited marketing. Another way of thinking about it is this: Think of your PRODUCT like a type of VEHICLE. How fast it? How aerodynamic? How reliable is it? How much attention does it attract in a crowd? A great product is like a ROCKET, a poor product is like a TRICYCLE. The MARKETER becomes the DRIVER. Sure a great driver can do some great things, but ultimatey the better vehicles will win the race. They will win the long-game. The average driver in the Ferrari is going to beat the great driver on a pedal powered bicyle. By all means, learn the art of marketing. It is the POWER behind your vehicle. It is the FORCE behind your vehicle. Question is, will your marketing be ROCKET FUEL? Or will it be PEDAL POWER?

I heard a story the other day how Chewy (pet eCommerce company) sent condolences to a pet owner who recently had their dog pass away. This type of action is a value skew. Value skew is a critical tactic I wrote about in my last 2 books, Unscripted and The Great Rat Race Escape, and it is your key to driving customers and revenue to your company. Anything you do better than the competition is a SKEW, and only a few skews can create a business. Skew is a function of expectations. In Chewy’s case, they violated expectations with their kind gesture. All industries have a set of expectations. When you define those expectations with the intent on violating them to the upside, you create skew. For example, when I call a trade company (plumbing, electrical, etc) I don’t expect anyone to answer the phone. I don’t expect a call back within 24 hours. These are the expectations sadly. I recently hired a pool management company simply by virtue that they answered their customer inquiries timely, and not 4 days later. This simple act violated my expectations, created skew, and snagged one new customer. You never know what SKEW will take a potential customer over the edge into your customer column. 1) Define expectations. 2) Exceed expectations and create skew. 3) Profit. 4) Repeat.