Ben Settle

One of the more fascinating bios I read this year is called:

“The Earl Nightingale Story”

About (in case this isn’t obvious) Earl Nightingale.

I had zero idea how fascinating and interesting this guy was until reading this book. He was far more than just the sort of father-figure and founder of modern info publishing as we know it.

He was also a brawler with violent anger issues & PTSD.

He was in constant pain from adult onset gigantism (applying his own teachings about having a good attitude to stay sane despite the constant pain)…

And was all but an “honorary” mafia wise guy from what I can tell.

For example:

When a kidnapping attempt was made on his kids, he got a mysterious phone call from the head of the Chicago mob telling him it would be “taken care of” if that tells you something… and often met with the guy at his home, played pool with him, they knew his kids, and one of the guy’s body guards even got one of Earl’s daughters out of some serious trouble once…

Extremely fascinating guy to say the least.

He was also the “founding father” of modern content creation in many ways.

Here’s what I mean:

One of the businesses Earl owned early in his career was an insurance agency. And he had a knack for inspiring his sales people in his talks to them, which he held every week or so to keep them motivated and selling.

But, one time, he was in a hurry about to go on vacation and couldn’t do the meeting.

So, instead, he recorded an 11-minute talk for them.

And then went with his family on a boat.

Totally out of communication for a few months.

During that time he was gone, his team listened to the recording, were absolutely blown away by it… and suddenly, someone said something to someone somewhere… and that person said something to someone… and then, eventually, everyone wanted to listen to it – with people calling the Chicago radio station Earl worked at for it, constantly pestering his secretary about it.

This was before it was cheap to make info products.

I can’t remember the exact numbers.

But Earl’s secretary had to make an executive decision (that she thought Earl would possibly fire her for when he found out) to have something like ten thousand cassettes of his talk duplicated, which was probably the minimum order.

No print-on-demand-like options back in them days.

The result?

The #1 selling spoken word album in history at the time.

And all with zero advertising, marketing, internet, social media.

Just pure word of mouth.

When Earl came back to the Florida pier to dock his boat after being out of communication for a few months, he saw a bunch of reporters and a huge crowed waiting for him and, assuming he was being arrested for some reason, offered to turn himself in!

Crazy times to say the least.

(And that ain’t even the most interesting part of this bio)

This 11-minute recording Earl dashed out literally created an entire genre.

Franky, if you are an independent content creator you can at least partially thank Earl Nightingale for paving the way, as nobody was doing this sort of thing before then, or even knew you could do it, or even thought it was worth doing, or would be something people would buy.

Some more fun facts about this short bit of content that changed the world:

* Had absolute crap “production values” — like scratches, pops, and no retakes, just quickly batted out, almost as an afterthought

* Zero marketing or fanfare — all word-of-mouth

* Created “off the cuff” — no planning or plotting it out, total stream of conscious

Today’s snobby content creators would surely balk if they heard it.

And yet how many millions of lives did that recording change — either directly, or via the endless number of other training Earl created afterwards because of it, not to mention all the people he influenced, and the people those guys then influenced…?

We’ll never know.

Point is this:

You just never know what content is going to change your entire business.

In my own business, it’s very often the content I put the LEAST amount of thought into, just do it off-the-cuff, and sometimes even forgetting about it, that tends to be the most valuable, most profitable, and most “viral” (amongst my boys & ghouls at least).

This is why the content game is won by speed & volume.

I’m not saying to create crap or half ass anything.

But it’s like I like to say:

“To make more money than you do now, simply create more content than you do now, faster than you do now.”

And then get it out there.

Like tentacles probing and invading the marketplace.

So simple.

So easy.

So pleasant… if you know what you’re doing.

And yes, I said “pleasant.”

If you understand how to approach email — especially the way I teach to Email Players subscribers — banging out emails that sell your offers does not have to be some droning chore you hate and avoid. It can be a fun, exciting adventure you look forward to… and then enjoy even more when you see the proceeds rolling in from such content, the lives changed, the way people thank you for selling it to the because of the way it solved whatever problem for them that your product is designed to help with.

