Keith Goodrum

There’s this bloke I met from Australia named Ed Dale:

Me & Ed Dale In NYC

And every year he has this thing called the The Thirty Day Challenge. During the month of August Ed, Dan Raine and the rest of the crew put on a day by day, step-by-step training to start an online business.

It is also for anyone who has a “brick-n-mortar” business, and wants to create a online presence. There are plenty of small business owners, artisans, musicians and others who have used this training to get themselves online.

This is ideal for anyone who has no idea how to set up a business online. They take you step by step from the very beginning all the way to up and running. Now, it does require you to actually do the work they ask… but there is plenty of support from the forums, and the training is very easy to understand.

The best part? It free… gratis… complimentary. Or as Ed likes to say: “There is no charge for awesomeness!”

I’d encourage you to head on over there and join, check out the different sections and start on the pre-season. It kicks off on Saturday, and it’s something I highly recommend. In fact, I’ll be going through the challenge myself.

Here is the site again…

http://www.ThirtyDayChallenge.com

See you there!

Last week we went on vacation. Had a great time… even though it was with the In-Laws (oops – Did I say that out loud?)

We had to put Gypsy “The Wonder” Dog in a kennel. Wait… it’s a Resort and Spa for dogs. The place we always use is called Best Friends Pet Care. And they always go out of their way to make us feel special.

Study and take notes on how they create an experience instead of a transaction

When we dropped off Gypsy the staff fussed all over her, and told us how much they liked her personality. Of course being the proud parents of Gypsy “The Wonder Dog” we got a real kick out it.

Now, Gypsy only understands a few words… some of which she chooses to ignore on a regular basis. Some of her more words are: cookie, scooby snack, walkies, car ride, do you want to go?

So, with her limited English… most of the praising sorta went over her head. Although she did enjoy the pets and back scratches.

About half way through our vacation Becky was checking her email. And excitedly showed me an email we got from Gypsy…

Having a blast at Best Friends Chestnut Ridge…wish you were here!

I’d love to tell you all about it, but since I can’t talk my Best Friends agreed to send this photo along to you instead.

See you soon!

Love,

Gypsy

Attached to this email was a picture they took of her in the Play Room. Of course my wife started forwarding the email around to friends & family. She thought it was so cool to get an email from Gypsy telling us how much fun she was having.

Here’s the picture…

We came home & went to pickup Gypsy…

We got back this past Saturday, and went to pick up Gypsy. The girl behind the counter quickly pulled up the records on the computer. She then started telling us how much fun it was to have Gypsy stay with them. We were given the report cards to look over.

The report cards are comments left by the staff members who are taking care of Gypsy. There is a place to leave comments about how things went. Most of the comments said things like: “Gypsy is such a sweetie! She really is a cuddle hound… Gypsy is always a treat to have stay with us!”

How do I know what the comments say? Simple, my wife has kept all the report cards! I’ve been reading them while typing this post.

I then handed them Gypsy’s leash so they could go get her from the back. We paid the bill and waited for one of the staff to go get her.

But, wait it didn’t stop there…

There is a large screen TV hanging up behind the counter. It usually shows rotating pictures of the “Spa & Resort”. Usually it has a live shot of the doggie playroom. And you get to watch the other dogs romp around playing with each other. It can be fun to watch most of the time.

As we watching the picture changed. It was showing the picture of Gypsy in the playroom she had sent us in the email. The caption read something like we have arrived to pick up our best friend Gypsy. Of course we got a big laugh out it, and it was a nice touch.

This is getting long so I’m going to stop here. In a couple of days I’ll talk about some of the marketing lessons. And how you can apply them to your business.

But in the mean time… why don’t you add your comments here & tell me what you think made this an experience vs a transaction.

Have you ever noticed how some movie stars seem to have a long career while others burn brightly then vanish? I’ve noticed those who have staying power follow 7 easy to copy steps. They are listed below so you can transform your biog into a star.

1. Let People See You With Other Celebrities - The power of association instantly builds credibility. People will associate you with the celebrities you are seen with. You get to borrow from their influence. And probably the best way to do this is to get your picture taken with other celebrities in your niche.

2. Keep Other Celebrities Updated - This is simple to do and very effective. Keep the leaders in your niche updated on your activities. If they find something about you interesting, they could pass your updates on to their followers.

3. Let Your Accomplishments “Slip Out” - Plain and simple, this is no time to be shy. Waiting around for someone to stroll along and notice your achievements guarantees one thing – A long wait. You need to get your accomplishments out into the public.

4. Collaborate With Other Celebrities - One of the biggest boost to your credibility is to collaborate with another leader. You get instant access to their network, and you get to borrow from their influence.

5. Be Seen At “Events” - Getting out and meeting people goes a long way towards legitimizing your business. No need to go crazy and spend thousands attending every event, but a handful a year should do the trick. Remember, there are plenty of free events if you take the time and look around.

6. Be Persistent - “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” – Sir Winston Churchill. I think that pretty much sums it up. The most successful people bounce back quickly from setbacks, overcome obstacles and deflect unproductive criticism.

7. Get A Coach or a Mentor- You are not an island. Everyone and I mean everyone needs a coach or mentor to help reach their goals. A coach will provide valuable feedback. They will point out the good, the bad and the ugly. (OK, you can stop singing the song from the movie!) Look at it this way – If the world’s best athletes, actors and musicians need a coach, then why would you be any different?