This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

The Language Perfectionist: Redundancies Redux
By Don Hauptman

A year ago, I devoted a column to the topic of redundant expressions. This error continues to be widespread, as the following examples, recently culled from the media, demonstrate:

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"I have come to realize that the seeming constancy of the harbor symbolized a false myth about nature." (The phrase false myth is not as common as true fact and actual fact, but it's just as redundant.)
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"Many filed applications with the state attorney general's office to get their refunds back...." (The re- in refund means "back," so the sentence should read "get their refunds.")
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"Scientists at Newcastle University, UK, have worked out a mathematical formula that could be used to give advance warning of where a tsunami is likely to hit and how destructive it will be." (By definition, a warning comes in advance.)

Sometimes, the redundant elements are separated and thus harder to spot, as in this example: "Nothing short of body scans and conducting all security outside the airport is the only way to ensure protection." (Nothing short of and only convey the same meaning.)

Why is it desirable to avoid redundancies? One reason is that they're unnecessary. The most famous commandment of Strunk and White, in their classic guide The Elements of Style, is "Omit needless words." Effective writing is concise. In addition, redundancies can be irritating. A friend once complained to me that she cringes at her husband's frequent use of "tiny little."

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

"Many highly intelligent people are poor thinkers. Many people of average intelligence are skilled thinkers. The power of a car is separate from the way the car is driven."

Edward de Bono
Thinking: It's One of the Most Difficult Tasks We Do
By Harvey Mackay

Henry Ford once hired an efficiency expert to go through his plant. Ford directed him to find the nonproductive employees and, he said, "I will fire them!"

When the expert finished his evaluation, he reported to Ford that he was particularly concerned with one of his administrators. "Every time I walked by, he was sitting with his feet propped up on the desk. The man never does a thing. I definitely think you should consider getting rid of him!"

Ford was curious to know who was using company time that way. Then the expert identified him, and Ford shook his head. "I can't fire him. I pay that man to do nothing but think, and that's what he's doing."

Even in this culture of downsizing, right-sizing, and just plain streamlining operations, no company can afford to lose its thinkers.

Most small to mid-sized companies probably can't afford to hire a "staff thinker," but among the larger, and likely the most successful companies, I'll bet you'll find someone with a title like strategic planner, researcher, creative engineer, visioner, or some similar version. At Disney, they're called "imagineers." (At Microsoft, they're called "millionaires.")

"What a job!" you're thinking right about now. No measurable goals, no restrictive job descriptions, no pressure, because nobody can tell if you're doing your job. But you must prove yourself over time.

Guess again. Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar territory. And then look around your office and see if you can identify the person you'd go to first if you needed a great new plan or idea. There's the thinker. The job title may not be a tip-off.

Years ago, at the El Cortez Hotel in San Diego, management decided that one elevator wasn't adequate to serve their guests. They hired engineers and architects to add a second lift.

The professionals discussed several options, and eventually settled on a plan to cut a hole in each floor to accommodate the new elevator.

A janitor overheard the discussion, and inquired about their intentions. The engineers patiently explained their plans to him. The janitor was concerned and told them so: "That's going to make quite a mess -- plaster, dust, and debris everywhere." No problem, he was told, because the hotel would be closed during the construction.

"But that will cost the hotel a lot of money, and a lot of people will be out of jobs while the hotel is closed," the janitor replied.

"Do you have a better idea?" one of the architects asked.

The janitor surprised them all with his answer: "You could build the elevator on the outside of the hotel."

It had never been done before, but it was an intriguing concept. The engineers and architects, hired for their creative thinking, decided it was an idea worth developing. An architectural feature we now see every day was the brainchild of a hotel janitor. Not a "staff thinker." But a thinker on the staff.

Chances are you have several folks like that in your employ. They are worth their weight, and yours, in gold. Consultants may come and go, but those employees who can think are your best source of great ideas and inspiration for the rest of your organization.