More on the paid newsletter here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

The great comicbook writer Chuck Dixon recently dropped a magnificent quote.

It was about the difference between amateurs and professionals.

And that difference is:

“Amateurs do on accident, pros do on purpose.”

A very good distinction. It also dovetails with something I talk about at time inside Email Players – about the difference between a mere “content creator” and a Craftsman:

Content creators are a dime a dozen.

And the ones using AI are even cheaper.

But in both cases they create content as a means to an end. They may enjoy it, maybe. But everything they teach, talk about, create content about goes wide, and never deep. A Craftsman, on the other hand, has an undeniable — can’t be faked — “mad scientist”-like obsession with what they do/teach. They’re so irrational about excellence it almost makes people nervous to be around them.

They’re easy to spot these days since they’re so rare.

Takes Steve Jobs.

He wasn’t a computer guy, a software guy, or a tech guy.

He didn’t even know how to code.

(Which even Bill Gates mocked him for).

But he was a Craftsman, learned from his dad, who was a world class cabinet maker. Jobs was a notorious azzhole & narcissist. But I’d argue that was from being a Craftsman. He demanded such perfection “good enough” wasn’t even in his vocabulary. And while you’ll exhaust and sabotage yourself if you aren’t careful with this attitude (it helps to have a billion dollar budget & millions of customers, so blowing deadlines ain’t the end of the world like it is for those on a shoe string, for example — and probably even adds to the demand as people value what they wait for more than what comes fast…) it’s still the attitude to have with content creation.

If you’re writing, every word drips with depth.

If you’re making videos, every shift of body language has intensity.

If you’re doing audio, every inflection oozes passion.

Not on purpose, or as an act… but because you’re naturally so intense about your topic. That’s how you know you’re a Craftsman and not a mere content creator. The fact so many content creators need to motivate themselves, have “accountability partners”, need Facebook groups, seek constant validation from peers… shows how few content creators are truly Craftsmen at what they do/teach/create.

This is a small part of a much longer conversation.

And something I sometimes talk about in Email Players.

To learn more about the paid Email Players newsletter go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A few weeks ago I got to back-and-forthing with my pal Shane Hunter about AI.

Shane is one of the few I know who intelligently uses it for marketing.

And he’d found an-already creepy & disgusting looking couple (man and woman), and used the Midjourney tool to warp them into an even more creepy & disgusting looking couple more in line with their inner creepy & disgusting psyches.

And then he asked what I thought.

My advice:

Make the man dressed and poised (body language, makeup, etc) like he’s a woman, and the woman dressed and poised like she’s a man. And then, for extra points, have them smiling while holding up an infant that has a terrified look on his little face, to make it even more horrifying, with the viewer’s imagination filling in the blanks at all the implications that goes with such an image.

The pronoun pedos won’t like that, of course.

But nobody cares what they think anyway.

It’s also basically Jim Camp’s teaching on creating Vision put on steroids.

And like all good rhetoric:

It’d “say” far more than words possibly could.

Which brings me to another point:

As much as I pick on fapGPT, AI, etc, it’s not inherently bad. In my opinion it can be a very powerful tool for subversion especially — just like cunningly-crafted memes and cartoons can be. If I was doing cold ads especially, I’d use AI-generated images for PPC ads, banner ads, etc all day long probably as it is certainly a legitimate business use for it.

My criticism is more aimed at the content creators and copywriters.

These guys nattering on about it is going to replace copywriters, writers, artists, and content creators sound like they need it to be something it’s not like it’s the only thing giving them any kind of relevance anymore.

In that way they remind me of the hypochondriac mask & jab police.

Same mentality with the AI goo-roos.

Anyway, that’s my opinion.

If you want to learn more about the Email Players Newsletter go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One of my customers recently prompted fapGPT to create a conversation between me and Stephen King.

The result?

fapGPT thinks I’m a cross between Howdy Doody and a Money Twitter cartoon account.

Enjoy:

FAKE BEN SETTLE: Well, howdy there, partner. I reckon you’ve stirred up a mighty interesting topic. Now, when it comes to the dance between fiction and copywriting, you best believe they ain’t just two peas in a pod. They’re more like two sides of a coin, each polishing the other.

