Ben Settle

There are some businesses I do everything in my power to avoid.

Like, for example, Walmart.

The place just reeks of cheapness, despair, and desperation. You can see it in the countenances of some of those who shop there, in the attitudes of many of the people who work there, and in the shoddiness of a lot of the products sold there. I remember one of my old clients Mike Dillard writing about this many years ago on his blog, and he got hundreds of people whining at him, yelling at him, and hating him for it.

But I smiled & nodded along with every word he said…

Yet, from a distance, I’ve also learned a lot from Walmart about business.

Especially when it comes to choosing which products to place as 1-click upsells.

Another example of a business I despise is Starbucks.

The pretentious snobbery that infests the ambiance of Starbucks, and the “dumb money” mentality it goes out of its way to pander to with people taking selfies with their made-for-Instagram drinks… makes me very glad I live some 30 miles away from the nearest one.

But, like Walmart, I’ve learned much about business from it from afar.

Including something that radically exploded my sales, short term & long term.

In fact, here’s a gem about this I learned from the great Dan Kennedy:

In one of his talks, he showed how, on the surface, one would think Starbucks is in the business of selling coffee. But if they were merely in the “coffee business”, they probably would not have been able to build a gigantic $80 billion company and 30,000 stores — all while selling sky high priced coffees, with paper cups so thin you need a wrap-around piece of paper to prevent burning your fingers, with a menu so complicated you need a PhD to decipher it, in locations sometimes right across the street from each other, sold by kids so slow the lines wrap around the block & often so dumb they can barely work a cash register.

No, my fine feathered little friend, they ain’t in the “coffee” business.

And I would bet you are not in the business you could & maybe should be in, either.

Whether you sell info products, freelancing, coaching, eCommerce, professional services, brick & mortar, or anything else.

This figuring out what business you are really in is something that requires a lot of deep thinking — sometimes years of thinking — to get right. But, once you do, and once you implement it… everything changes.

Another “0” can be quickly added to your profits.

Customer bases sometimes triple in the span of months.

And, the level of influence your brand has can multiply 5, 10, 15 fold.

The bad news is, there’s no 10-point checklist for this.

You can’t get away with swiping & copying, either.

And, it can be legitimately hard work to figure out.

The good news is, I give a bright, easy-to-see beacon (just a beacon, nothing more) for how to think about this sort of thing, using my own business as an example in the upcoming 100th issue of “Email Players.” Yes, my Pet… your pal and humble daily email pusher is not in the “email marketing” business.

Or in the “newsletter” business.

Or in the book publishing business.

Or in any kind of obvious business.

I used to be all those things.

But a couple years ago, that massively changed — both in application of how I run things around here, and in the amount of revenue, brand recognition, and overall influence my little one-man-band operation has created.

There’s a reason I waited until the 100th issue to talk about this.

And while it won’t give you any answers, it can serve as a guide for your thinking on the subject.

But, a word of warning:

If you’re the small thinking type, this issue will disappoint you.

Small thinkers are always disappointed in my products.

And this will go triple for this 100th issue of the newsletter.

All of which is why I aggressively try to turn small thinkers away. And that is also why, if you are the type, who is saying to yourself right now, “Okay I will be in the same kind of business Ben says he is in and just copy what he is doing lol!!!!!!” you’ll be a massive & complete failure at implementing this. Mark my words, Chuckles… copying the surface elements of what I or anyone else is doing in this regard is a recipe for disaster and failure and, frankly, misery, humiliation, and losing a lot of time & money.

For this, above all else that I teach in that issue, thinking is required.

Deep, substantive thinking.

The kind of thinking swipers, social media addicts, marketing hobbyists, goo-roo fanboys, new product junkies, and probably most people who identify as an “S” in the Myers-Briggs (they have a hard time thinking forward outside of the moment – an advantageous attribute for many things, believe it or not, but not this) are virtually mentally incapable of doing.

Whatever the case, this is one of many lessons inside the next issue.

The deadline to subscribe in time is tomorrow.

After that, it’ll be too late.

Here’s the delicious pumpkin spice latte link for your clicking displeasure:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

French “Email Players” subscriber Karen Vago checks in:

Hi Ben,

Here’s a short email exchange I just had with my business coach. She knows about you. I’m not sure if she’s an email player. I’m pretty sure I found out about you through her.

