“I’m out of the Midwest. It was a good place to come from. It gives you a sense of right or wrong and fairness, which is lacking in our society.”
– Steve McQueen
Let’s discuss one of my favorite topics:
Anti-professionals.
“Anti-professional” is a term I started using about 4 or 5 years ago to describe a certain kind of businessman who’s like the old school cowboy on his horse going it alone, living by his own code of honor and following his own rules — the dude who doesn’t try to impress the customers (or anyone else, for that matter), but always gets the sale.
Anyway, it could be just a coincidence.
(Or, just blatant bias.)
But, when traveling to my home town to see the family in Illinois last time, it dawned on me how many of my favorite anti-professionals have midwest “roots.”
For example:
- Gary Halbert
- Steve McQueen
- John Hughes (the filmmaker)
- Dan Kennedy
- Johnny Carson
- Bruce Barton
- Rush Limbaugh
- Marlon Brando
- Ted Nugent
- Sam Childers (the machine gun preacher)
- Hellz, even Captain Kirk…
Anyway, those are just a few of a very looooong list.
And again, yes, I readily admit this is probably just bias.
But, I will also say this:
There’s a huge difference between the West coast (where I’ve lived the past 10 years) and Midwest (where I grew up) mentality. I noticed it even when I was home for a few days last time. I never liked living in the Midwest (and FAR prefer living on the ocean and away from all the congestion and strangling urban sprawl where I grew up), and only visit there when I have to… but, it’s as night & day a difference as the weather between the two regions.
And you know what?
Methinks those who’ve lived in both areas know what I speaketh of.
’nuff said.
On to business:
The “Email Players” newsletter has been attracting some fine blokes over the past couple years. From “A List” direct mail copywriters… to old school Internet marketers who were doing 6 & 7 figures online before many of us even had a computer… to “gurus” who even the rawest of newbies would recognize… and everyone in between.
There’s a reason for that.
To see what the fuss is about, go here:
Ben Settle
