Cats and Hot Butter

In This Issue:

• Main Essay: Cats and Hot Butter by Krista Jones
• Resource Referral: Retire Within 18 to 24 Months
• Quick Life Tip: Begin Each Day On Purpose

Cats and Hot Butter
by Krista Jones

I took an honors geometry class when I was in 10th grade. Whenever one of us was at the chalkboard struggling with a problem—which happened nearly every day, our teacher would clear his throat and say, “Remember, there’s more than one way to kill a cat than choke it to death on hot butter.”

Perhaps it was a rather gross and graphic way to make a point, but it did work. So much so that I still think of it whenever I’m trying to come up with a creative way to solve a challenge.

It even comes to mind when I hear about other people, such as Copy Protégé Reader Carolyn Warren, who find a unique way to crack a dilemma. Check out how Carolyn managed to accomplish her lifelong dream…

Carolyn had always wanted to write a book, but like many people she hadn’t managed to get started. So, she signed up for the AWAI Six Figure Copywriting Program.

Why? She wanted to become a better writer.

To you and me, that might sound like a strange way to go about it. But apparently Carolyn knows a thing or two about cats and hot butter too. When she received the program, she devoured it—studying and writing an average of three hours a day. And day by day, she felt herself evolving into a better writer.

And here’s where the story really gets interesting because it parallels my own and so many other budding writers. Carolyn went to AWAI’s copywriting bootcamp and it turned out to be a real turning point for achieving her dream.

While at the event, Carolyn met superstars like Clayton Makepeace, Bob Bly, Matt Furey, Michael Masterson… and our fellow Copy Protégé Monica Day. Today Carolyn reports that the advice and direction she received from these pros launched her toward her target.

She went home from the bootcamp and began writing her book—a tell-all real estate book written by an industry insider —a book she had been thinking about for over five years. Three short months later, the manuscript was complete.

Next, Carolyn wrote a book proposal using her new copywriting skills. The second literary agent she submitted it to accepted her as a client, and the very first publisher they approached, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. offered Carolyn a strong contract. Her book, which is called Mortgage Rip-offs and Money Savers, will be distributed in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Plus…since Carolyn took the initiative to meet the movers and shakers at bootcamp, Clayton Makepeace and Michael Masterson provided testimonials for the book!

That’s super stuff on so many levels. It’s motivation not to give up on our dreams. It demonstrates the power of focus. And it shows us what can happen when we take chances and put our own spin on opportunities that come our way.

I hope you’ll keep Carolyn’s story and the other stories Monica and I will continue to share with you in mind as you consider the all possibilities for your own future. As you can see, developing copywriting skills can open many more doors than just freelancing.

Congratulations, Carolyn, and best wishes!

P.S.: As we travel this road to mastery together, it would be terrific if we can support each other. So if you or someone you know is buying a house or refinancing, consider getting a copy of Mortgage Rip-offs and Money Savers. After reading the reviews, I don’t think you’ll be sorry.

We love to hear these different success stories from Copy Protégé readers. Keep ‘em coming!

Resource Referral: Retire Within 18 to 24 Months

Another thing you can do with your copywriting skills is create valuable products about things that you’re passionate about. Whether it’s pets, golf, or helping people with a parent who has Alzheimer’s disease, you can start your own information products business and do very well at it.

I’m taking an information products workshop myself. Each week we have a teleconference to discuss the steps in the process of creating the products. You’d be amazed at some of the topics people have come up with to write and interview people about. And our instructor, Bob Serling (an extremely successful infopreneur) is confident there’s a market for each and every one of them. That’s how big the industry is.

After I enrolled in the workshop, the last one Serling will be offering for quite a while, I heard about Bob Bly’s information products course called The Internet Marketing Retirement Plan. What I liked about what I heard about Bob Bly’s course is that it makes it very easy to get the business up and running. And I’ve since heard from a couple of copywriters who swear by the program.

Here’s the premise of the program: For less than $100 you will learn three easy steps to starting and running a spare-time Internet marketing business that enables you to quit work for good within 18 to 24 months.

That’s a bold promise, but Bob’s reputation speaks for itself. And you can use the program risk-free for 90 days so it’s got an incredible guarantee. When you add up the price, the guarantee, and Bob’s reputation, there’s no way you can lose by trying the program.

Quick Life Tip: Begin Each Day On Purpose

There’s a saying that goes something like, “Begin each day as if it were on purpose.”

You just gotta love a line like that.

Of course the key isn’t to just say it, but to actually do it. And that’s something that Carolyn Warren (from today’s essay) has in common with people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mother Theresa.

My point is you don’t have to change the world to begin each day as if it were on purpose. You just have to do something that is meaningful to you, which is exactly what Carolyn did while she was accomplishing her lifelong dream of writing a book.

If you could measure beginning each day as if it were on purpose on a scale of 1 to 10, where would you fall on the scale? I’ve moved around on the scale during different periods of my life, but right now, I’m at about a 7.5. I’ve noticed the higher I fall on the scale, the happier and more energetic I feel.

Wouldn’t it be grand to be at a 9 and above every day of our lives? It’s certainly a goal worth pursuing.