My coach: Excellent emails!!!!! Great subject lines. WOW.

It’s incredible!!! Has Ben Settle been helping a lot?

Me : Yes, I believe what I read from him and his monthly Email Players newsletters is seeping in and being transformed into my way of writing.

My coach: Sooo good!!!

And I want to add that writing just flows these days as do the subject lines. I read your books (not the very expensive ones yet !) newsletter (since May) and emails and revise them regularly.

At one point you annoyed me with your villains and stuff and I unsubscribed from your emails. Then heard about you again and now I get how you can help me be me… as a woman.

Much gratitude from France.

Helping women be better at being themselves is certainly one very important benefit being an “Email Players” subscriber can grant those with two X chromosomes.

There ain’t a whole lot chicks in my Email Players of the Horde.

But many of those I do hear from are kicking bootyus…

To subscribe before the 100th issue goes to the printer, click here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One way I’ve been managing to get through so many books & biographies this year is, I always have 3 I’m reading at the same time:

One book is in my office’s bathroom for daily, er, deposits of knowledge.

Another book is on my nightstand.

And, I always have an audio book I’m listening to for when I’m on a 10-mile walk, taking a shower, or simply embarking on a long drive.

The audio book I’m wading through currently is about:

President Andrew Jackson.

i.e. Old Hickory

Despite him doing & advocating controversial things that sound horrifying to people today, there is a long list of lessons to learn about success and business by studying the life of this extremely flawed, but high-achieving man, who was so popular with his fans, the 2 thousand or so people who stormed the White House just to be around him after his inauguration packed the rooms so tightly, they couldn’t even leave except by going out windows. In fact, mobs of people lined up wherever he went, forcing him to sneak out back doors and other such maneuvers, such was his popularity.

One of these lessons of which is how raw Will Power moves mountains.

I wonder if he might have been one of the strongest Willed men who ever lived.

Take for example, the constant pain he was in.

This guy spent a lifetime of engaging in all kinds of conflicts & fights — from his teenage years fighting redcoat soldiers (who butchered people in the most gruesome of ways) one-on-one during the Revolutionary War, to engaging in duels to the death with probably dozens of people, to leading militias, then the US Army, and then the nation itself as President.

All of which took hair-raising tolls on his health, to say the least.

Take the duels to the death he was in.

He got shot and injured at times.

And, thus, had severe lead poisoning much of his life as a result. In fact, some samples of his hair were analyzed 100 years or so after his death, and his body had 20 times more lead in it than what is considered safe.

And that lead poisoning kept him in perpetual agony.

So much so, his soldiers said he was often just 3 steps away from collapsing.

His abdomen was constantly on fire, violently vomiting out of the blue, and shaking and sweating, ready to pass out in the saddle on the way to battles. His temper flared out of control at the slightest thing causing him to blow up at people for little or no reason. And he was often nauseous, bedridden for sometimes weeks, and had written numerous letters about how this was it, he was done, going to retire, etc… only to be back leading another battle to victory over one enemy or another.

He was just someone who refused to back down from a fight.

Or, really, any kind of conflict.

In fact, he thrived on it.

Every time he was bedridden with yet another health problem, thinking he was going to retire (and this was before he was even President), he’d hear of another battle coming up, and suddenly his health and pain levels returned to a manageable level and he’d be off to the races.

It’s why they called him Old Hickory in the first place.

He was not a large, imposing man by any means.

He was tall & thin, and non imposing.

Yet he controlled the minds and Will of other men and armies — including great men of war and politics — who observed his toughness made him like a hickory branch:

Thin and bendable, but hard to break.

i.e. the exact opposite of most people in business or anywhere else today.

Whatever the case, there are many more lessons and insights in this book — including one I talk about in the bonus insert that is going out with the 100th issue of “Email Players”, in the list of the 13 most important biographies I’ve read so far. The volume I talk about in that insert even has to do with how to create a horde of fans who will lift you and your brand almost as high as you want, like Andrew Jackson used to be lifted right into being President — despite being born a common man (he’d be mocked as a redneck hick by the city slickers in New York, especially, today) with no family connections to the political elite.

There are over two dozens books about Andrew Jackson on Amazon.