FAKE STEPHEN KING: Greetings, my fellow wordsmith. Your analogy holds weight, indeed. Fiction and copywriting, while distinct, share a kinship that can amplify one’s skills and reach. You see, storytelling is at the heart of both endeavors. Whether I’m crafting a chilling tale or you’re whipping up a persuasive piece, we’re leading readers on a journey.

FAKE BEN SETTLE: You’re absolutely right, Stephen. Take fiction, for instance. It’s the playground where imagination takes flight, where emotions are stirred, and characters come to life. And guess what? Those very elements, they’re the backbone of captivating copy. A good copy is more than just words—it’s an emotional experience, a tale of transformation.

FAKE STEPHEN KING: Indeed, the power of evoking emotions and building connections through words is undeniable. In both fiction and copy, we manipulate emotions to guide readers’ perceptions, whether it’s to feel fear, excitement, or the irresistible urge to click “buy now.” However, there’s a notable distinction—the goal. Fiction seeks to immerse and entertain, while copywriting aims to persuade and prompt action.

FAKE BEN SETTLE: Well, pardner, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The goal of copywriting is clear—sell them what they need and what they didn’t know they wanted. But here’s the kicker: honing your fiction chops makes your copy sing a sweeter tune. See, storytelling ain’t just about stringing words together. It’s about painting pictures, igniting curiosity, and making readers feel something deep down in their bones.

FAKE STEPHEN KING: A sentiment I couldn’t agree with more. Yet, let’s not discount the power of specialization. There are those who might advocate for focusing solely on one craft, suggesting that dividing one’s attention dilutes mastery. But I’ve always believed in the versatility of the written word. Dabbling in both can enhance your skill set, bringing fresh perspectives to each arena.

FAKE BEN SETTLE: You’re speakin’ my language, Stephen. Fact is, when you straddle the line between fiction and copy, you’ve got a knack for blending art with persuasion. Your storytelling becomes more engaging, your copy more enchanting. And let’s not ignore the practical aspect—the economic dance of fiction and the lucrative rhythm of copy can harmonize quite nicely.

FAKE STEPHEN KING: A harmonious symphony, indeed. The fusion of skills, though requiring a delicate balance, can carve a path to exceptional communication. So, my fellow writer of tales and master of persuasion, whether you choose to juggle both or dive deep into one, remember this: the heart of great writing—fiction or copy—lies in the ability to captivate hearts, minds, and yes, even wallets.

FAKE BEN SETTLE: You said it, partner. At the end of the day, it’s all about the words—the magic that we, as wielders of language, conjure on the page. Ain’t nothin’ more rewarding than that.

FAKE STEPHEN KING: Indeed, Ben. Our words, our stories, they shape worlds and touch lives. Whether we’re sending shivers down spines or guiding decisions, our pens hold the power to move mountains.

A harmonious symphony of bull shyt indeed.

Hopefully it’s now clear why I’m not exactly holding my breath waiting for fapGPT to replace my emails, copywriting, or other content creation…

I recommend writing your own content from your own brain.

To learn more about Email Players newsletter go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Daily email reader Lilian asks:

Hey Ben !

Quick question. How do you remember everything people told you ?

It seems like you have hundreds of quote from discussion that you use in your copy…

Do you write them all in notes/paper ?

Do you make them out of memories ?

Thanks for your answer if you take the time !

True story about this:

In August 2021 while on a walk listening to Edward White’s “The 12 Lives of Alfred Hitchcock” audio book… the idea for the cover to my Markauteur book just slipped into my mind. It was all there in my head — exactly what it would look like. I didn’t even have a title for it or know what I’d write inside the book — as the mere possibility of writing a book about the visual & design-side of marketing had never once occurred to me a single time before that.

But there the idea was haunting my brain.

And so, instead of trusting my brain to remember it, I did this:

1. Immediately whipped out my phone

2. Tapped out the idea (for the cover) in an email

3. Sent it to myself

When I got home a few hours later, I then got out a yellow legal pad and sketched out the cover idea. I’m no Picasso. But I was able to get the gesture of it down. And I then immediately sent that to Email Players subscriber Kia Arian and hired her — again, without having the book title or even knowing what I’d say in the book figured out — to start creating it.