Let me lay down a few ground rules for encouraging great thinking:

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Respond with enthusiasm. When someone has a great thought, be enthusiastic rather than demanding details on implementation. This person has ideas. Somebody else can develop them. You've seen that happen a million times.
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Make your workplace conducive to thinking. Windows are inspirational. Cheerful colors stimulate creativity. My office is full of photos and souvenirs and some of my favorite things. Sterile surroundings are for brain surgery. We're looking for brain candy.
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Celebrate occasionally. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is still true. Let your staff know they can have fun and be productive at the same time.
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Give credit where credit is due. I surely hope that janitor at the El Cortez got the recognition he deserved and a big bonus. Reward great thinking. You'll be surprised how creative every member of your staff can be.

Mackay's Moral: Minds are like parachutes -- not much good unless they are open.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

“Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.”

Groucho Marx
Want to Start Making Money From ETR Right Away? Introducing the ETR Affiliate Marketing Program

By Michael Masterson

Here’s how you can convert your ETR subscription into a second income… beginning immediately.

I got this idea from Tim, an ETR reader who had this to say about ETR products:

“ETR offers excellent products. But if you’re looking for immediate supplemental income, then ordering a program from ETR may not be the way to go. For the long term: Order a program, learn a new skill so you won’t ever be in a pinch again.

“On that note, there are lots of good opportunities. But without knowing the individual’s passions, strengths, and goals, it would be next to impossible to direct her to one particular business. Instead, I’ll point you to the network marketing industry: Do your due diligence.

Find a company you feel comfortable with that offers a consumable product or service, has a rewarding compensation plan, and then plug into the folks who are making the income you want. You’ll be amazed to find that there are literally tens of thousands of individuals who earn an extra $500 – $1,000 a month through network marketing. More is available to those who want it.”

Tim makes a good point about the programs we sell. Most of them are, indeed, based on learning a valuable skill. And, generally speaking, it takes about 600 to 1,000 hours to complete them.

Even at a full-time, 50-hour-a-week pace, that’s 12 to 20 weeks. Working part-time, it usually takes six months.

Some of the people who buy our programs work faster than that. But if you want to begin earning cash immediately – like within one week or so – you need to have something to sell. Network marketing gives you that. The most successful network marketing companies provide their members with all sorts of products – everything from diet pills to laundry detergent.

I favor direct marketing over network marketing for six main reasons:

* Direct marketing has a wider potential.

* Direct marketing doesn’t require person-to-person selling.

* You can sell whatever you want through direct marketing.

* You are in charge of your business.

* You don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules.

* You can work at your own pace. No one is pressuring you.

I’m not denying that network marketing can work. It has worked very well for thousands. And it’s made a few people – generally the people on top – very wealthy. I’m just saying that direct marketing has the advantages of network marketing, as well as the six I listed above.

And with direct marketing, you can begin to make money immediately.

Tim’s comment made me think: What can we offer ETR readers that will give them a chance to make money immediately? As in right away!

I batted around a few ideas with MaryEllen and Charlie. Then it hit us. The best possible way for us to help you make good money immediately, to create a second stream of income and – at the same time – develop skills (direct-marketing skills, copywriting skills, selling skills, etc.) that will help you get wealthy in the long term, is to give you a chance to sell ETR’s products.

In our industry, this is called an “affiliate marketing program.”

The idea is simple. You sign up with us to become an official, sanctioned distributor of ETR products. You begin promoting them immediately. You use sales copy and other advertising materials that we’ve tested ourselves – materials that have already been proven to work (banner ads, text ads, e-mails, newsletter ads – you name it!), and you offer your affiliate partners the bonuses and privileges that we offer.

You are on the same playing field as we are, with all of the same resources. Only you are promoting to people who have a synergistic relationship with our products – people in the same industry with similar wants and needs as the average ETR reader.

Although ETR’s affiliate program is launching online, in the future you’ll be able to sell ETR products by phone, in person, and in the mail.

You’ll be able to place space ads, personal ads, classifieds, whatever. There are so many proven ways to stimulate sales of success-oriented products. You won’t be short of opportunities.

Let’s take a walk through the process – how I imagine it would be from your perspective.

Say you own our Magic Button program. You are making a steady second income and are very happy with the quality of the program. You decide you’d like to create yet another stream of income for yourself by selling the Magic Button program, so you register as an ETR affiliate.

To do so, you visit our affiliate website at www.etraffiliates.com. You review the many benefits of our program – including proven advertising materials, quality products, competitive commissions (15 percent), real-time reporting, and a helpful resource center for new affiliate marketers. Then, you simply read our FAQs and Terms and Conditions, accept our terms, and fill in our online sign-up form.

It’s that easy. It’s free to sign up. Even better, we’ll give you a $20 bonus just for joining! Once you’re accepted into the program, you’ll have access to our reporting dashboard, where you can track your affiliate sales as well as access a library of all the sales copy you’ll need to help promote our products. (Remember, this sales copy has been PROVEN to work. We’re giving you our best stuff – the “controls” that have brought us sales time and time again.)

You can market our products using any method you are comfortable with – via your own e-newsletter… by placing text ads in other industry e-newsletters… by setting up banner ads on highly trafficked websites… and so on. That way, you can put your own experience to work for you. Plus, you can easily branch out into marketing channels you want to explore.

The ETR affiliate program is launching as a transaction-based program. That simply means we’re paying our affiliates commissions based on sales (products sold), not leads.

We think this model is more beneficial for both the affiliate and ETR, as a buyer is more qualified than a lead. And that, of course, plays into the overall lifetime value of a customer.

It doesn’t take much of a time commitment on your part to start generating an ancillary revenue stream with our trusted products.

Let’s say you are willing to spend 45 minutes a day, six days a week. That’s four hours a week, 16 hours a month.

What could you do in 16 hours?

Let’s see. Reading all the material and getting everything ready might take about five or six hours. Putting together a list of potential marketing opportunities – a list of, say, 100 possible buyers… or 10 websites where you could post banner ads… or keywords to use with Google AdWords – would take another hour or two. Then you basically set up our sales-making ad copy and start promoting. The rest is up to us – fulfilling the product, handling customer service, following up on orders, etc.

How would this work, money-wise?

You’ll get a 15 percent commission on first-tier affiliate sales (through your own website or the website of an affiliate partner). You’ll also get a 2 percent commission on second-tier affiliate sales (through deals you make with outside websites to promote ETR products and then refer sales to you).

Let me give you an idea of what this means in “real” dollars.

Sell just one of our Magic Button programs, and you get $74.55. Sell 100 – which is a very realistic possibility – and that’s $7,455 in your pocket.

For just an hour or so of “work.”

Devote a few more hours to finding new prospects to promote to, and you could see that number soar.

Remember, too, that the Magic Button is only one of the bestselling programs that you can promote as an ETR affiliate.

Now, more than ever, you need to start bringing in extra income. The ETR Affiliate Marketing Program is a great way to do it.

To get more information on how you can start making money from ETR right away, visit www.etraffiliates.com. Remember, it’s free to join – and we’re even offering a special $20 bonus if you sign up today!

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

4 Pillars of a Successful Affiliate Website
By Derek Gehl

Today, I’d like to “bust” an affiliate marketing myth that’s been making the rounds since… well, since affiliate marketing started.

It goes something like this…

To be successful as an affiliate, just join any affiliate program, slap their banner ads onto a basic Web page – and presto, you’ve got an instant Web business that will make you money hand over fist!

For the record, yes, you can make a lot of money by marketing other peoples’ products on the Internet… but no, affiliate marketing is not a shortcut to instant wealth.

As with any other online business, building a successful affiliate site still requires research, planning, and – here’s that four-letter word I keep insisting on using – work.

It’s like building a house. The more solid the foundation is, the more stable the entire structure will be. So if you’re thinking of starting your own Internet business promoting affiliate products, here are four strategies you must follow to guarantee you’ll earn the maximum amount of commissions…

Strategy #1: Start by finding a niche market.

I’ve probably said this a million times, and I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face… Do not get started by choosing the affiliate program you want to join.

Most people who start affiliate sites make the mistake of first picking the products they want to promote, because:

* They look like they’ll be fun to sell.

* They think people will want them.

* They offer the highest commissions.

* They assume the products must be profitable, because so many other people are promoting them.

Trust me, you won’t be doing yourself any favors. You’ll end up working around the clock trying to drive qualified traffic to the site… and failing miserably. (And you’ll likely drop a hefty chunk of change on pay-per-click ads in the process.)

So do your niche market research first…

* What are your interests?

* Within your areas of interest, what kinds of problems are people going online to try to solve?

* Which of these problems seem to be neglected by most of the sites out there?

Identify a group of people who are desperately trying to find something online without success – and then offer them that something. They’ll snap it up.

Strategy #2: Make sure your products are relevant and related.

Nothing frustrates me more than seeing all of those affiliate sites out there with banner ads promoting everything from cheap holiday travel to pet health insurance to steak knives to Internet marketing tips… all from the same page!

I call them “flea market” sites, and they’re a complete waste of time.

Make sure that any products you promote are closely related to your niche, and closely related to each other. Otherwise, you’ll struggle to find qualified traffic for your site, and you’ll have a heck of a time writing copy that directly relates to your visitors’ needs.

Even worse, you’ll risk hurting your credibility. Because rather than looking like someone who has the interests of your visitors in mind, and really wants to help, you’ll look like someone who is out to sell anything to make a buck.

Strategy #3: Build a strong opt-in list, then establish lasting relationships with your subscribers.

When you’re an affiliate marketer, e-mail plays a big role in your ongoing promotion efforts. So make sure you start with a strong opt-in offer containing truly useful free information that’s relevant to your visitors. Then, over time, continue to send your opt-in list even more free information.

The more you can prove to your subscribers that you’re a reliable source of useful information… the more you can train them to look forward to hearing from you… the more successful you’ll be.

Not only will you build a rapport with your subscribers, you’ll establish yourself as an expert in your field, making it easy for you to recommend your products. Which brings us to my final affiliate strategy…

Strategy #4: Personally recommend your products for maximum conversions.

If you were in the market for a new television, would you be more inclined to purchase a particular model because you saw an ad for it on TV… or because a friend that you trust recommended it?

You’d likely go with the recommendation, right?

That’s what most people would do… which is why plunking down a bunch of affiliate banners or links in a website, and then hoping that someone – anyone – will decide to click on them, is not going to make sales.

Remember, you’ve been building relationships with your customers through e-mail marketing. They trust you. They view you as an expert. So now they’re open to your opinion.

Take advantage of that to tell them about the products they should consider purchasing… and why they should own them. They’ll actually appreciate the recommendations – and, as a result, your conversion rates will soar!

While affiliate marketing isn’t the “magic bullet” that will let you enjoy instant success online, it is possible to earn substantial profits promoting other peoples’ products… if you do this:

Start by clearly defining your market. Then build an information-rich website that your audience will want to visit. Be sure to include only products that are relevant, and take advantage of your site to build your credibility and establish yourself as an expert.

At the same time, build a large list of qualified subscribers, and take advantage of e-mail marketing to both build lasting relationships and promote your products.

With the right planning and research – and a reasonable amount of effort – you’ll be well on your way to a successful website recommending affiliate products.

[Ed. Note: If you're looking for freedom and income, you can't do much better than starting your own business. Internet marketing expert Derek Gehl has helped thousands of people grow online businesses that generate $100,000 a year - and often much more! Learn how you can start a "hands-free" Internet business right here.

You CAN start an Internet business - or accomplish any goal you set for yourself. And with expert advice and goal-setting strategies, achieving your dreams can take as little as 15 minutes a day.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

“In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”

Charles Darwin
Make Money Online Selling Other People’s Products

By Edwin Huertas

Every year, millions of new websites are formed – and people are constantly figuring out new ways to make money with them.

If you don’t have a product or product idea, you may become discouraged about the whole idea of starting an Internet business. But the truth is, you CAN make a bundle online… without having a single product of your own.

I’m talking about joining an affiliate program and linking their offers to your website.

At Early to Rise, we sell our own products. But we also sell products for others – through affiliate and joint-venture partnerships – and we have been very successful doing both.

Selling products through an affiliate program eliminates the need to stock and manage them. It is also a lot easier to sell someone else’s existing product than to create one yourself.

But before you join an affiliate program, you need to consider the following:

1. Will this product appeal to my website’s visitors?

When selecting an affiliate program, make sure the products they offer are in the same (or a similar) niche as your website.

This might seem obvious – but you’d be surprised by the number of websites that sell things that have nothing to do with their niche. For instance, I recently saw a website dedicated to “Health” that had banner ads posted on every page for products that ranged from movies and music to electronics. There was hardly anything health-related!

2. How much can I make selling this product?

Most affiliate programs offer a 2 percent to 10 percent commission for sales generated by affiliates.

But a program with high payouts (15+ percent) gives you a chance to make the most money with the smallest amount of traffic and the least amount of effort. So go with the higher paying programs and make more money. It’s that simple.

3. Who is offering the product?

As you know, there are plenty of scams on the Web, so you have to be careful when choosing an affiliate program. Make sure the company you are dealing with is an established business with a good reputation – one that offers its customers a money-back guarantee and pays its affiliates on time.

4. Does this product sell well – or am I wasting my time and effort promoting it?

There are so many affiliate programs out there these days that it can be difficult to choose the right one. Make sure the program you choose sells a product that has a good conversion rate. If you are not making sales with a program, it might be time to look at a different one.

At ETR, our products convert at an extremely high rate – and we offer some of the highest payouts in the industry. This helps us ensure that our affiliates make plenty of money, and that they remain happy, loyal partners.

5. What kind of tracking system does the program use?

Look into the tracking software the program uses, and understand how it works. Most good affiliate programs track sales for 30 to 60 days, some even longer.

6. What kind of reporting do they offer?

Make sure the affiliate program provides you with all the tools you might need to accurately track your sales as well as the traffic you send to them. A good affiliate program will give you full metric reports to help you fine-tune your marketing efforts.

7. What sort of marketing support do they provide?

A really good affiliate program will also give you plenty of marketing materials and/or training to help you make the most of your partnership.

ETR’s affiliate program, for instance, offers its affiliates all of the sales materials they might need (from top-producing banner ads to proven sales copy). Plus, we offer lots of useful resources and training, including tutorials and access to a library of marketing articles.

8. Does it cost anything to join?

Sometimes it pays to join an affiliate program to check out their system before actually putting up any ads.

Joining should cost you NOTHING! If a (so-called) affiliate program charges for membership… it’s NOT an affiliate program.

There are many scams that prey on unsuspecting people looking to earn more money online. But why would any reputable company charge YOU for selling THEIR products?

Don’t EVER pay to join an affiliate program. Period.

Do your research. Take your time. Make sure you know the answers to the above eight questions – and then choose a good affiliate program that fits your needs.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Affiliate Program – Affiliate Marketing

An affiliate program allows a company the opportunity to ‘partner’ with other site owners (usually webmasters) in hopes of selling more products and/or developing more leads. Affiliate programs generally offer their affiliates (members of their affiliate program) a percentage of the sale or in some cases a straight fee for leads generated.

Many of the Internet’s largest companies have put their affiliate programs in place and are generating millions in additional revenue as a result. Companies like Amazon.Com have experienced enormous success with their programs (and you can too).

If you are thinking of starting an affiliate program for your company; you will have to consider the following:

1. What are the products that your affiliates are allowed to sell? Some companies don’t have a large profit margin for certain products and prefer not to include them in the affiliate program.
2. What methods of promotion/selling are you willing to allow? For example, some companies will not allow affiliates to promote their products via email for fear of SPAM complaints and others will allow just about any type of promotion ranging from radio to web.
3. How much are you willing to pay your affiliates? This is something that only the affiliate program owner can determine. On average affiliate programs that sell products normally offer from 1% to 5% commissions on all sales, while others simply offer a flat fee for any sales (or leads) generated by the affiliate.
4. What software (see below) will you use to track all affiliate sales? There are various out-of-the-box solutions available to companies like myaffiliateprogram.com, idevdirect.com and many others. Do your research and find the right solution for you.

Developing a good affiliate program can be very instrumental in getting the sales and leads your web site needs to succeed.
Affiliate Software

In order to run your own affiliate program you will need an affiliate software system to power it. Affiliate Software can be set up on your own web site or you can simply use a 3rd party provider to manage the service for you. Below are a few software solutions available online:
Affiliate Software for your site:

* http://www.myaffiliateprogram.com/
* http://www.idevdirect.com/
* http://www.affiliateshop.com/

Hosted Affiliate Software

* http://www.affiliatetracking.com/
* http://www.allaffiliatepro.com/
* http://www.allmerchants.com/Tool.Affiliate-Software.cg.38.htm

These are just a few examples (we do not endorse these products) so you can get an idea of the different affiliate software options available. Performing a search on Google for affiliate program software will give you plenty of web sites and products to start your research.

See more about affiliate programs on WikiPedia »
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This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

“Affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful ways to start making money online. And I love it because you don’t have to create any products, handle fulfillment, or deal with customer service!”

- Brian Edmondson
The Internet Business That Requires NO Website

By George Dahir

You may be surprised to know that you can make money online WITHOUT a fancy, content-filled website.

But it’s true.

Not only that, you don’t need to create any products. Nor do you need a list of prospective customers. Or any employees. Or any experience.

You do need three things to make this business work:

1. You need to belong to an affiliate marketing program.

The company hosting the affiliate marketing program will pay you a commission each time you sell one of their products. Since the host company creates the products and sales copy, and handles order fulfillment, you just sit back and wait for checks to appear in your mailbox.

Some affiliate marketing programs will even pay you to recruit new affiliates. Early to Rise, for instance, has a two-tier commission structure that allows you to make 2 percent of every sale made by an affiliate you’ve recruited. (That’s on top of the 25 percent commission you get for selling ETR’s products yourself!) This means that for a product like our Insider’s Code, you could get $39.94 every time your recruit makes a sale.

2. You need a simple landing page.

This is a single Web page – not an entire website with all the bells and whistles. And when I say simple, I mean super-simple. The only thing that will appear on your landing page is some sales copy and a link to an order form.

You can set one up yourself by using the free blogging software offered by WordPress and Blogger, among others. And you can get the sales copy and the link from the host company you are affiliated with.

3. You need to set up a few pay-per-click ads.

In a nutshell, you pay for keywords related to the sales copy you get from your host company. Then, when an Internet user searches for those keywords, they have the opportunity to click on your ad. Doing so redirects them to the landing page you set up, and – in the case of ETR’s program – they can either sign up to be one of your recruits or buy one of the products you’re selling.

Some of the questions I frequently get from people interested in joining the Early to Rise affiliate program have to do with how to start a “no website” business.

As you can see, yes, you CAN do it. And if you’re good, you can make decent money. (You need to be careful, though. If you don’t fully understand the pay-per-click model, you could end up spending a lot on advertising without seeing much revenue in return.)

But why would you want to do it that way?

Setting up a website – even one that’s packed full of useful content – is NOT difficult. Nor is it expensive.

And the truth is, you can see much bigger commission checks if you set up a website to take full advantage of the program you’re affiliated with.

As I said, ETR has a two-tier commission structure. First-tier affiliates (the ones who make the sales themselves) earn a 25 percent commission on every product they sell. And some of them have gotten checks for $719,671.43… $574,833.19… $139,764.00… $174,879.13… $153,743.39… and even $756,902.60.

You can set up a website with the same free blogging software I mentioned earlier. You can fill your site with relevant content from several sources (including public domain, freelance writers, and article syndication sites). You can then use some easy-to-follow and free methods for getting traffic to your site.

And by implementing a few additional strategies, there’s nothing stopping you from becoming an affiliate marketing superstar and seeing fat checks regularly appear in your mailbox.

These strategies are truly easy to understand. I don’t have enough room here to explore them all, so I’d like to invite you to meet up with me at ETR’s Information Marketing Bootcamp this November.

During Bootcamp, I will teach you:

* How to define your niche and find products that will sell like hotcakes…

* The Super Affiliate blueprints that bring in $75K a month for ETR’s top sales reps…

* How to pinpoint a top-notch affiliate program by using 6 simple criteria…

* How to take advantage of the popularity of social media (I’ll reveal what’s a waste of your time and what is well worth your while.)…

* The best – and worst – ways to get relevant, search-engine-friendly content for your website (Some of them are FREE!)…

* All of ETR’s multimillion-dollar advanced affiliate marketing secrets…

* The oft-ignored, under-appreciated side of affiliate marketing that nobody’s talking about – and why it’s so critical to YOUR success…

And much, MUCH more!

Affiliate marketing could be your ticket to a massive boost in your income. It can help give you additional security as you start your own information marketing business. And it can help you build powerful contacts with some of the top names in the industry.

So come to Bootcamp prepared to learn the moneymaking secrets responsible for $2.1 billion in sales in 2008 alone… the same secrets that could help you write your own $756,000 check… and the strategies that can help you become a Super Affiliate in your own right.

Of course, while at Bootcamp, you’re going to be picking up dozens of other profit-making strategies, techniques, and breakthrough ideas. I’ll be joined by a dozen of the Internet’s superstar moneymakers – and all of them have agreed to share at least one idea that has the power to make you a MINIMUM of $10,000 by May 11, 2010.

Find out exactly what you’ll discover at Bootcamp – and learn how to sign up for our crazy “100% refund + $1,000 cash-back” pledge – right here.

I urge you to act quickly. You can get $600 off your reservation rate today – but this special discount ends this coming Monday.

Unchurched

According to Barna Research the church has left the building or at least leaving the building. I wonder why? That is easy, the modern church has forsaken the Gospel for man made religion. In many ways the American church has become Post Christian. We no longer teach the Gospel but a success gospel the has more in common with Napoleon Hill then Jesus Christ. The other trend seems to be political or something of that nature. When a person leaves church should they not be knowing the love of God toward them. Should they not know the freedom they have in Christ. Should they not know they are forgiven of all sins, past present and future. Should not the focus be upon Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Having said all this when someone leaves a congregation or bible study what happens to that person. Do they, as Judges talks about, become, "and each man did what was right in his own eyes"? Evangelical Christians have left their old churches and gone to Catholic and Orthodox churches. Others have found more liturgical churches to worship in. Churches that have meaning while Evangelical and Charismatic churches are focused upon one person, they guy in the front. What is the next step for those of us who have left the circus that is American Christianity? Something to think about...

The Muppets: Beaker's Ballad

A Sad Day in Twin Cities History

Have you ever found a radio station that you enjoyed and stuck with it through many personality changes. Over the past 30 years I have enjoyed listening to AM1500 The Talk Station here in St. Paul. It has been a Talk radio station during this time. I have heard all sorts of personalities and political philosophy during these years. I was there when Rush Limbaugh came to town. I remember not only the beginning of Sports Talk with Joe and Pat but also when Joe started doing his afternoon show that became Garage Logic. I remember listening when Rookie joined the show both on Saturdays and the weekday show.
Recently KSTP decided on a format change to sports talk. I understand the economics side of the equation and the business side. The one thing I like about Saturday morning sports talk is Joe and Pat talked about many things including sports. Back when the Hubbard's decided to add the Twins baseball to the station I was disappointed but it explained to me why Jason Lewis had been allowed to leave.
Faced with new competition from national talk radio AM1500 could no longer compete. I kept listening because I enjoyed the local aspect of talk radio over the national news. Joe Soucheray still had many good shows but the station did what NBC recently did to local affiliates with the Jay Leno Show. The local news rating suffered because the Leno show had low ratings. In the same way Garage Logic has suffered due to the low ratings of the day time line up.
I don't know if the new format will interest me. I do see the end of Garage Logic in the near future with AM1500 moving into a Spanish format. I have no problem with Sports talk but ALL DAY LONG!

A Prayer of Martin Luther

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.

I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.

I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor.

I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether. O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.

In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.

I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor.

I am a sinner; you are upright.

With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness.

Therefore I will will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.

Amen.

Foundations

For many years I was a member of the Charismatic renewal and the remaining game for many years. Today I was thinking about why did the movement die away or revert into the Napoleon Hill Gospel we have today. It was the fact that the movement never taught the people a Foundation. Lutheran churches teach the young using the shorter catechism. The Charismatic movement was always based upon experience and lacked the teachers to communicate the foundation. The leaders of the movement were intent on building themselves up. After leaving a Charismatic meeting a person was on a high but that only lasted until the morning. For any movement to continue beyond a few years a Foundation has to be laid, for lack of a better term theology needs to be taught. What do we believe and why do we believe are essential to the future of any movement. Many evangelical churches today are suffering from a lack to laying a Foundation as children leave these churches in droves.

There was a reason the early Church gave us the Nicene Creed and so many more. It was to re enforce people's faith. The Reformers created the Confessions and Creeds that has helped continue the faith but we in this generation has decided these great statement of the faith are meaningless. How sad, had the Charismatic movement taken the time to establish a short catechism and confession it may still be moving forward.