But if you want the title of the one I am referring to, as well as the other biographies (all just as fascinating in their own ways, in my opinion) I recommend, here’s what to do:

1. Go to the URL below

2. Subscribe to “Email Players” before the deadline Thursday

3. When your newsletter arrives, find the bonus insert and read the biography part, and check it out

To get it while there’s still a wee bit ‘o time, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Long-time Danish “Email Players” subscriber Morten Spindler replies to the last time I posted one of his testimonials, which includes a sort of intended and secret benefit to being a subscriber:

A new email player subscriber from Denmark just wrote and asked if I was the one you keep writing about, and I told him to overwhelm getting everything you sell.

Newsflash.

I just quit the job I got recently, walked out the door with no security, because in the 2 months I was there, our own sales suffered way more than I earned (and especially that of my wife), so now I’m gonna go all in.

The inspiration came again, out of an ugly printed newsletter from the Wild Wild West.

This isn’t the first time someone whose testimonial I posted publicly says someone looked them up. In some cases, it’s clients looking for Email Players copywriters. In other cases, it’s people just wanting to connect with Mypipo in the Email Players of the Horde about whatever it is they do.

There are no guarantees of this, of course.

But it does happen at times.

All right, on to the business at hand:

The majestic 100th issue of my “Email Players” newsletter soon goes to the printer standing by to receive, fulfill, and mail it.

It’s in many ways the most valuable issue I’ve ever penned.

I predict shallow thinkers who only care about building swipe files will hate it, while deep thinkers who care about building actual businesses will get all kinds of value from it. Thus, if you are a copywriting fanboy just looking for “swipes!” or whatever, move aside. We don’t want you and believe me when I say you won’t want us. But if you are looking to expand your thinking, expand your sales, and, yes, expand your empire… time’s almost up to get in on this action.

The deadline to get it is in a few days hence.

To get it, grab it by the scruff of the link here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

If there is one person on God’s Blue Earth you should never, ever take investment advice from… it’s me.

Yet, for whatever reason, this hasn’t stopped certain people seeking it.

Why?

I think it has something to with what Dan Kennedy said:

(paraphrased)

When someone sees you as a teacher about topic A, they want your advice on other topics B-Z, too, regardless of your obvious ineptitude on those other things.

Anyway, here’s why I bring this up:

Even though I am the last person to take investment advice from… and even though I give no investment advice… and even though you’d be insane to take any investment advice I would give if I gave it… I have included a peek at my investment portfolio in the 100th issue of my “Email Players” newsletter for those who care to know such info.

It’s found in the bonus insert I am including.

And, specifically, the asset classes I am in, plus a secret asset class you probably won’t see other investors talk about much, if at all, but that I think is more important than the others combined in some ways.

And no, I ain’t talkin’ about crypto currency.

Whatever the case, the deadline to subscribe is almost upon you.

To subscribe while there is still a little bit of time, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Let’s talk about you being de-platformed.

By that I mean, your favorite websites, social media, ISP, merchant account, or anything you use and rely on canceling your services, accounts, or memberships. This is something that can and almost certainly will happen to you eventually if you are anywhere (politically) to the right of Mother Jones or even so much as dabble in any kind of alternative health niche that a big pharma executive with the FTC & mass media in his hip pocket would think of as competition. Not only by the usual suspects (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Apple, etc). But even by email providers, as a certain author who wrote a book about health was by Yahoo. Yes, her free Yahoo account of 20+ years was cancelled simply because of a book she wrote and thinking the wrong, Non-Media Narrative-approved thought on the subject.

I suspect just voting for the wrong candidate will make this happen.

Some dorks in Hollywood have even called for a list of other actors who dared vote for Trump.

Gee, I wonder what they’d do with that list…

The solution to this?

Look no further than Bill O’Reilly.

When he got fired from Fox News, I doubt it hurt him all that much. Because for years he’d been using Fox News to do something for his own business that made it so that when they de-platformed him (yes, being fired is a form of the de-platform disease) it not only didn’t effect his lifestyle and income all that much, but probably even made his brand stronger amongst his hardcore fans, and he still has quite a bit of influence with or without needing Fox, or social media, or anything else.

Anyway, this is something a lot of people on my list (wisely) fear.

At least, going by the number of people who have told me thus.