The result?

The single most expensive book I sell (retails at $1,108.00), that moved nearly 100 copies on launch. Yes, I did sell it at a discount during the launch. But it was still quite expensive even at the discount, especially to non-Email Players subscribers who did not get as big of a discount Email Players subscribers did.

And it was all from a stray idea I was too paranoid not to write down.

To bring it back to the question, it’s an example of what I mean when I say:

“Ideas are fragile”

Especially ideas for content.

(emails, books, courses, videos, audios, whatever)

Ideas are very fleeting.

They are there in your head one minute, and — poof! — gone the next. I sometimes shudder at all the books and other content I’ve NOT created over the last couple decades simply because of a lost idea here, another idea that slipped away there, yet more ideas gone into the abyss of wherever they came from that I could not remember.

So I am quite paranoid about this these days.

One stray idea can be worth tens of thousands of dollars in sales.

And I mean that, literally, as my Markauteur book proves.

So to answer her question:

I capture everything.

Any idea, quote, thought, story, joke, anecdote, pain, pleasure, fear, desire, analogy, lesson, feeling, email, article, tweet, stray comment, random revelation about something… whatever it is I even think could possibly be relevant to content creation now or in the future.

I have thousands of these notes/ideas cataloged.

And I am always adding to it.

So much so my frustration is never, “oh what am I going to write about???”

It’s “oh crap — I have TOO many ideas to write about…”

And then, when it comes time to create said content like my books or emails or courses or videos for the BerserkerMail YouTube channel or whatever it is… I simply pluck out what I need and get it all down.

All of this is especially applicable using my Email Players methods.

More on that here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Personally, I believe today’s the true birth date of Jesus.

(With Him being conceived & officially “dwelling” with us on Dec 24/25)

Thus, the following is apt:

One of the best “sales” secrets I’ve ever used is something I read about in multiple accounts from Jesus where He’d perform a miracle and then tell everyone not to talk about it.

The result?

Everyone talked about Him, told everyone about Him, grew His influence.

Same concept can work for us mere mortal businesses too.

Case in point:

Not a question

Your products have just helped me quite a lot so this is a thank you that you might be able to use sometime in the future in order to boost sales*

“Lots of people advised me against purchasing your programs because they were supposed to be hard to understand for “outsiders” so to speak.

But, after purchasing some of your books and eventually subscribing to Email Players i have to say that they are not “hard” exactly.

They are just not guru-like / mental masturbation pieces of advice and you need to immediately implement each part of them.

1 page of last month’s email players’ issue for example was enough in order to cover its subscription for 4 years.

So if you actually fit the description of it (have a list etc) and implement the material, i can not possibly think of a way that you won’t be able to make back the $97 (if not way way more).

YOU LITERALLY HAVE TO BE DUMBER THAN BIDEN.

Thanks Ben”.

That’s it. Thanks for everything that you do (really). If you use this at some point please hide the personal info.

And so it goes..

If you want more info on the paid Email Players newsletter go here:

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Ben Settle

I ain’t necessarily proud of what I’m about to admit here.

But, it’s a cautionary tale of glorious irony that must be told.

Here’s the story:

Back in 2021 and for about 4 years prior, Stefania had been using one of the big, complicated, yet popular email platforms that is both an email broadcasting/autoresponder and shopping cart and everything else in between all rolled up into one.

And she had built a list of some 4,000 leads on there.

But, she noticed something “off” about her response.

She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

But something in the milk definitely wasn’t clean (as she put it).

So she does some digging and finds out that, due to some weird glitch, out of those 4,000 leads only about 800 of them (only her customer list, basically) were mailed when she did any kind of broadcast. Plus, this was even after they increased her fees after hitting a certain subscriber count threshold, and while also making her pay a premium for features she didn’t want or use.

And, yet, even then they couldn’t even do the ONE task she needed.

i.e., sending emails to her main 4,000 person email list.

They were only being sent to her 800 person customer list.

So she complains to their support.

Their answer:

Basically crickets.

Or it might as well have been.

They had zero solutions for her.

Finally, fed up, she seeks my her king & master’s counsel on the matter.

“Ooh Mr. elBenbo,” she says in desperation, handkerchief in hand, drying her eyes… “whatevah shall I deeeeeewww???”

My solution:

I told her to get on the email platform I’d been using at the time (this was before we launched BerserkerMail). They’d always been good to me. And I had been with them for nearly 20 years at that point. Plus, their customer support was definitely light years ahead of the all-in-one platform she was using.

So the next day she obeys my command.

And to help her kick things off with a bang I even write the first email for her.

I was on a walk at the time when I got the idea for it. And I tapped it out right there on my phone. It was one of those emails with a 100% true, yet also 100% provocative, subject line about her “Concubine Business” — which was one of the side businesses she had.

I figured it’d be amusing for her readers.

And it was.

At least, to the 800 or so who had been hearing from her for the past 3 years.

The other 3,200?

Many totally forgot who she was from not hearing from her for so long, had no clue what the hell she was talking about in my “clever” email, and then proceeded to tap that filthy spam button like it was a sport! In fact, the first day alone she got well over 100 spam complaints. And while they tapered off over the next few days, she ended up with close to 300 spam complaints.

“Ah crap,” I said.

“What???”

“I should have had you send a more plain vanilla broadcast, with an opt out link at the top, and some copy right under that encouraging them to use it if they didn’t remember who you were, along with sending them in small batches of 25 emails or so over a few days, and not blast them all at once…”

Doh.

“But don’t you worry your pretty little head off,” I assured her. “I’ve used the platform you are using for many years. They’ve interviewed me for their podcast, and I am at least somewhat known over there. They have always been quite reasonable. Just let ‘em know what happened.”

So Stefania did just that:

She sent their support a long, sincere support ticket telling them what happened. To which their support responded not to worry, they logged it, and would make a note so she wouldn’t get in any trouble.

And that was that.

Or, so we thought.

Because a month or so later:

She logged in and… was locked out.

Yes, even though that platform that I assured her — and that I vouched for — was reasonable and wouldn’t do her dirty… decided to not only cancel her account… but they didn’t even tell her they did it.

When she inquired, saying what their support told her, they said:

Hi Stefanie,

When the decision was made to close the account, I did take into consideration the information you provided to us. Those details though ultimately did not change the problems I saw and I did have to move forward with the account closure. There were far too many complaints for us to allow any further sending.

This is a permanent closure and we will can not accept any appeals or allow new accounts in the future.

And so it was.

Obviously, she (well, me, in this case) is not blameless.

And now that I co-own an email platform, I get why they did it, and don’t even necessarily blame them for their decision. They have to protect their platform and users. And Stefania’s email got so many spam complaints, I don’t think they really had a choice.

Which brings me to the point:

We will never know for sure.

But if nothing else, this makes a good cautionary tale for anyone using email.

I hope you caught all the lessons.

If you want to learn more about Email Players go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A BizWorld reviewer expresses her true feelings for me:

“Don’t waste your time with this nonsense”

2 things:

1. There are some real gems in there that I’m excited about and have my juices flowing. His concept of world building in business is intriguing but he gave very few examples of exactly HOW to build a world. It was the same 3 stories over and over again. That was a bit frustrating. But overall he validated a lot of things I’ve been thinking for awhile with “softer” marketing that focuses on engagement and relationships, not so dependent on stats, tracking, etc.

2. He is a terrible person and I actively dislike him. I’m used to sexist marketing gurus, never had much of a choice but to learn from them because they are everywhere. This book contains straight up misogyny. I honestly believe he thinks women are less than men (definitely less than him).

I gave him the benefit of the doubt for half the book and then I just couldn’t anymore. He talks about only using these marketing powers for good and not evil but then he does some really gross things in his world. He plays it off as being provocative but having been in a cult and experiencing life as a woman, this book was one red flag after another (his group members sending death threats to two women because they called him sexist, demanding single women in his FB group fill out dating profiles or get kicked out, and much more).

Looked him and his wife up on Twitter just to see if maybe I was missing context…it only got worse.

Because he’s a good marketer he gets away with a lot of bad behavior that I find actually dangerous because he’s right about some things. That can make some people swallow his other ideas with out question because “he’s so smart, he must be right”

On top of all that, any push back he gets he thinks is just validation that he’s right. In the book he tells a story about a man that reached out to him saying his wife loved his books but that his covers are disturbing and she doesn’t really like that. Ben concludes that she secretly LOVES his covers but is too afraid to admit it because it’s not popular/main stream.

He comes across as a very insecure person trying to compensate for something. Of course he’d tell you that’s just my insecurity coming through and that I secretly love his honesty and want to be in his world. He’s that deluded.

While there are good concepts in this book that I will use, I can not in good conscience recommend it and, in fact, would encourage people to not read it and stay away from Ben Settle “worlds”. There are much better books out there that give solid marketing advice. Don’t waste your time with this nonsense.

Sheer… perfection.

Although Stefania was none too happy to see another woman have so many spare emotions for your daily email horror host.

But it’s like I told her:

She needs to learn how to share if she wants to keep her spot…

Still, her complaints about the repetition and a lack of “how to” are valid.

As far as how-to info goes – I can only give a framework and beacons to follow.

To give a “do this, that, and then this” training on it defeats the purpose of creating a World which comes from within, not from without. And to seek a checklist or hand holding is to miss the point. Nobody can tell you how to do it. You have to figure it out. Although I have long toyed with the idea of having a small workshop here at elBenbo’s Lair, 4 or 5 people max – and doing live “hot seat-style” World-building back-and-forth feeding frenzies… with more beacons and insights to explore… but without telling anyone exactly what to do which, again, would defeat the purpose.

It’d be very expensive if I did that though.

Likely $10k a head, and probably a lot more.

And as for the book’s repetition:

It is true there is a ton of repetition in the book as the Amazon description clearly says there is. It’s even in bold letters so it’s easy to see, and so people would know what they are getting before they buy it. This concept of World-Building the way I teach it demands repetition. And to think you can just read it once, nod, then file away is not a realistic way to learn something as comprehensive as this particular topic.

We truly do live in a post literate society though.

And so I’ve come to expect this sort of thing.

But if repetition is a problem, probably you should pass on reading it. Same goes for needing a checklist/specific how-to’s if you dislike having to think.

Anyway, you can find my BizWorld on Amazon.

But the above also goes for my Email Players newsletter.

Sometimes repetition is used obnoxiously – although from different angles I’ve taught things before.

So keep that in mind before subscribing.

More on that here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. I never thought BizWorld would be divisive. Yet, if I get more reviews like the above and a couple other negatives ones I’ve seen for it, it may very well end up being more divisive even than my first Villains book, which still gets a lot of peoples’ panties in a twist.

Last year I was watching a documentary about the creation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, complete with interviews with the guys who created them and others who have been around it since its inception.

And there was one part that shot my antenna up.

And that part was when one of the creators said something about sequels.

He said:

“the sequel belongs to the believers”

i.e., totally exclusive and not-at-all inclusive.

They also talked about how, after being rejected by every comicbook publisher (all no-doubt kicking themselves in the long run), that it was interesting how, suddenly, everyone wanted to be a part of what they were doing, wanted to invest in it, ride the wave of popularity… AFTER they became successful.

Before success?

Nobody wanted anything to do with them.

After?

Suddenly everyone has always been a fan.

Reminds me of all these Marvel movie celebrities who natter on in interviews about how they were, like, you know, TOTALLY fans of the comics growing up… when everyone knows they not only were not fans, but were amongst those who mocked, made fun of, and socially ostracized the fans.

i.e., the true believers.

But anyway, back to TMNT:

They realized, what all great World-Builders in business realize — that it’s not unicorn farts & rainbows inclusivity that builds the World, attracts the best customers, creates a thriving business… but aggressive exclusivity.

Inclusivity will get your business killed — on all kinds of levels.

This is as old as recorded history.

It’s only in 2023 when people think this has somehow changed.

Something to think about.

Especially if you want to do email the way I do and teach in Email Players.

You can read more about that by hitting the jump below:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle