Seems I’m ranting a lot these days, and a little more opinionated than the norm. Perhaps it’s my broken back, which is killing me, that’s making me more sensitive or irritable. I don’t know.

But something someone recently said in my copywriters forum irritated me. And it’s not what this person said specifically, but the mindset behind it that’s bothering me.

In a thread about an Internet marketer who was recently arrested (yes, it had something to do with forced continuity, but it had more to do with refusing refunds and avoiding customers than it had to do with forced continuity itself), one member said:

“There is NO such thing as an honest business man. (…) Ask any accountant.”

Now, I have no clue as to why this person said this. And my opinion here is not about this person specifically. Again, it’s about the thinking process that some people have when they make such assertions.

Personally, I believe this view of business people is skewed, off, and wrong. It’s destructive, too.

Read the rest or post a comment »

If you’ve ever been a follower of Napoleon Hill’s “Think And Grow Rich,” then you’ve certainly heard of the concept of the Mastermind Group.

The concept is quite simple: find people you want to associate with, and try to meet with them regularly. People who you admire and trust, who are supportive, and whose opinions you value.

But there’s a big difference between what Napoleon Hill teaches, and the way most groups today are formed. (And in that category I include blogs and forums, too.)

In fact, participating in one may hurt you. And perhaps do so without you even knowing it.

Read the rest or post a comment »

Now that I’m back from my honeymoon, my inbox and forum have been floodingly busy! In fact, one thread on my Copywriters Board garnered so much interest that it created close to 10 pages worth of posts.

It’s a member’s take on “Michel Fortin’s Success Secret.”

Dale King, the author in question, postulated that in every post and article I write, there’s a “secret” to my success. Although he hinted that the secret can be found in the book “Think and Grow Rich,” the reason why the thread became so popular was because Dale never revealed it until the very end.

It’s a great example of the Zeigarnik effect and keeping people interested in your copy. It was so powerful that some people became outright pissed off at Dale’s reluctance in revealing “the secret” and posted harsh comments as a result.

In order to assuage the disgruntled, here’s what I said. The secret is…

Read the rest or post a comment »