(When I did a survey about the new checkout platform I’ve got my fingers in right now, this fear came up over and over and over…)

And guess what?

I talk in great detail about the one thing you can do to “de-platform proof” your business, as well as create an extremely stable and secure business income around doing so — that most businesses never do — that can potentially save your entire livelihood when the next inevitable financial crash happens, and all your competition is running around whining to each other on social media about how much Trump sucks or how much the Democrats ruined their lives or how unfair everything is, etc.

I consider this secret on page 14 of the November issue mandatory.

The other 5 things I talk about in this issue you don’t technically “have” to do.

And that’s why I’ve saved his puppy just for this particular issue.

And, even though I have talked about this before, I have not talked about it exactly like this.

Whatever the case, the deadline to subscribe in time to get it is Halloween.

That’s but a few short days from now.

The link is here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I was recently asked by wise-beyond-his-years-just-for-asking 25-year old “Email Players” subscriber John Brandt about my favorite biographies.

And it was a smart question indeed.

In fact, over the last few years, I’ve heavily switched from only studying books about business, copywriting, selling, persuasion, etc to reading biographies about people who have accomplished great things.

Including, in at least one case, people despise, but still learned from.

Why?

Because biographies of people who have accomplished great things, change the way you think. They change the way you view success. And, they change the way you attack problems. The things you learn in biographies like this ain’t the same old, same old you are going to learn in yet another guru-promoted business book on Amazon or in a regurgitated IM launch with a fancy whiz-bang name attached to it designed to rile up the goo-roo fanboys and affiliates haunting the Flakebook.

Enter the magical 100th issue of the mighty “Email Players” newsletter.

It contains an insert with my favorite biographies.

Specifically the 13 I’ve gotten the most from so far… along with the main idea/lesson/influence I got from reading them. Each of the books has dozens more takeaways, of course. But if you see one that especially appeals to you on that list, I suggest ripping into that one and giving it what-for…

Of course, you’ll have to be subscribed to see this list.

And, even more importantly, be subscribed before the Halloween deadline.

Here’s the link to subscribe while there’s still some time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Earlier this year I moved from the ever-congested with California retirees “Bandon by the Sea”, OR… back to an even smaller & more reclusive seaside town with less people where I used to live, and should never have left in the first place.

And, it took just 4 days to sell that Bandon house.

This, despite it being on a street with several nearly identical houses (it was a townhouse) also for sale, with mine being priced significantly higher than the rest, with no pointless & drawn-out haggling, and at sn asking price much higher than the houses for sale around it.

Obviously, I don’t mean it technically sold in 4 days.

It took 45 days to close, etc.

But, it only took 4 days from when I listed it for the current owner to snatch it up, while I was enjoying fine wines in Napa, CA at a mastermind event.

Anyway, why should you give a fig about this?

Because you can use the same secret I did should you want to sell your house.

And, yes, the principle — I learned from one of the most persuasive & influential Presidents in US history — behind it also can be adapted in many cases to selling anything else you want to sell in your business, too.

I reveal the gory details in the November “Email Players” issue.

Specifically, in the bonus insert I am including with the issue.

The deadline to subscribe (Halloween) is coming up fast.

To subscribe by the deadline go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A real life story for the ages:

Many years ago, when McDonalds was founded, its owner Ray Croc was — from what I understand, at least, after hearing the great Dan Kennedy teach about it — was utterly and completely against offering breakfast. In his way of thinking, they were a burger business, selling burgers, to people who eat burgers, when people eat burgers.

And, he was successful doing that, no doubt.

But then one day, McDonalds started offering breakfasts.

And, it not only radically changed the entire franchise and the entire fast food industry… but breakfasts have turned out to be such a popular, profitable, and in-demand menu item, they now offer it all day.

The lesson?

There are many that come to mind.

And, one of them I write about in exquisite detail in the upcoming 100th issue of the “Email Players” newsletter, as applying this principle was — with no exaggeration — what propelled my jolly & happy gluteus assimus from the mid 6-figures per year in sales business right smack dab into the 7-figures per year in sales going on my 3rd year straight.

This 100th issue is quite the doozy.

And the deadline to get in on it is Halloween.

Here’s the link to subscribe while there’s still some time to get it:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle