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10/18/05  Fast Boat to Where?

"They don't work," she said.

"They take money from the government, and do not work."

Her face was flushed, and she obviously felt strongly about it.

I was discussing politics (again) with my guide. 

"So what," I asked.  "Do you get a "gold star" for working hard?  Do you go to Nirvana?"

How to explain internet marketing, where a good idea coupled with a brilliant promotion can generate a fortune over a weekend?  Where you can be fabulously successful while working an hour or two a day?

It's fascinating to watch capitalism change East Germany.

My guide was confused.  She knew that work was "good," somehow, but she couldn't quite articulate why.

She knew it was "wrong" to take money from the government, but she wasn't sure why.

I started to explain that you have make huge political contributions or be an oil company to receive government handouts that were really meaningful, but I just didn't have the German for it. 

Since the people receiving the handouts had to spend it immediately, all it was doing was funneling the money through them into the economy- where each Euro could be spent several times.  An indirect subsidy to the beer, food and housing industries.

In the picture to the left, a neighbor noticed the band heading out for a gig, and came running over- "I have bratwurst!"

That's East Germany, to me.  The sharing of (perceived) scarce resources between friends.

My guide should be a little careful about running rough shod into the future- she might end up with a country where a guy could go to jail for years for stealing a hundred bucks from a 7-11 while another guy has to "retire" with full benefits for stealing millions from "the government."

Or a country where a politically connected corporation can steal enough in a month to feed every poor person in the country for a year.

Where you can just barely see the homeless people sleeping under the freeway through the tinted windows of your Hummer.

Naw- there ain't no country like that.

My guide was circling over a fairly interesting question, though.  Why do we work?  What motivates the Joe Vitale's and Mark Joyner's to sit over the hot computer for hours when they could be doing anything they liked?  Or nothing at all?

Why do some guys hang out down to the corner store and drink beer for breakfast? 

And what about me? 

What am I doing slogging around Germany on a tour that would challenge a much younger guitarist?  And working a couple of hours a day on my "Portable Empire?"  And reading advanced Social Psychology books like Indiana Jones, looking for the clues that lead to the click-whir, which leads to the "cha-ching.?"

This is part of the answer- Johan S. Bach used to work and play in this church.  You can still hear organists playing his music, sitting on the rough wooden pews.

But that doesn't explain why I'm touring- it just explains why I'm in Europe.

The trick about "work" is that it's the boat that carries you where you want to go.  It's the means through which you achieve your goals.  Only rarely is attachment to the boat a good idea.  When you get to your destination, it's ok to get out of the boat.

Or not.

Some people like riding in the boat.  That's cool- in an infinite universe, such as the one we happen to be living in- there is no shortage of resources.  That's the big news. 

The boat is fuelled by ideas.  If you're using any other fuel, you're wasting your time. 

The better the fuel, the faster the boat goes- and the less time you have to spend in the boat to get where you want to go.  if you've got great ideas and happen to like to work, you can end up going quite a long way.

Right now, most of my German friends who have jobs are trading time for money.  We know that doesn't work.  That's a slow boat.

This guy has a clue-  he's a free-lance bread merchant. 

His compensation, I suspect, is tied to how much bread he sells on the street.  That's a boat that has some potential- I could come up with a business plan for him that would include duplicating the costume and franchising the idea.  Might be huge.

When you really get in the groove, though, is when you're not working- you're playing the game.  It isn't work at all.

I love the internet marketing game.  It's not hard- you identify a need, you provide a solution, and you tell them about it.  Like chess, the moves are easy to learn.  You can actually "play a game" using memorized moves.

You can be successful at internet marketing by just following the directions on the side of the box- that's what meta-webs, adsense, and the other systems processes do.  Follow the directions, and they make money.

To me, it's far more interesting to get into the game.  I first noticed this when I was making records- yep, back in the days when you recorded on tape and the final product was pressed into a vinyl disc.

There are times when I was recording music when I would lose all track of time.  I was totally hypnotized by the act of creation, and there is nothing like hitting the "playback" button and realizing that you have created a beautiful thing and it is good.

I can get the same rush from writing and creating products (what time is it, anyway?)

I said that work was a boat that takes you where you want to go- if you're very, very lucky, it becomes a magic carpet that you really enjoy riding.  That's what the Portable Empire is all about.  Realizing that life is an adventure, and putting that sense of adventure into every single thing we do.

So, where do you want to go?

Stay tuned- there are some really exciting things going on that are going to make it easy for you to have a portable empire of your own.

10/10/05 Dangerous Knowledge that you need!

Let's take a walk around historic Weimar, Germany, and see what we can learn about life and internet marketing-

Germany is a wonderful place for gathering perspective.  Looking from a distance.

The buildings they put their history in, their museums, are older than our history.  Great civilizations and alarming innovations come- and then gone.

A depressingly familiar sounding despot attempted to conquer the world.  He's gone.  The world's still here.  That gives me hope.  He's never mentioned, but I think I saw him on the balcony of the Elephant Hotel.

The "impersonating a rock star" tour continues.  I keep looking over my shoulder for the "rock-star police," but apparently my scheme is escaping their notice.

As you can see, I'm keeping it casual. 

It's the "no-stress" tour- at least for me.  I'm concentrating on the music, which is probably the least important part of this (or any) tour, from the audience's perspective.

A savvy few are documenting the tour on video- lots of cameras- but the general public would be more interested if I made it look harder, and wore my flashy clothes.

We all know, by now, how to get a crowd's attention- right?  It's just like writing a great sales letter- headline, curiosity, lead them into the first sentence, keep 'em guessing, close with the "offer"-  I've got five CD's out on ZYX Records, and they're all available right after the show...

They call it the "music" business, but it's not.  It's about licensing deals and product placement and tour endorsements and video screens and having the whole show Midi'd so the singer can concentrate on their moves and not have to worry about playing music.  The worst it can sound is perfect, because nothing's live... what matters is how it looks, right?

I think it's interesting to have three experienced musicians on stage actually manipulating their instruments.  The blues form is just as primitive and restricting as the Italian Sonnet or the fugue- it's just a simple framework to hang improvisations on.  Some people get it.  Some would prefer more sizzle and less steak, but that's tough.

The coolest aspect of having created my portable empire is the freedom it brings- instead of being concerned about pleasing the audience, I can play music for the right reasons. Selfish ones...  more on that in a minute.

Bratwurst, antipasta, salad, coffee...  that's all in the works.  

Just like in my family- my host does the cooking while his spouse plays.  In this case, with their rabbit, "Henry."  Henry is an aristocratic rabbit whose ears hang down instead up.

In the meantime, I'm editing and updating a couple of e-books.  Work does not stop just because I'm on tour.  I'm definitely getting some perspectives here that I would not have gotten if I hadn't come to Germany. 

Got to keep that "portable empire" rocking.

The next step is to release the e-books, as well as companion audios - with enhanced learning Milagro VF and original music in the background- before Christmas.  You're going to love them.  It's in your best interest to grab them quick when they're announced.

Meanwhile, the band played the "Zweibel-Markt" festival.

It's an ancient celebration of the onion harvest, but at this point in history, it's just the name of the city-wide party.  There were dozens of stages with live bands from all over the world.

I think it's fascinating to visualize minstrels, through-out history, playing for the onion festival. 

We played a short set, and then I visited with some friends, and walked around snapping pics.

Conversations, at any but the most superficial level, tend to gravitate towards politics- they had an inconclusive election- too close to call.  Unlike some other countries, neither candidate has stolen the election.  They're discussing, negotiating... they might even be trying to decide what's best for the country.

The issues seem simple to me- because I don't know enough to see the fine shades of gray, it really looks black and white.

One candidate represents the people who are in favor of a social net.  A guaranteed minimum income- Germany has no poor people right now.  Everybody gets enough to live and eat. 

In East Germany, where capitalism is a shocking idea- still- to many, and the psychological tools necessary to understand, much less compete, are lacking- well, the social net is pretty popular.

Without it, Germany will start looking a lot more like Texas.  Homeless people.  Hungry people.  Street people.  Desperate people...

The other candidate represents the people who are having to pay for the social net.  They work long hours and make sacrifices to get ahead, and resent their money going to people who don't have jobs.  If they get their way, Germany will look a lot more like home- Hummers and guns to protect you from the street people.

Sound familiar?

And what's that got to do with internet marketing?

Plenty.  It's the absolute key to what motivates people: their own self interest.  Betsy and I were talking about this, and she mentioned that an exception may be parents, in terms of their children.

Maybe. 

It's hard to see this clearly in your own back yard.  Too much information... there's always a "yes, but" response. 

But here, it's easier for me to see.  The people who need (or think they need) the social net want it, and they don't care who pays for it, or how.  The overall good of the country doesn't even enter the conversation.  They just want their money.

The people who are paying for the social net want it gone, or greatly reduced.  Those others can get a job.  Or not.  The obvious conclusion to their argument- that those who can't get a job will fall further down the social/economic scale so that they can go further up... buy more cars, nicer houses, take nicer trips...  isn't mentioned.  They just want their money.  Since they've already got the money, and therefore the power, my money's on this party winning. 

For our purposes, keeping in mind that a person will do what is in their own best interest- pretty much regardless of the consequences to others- is the sort of dangerous knowledge that we can use in our own best interest.

After all, that's what's important, right?

10/07/05  Changing the Frame!

These stairs have been leading people to the top of this bell-tower since 1100 A.D.

Sometimes, to see what you're looking at, and to find what you're looking for, you need some perspective.  Some distance between yourself and your subject.

It works.  From the top of the ancient tower, my lithe guide and I looked out over the orange rooftops while she pointed out places of interest in the city that would have been hard to describe from on the ground.

As you know (because I keep harping on it- it's important!), the real change in my life happened when I completely changed the way I was looking at the world.

The picture probably didn't really change- objective reality, if there is such a thing, is a constant.  However, by changing the frame through which I viewed the world, my subjective reality changed dramatically.

All it took was a little distance, and the willingness to believe that the world could be different.

Part of the process of changing that frame was traveling to Europe.  I was 47 years old before I ever left the U.S.

Oh, I had been as far south as Monterey, Mexico- but Monterey is just Houston South.  Not much of a change, or need to change.

East Germany- now that's a change.  My first tour, I spoke no German, and the band spoke very little English.  It was remarkably powerful for me-

You know how you can get into a "rut?"  The way things are done are just the way things are done, and you don't really have a reason to find better ways to do them, because it never occurs to you that there could be another way to do them, because the way things are done is just the way things are done...

And then you get a wake-up call- walk off the airplane into a place where things are done quite differently- and in some cases, much better.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Looking around with new eyes, the question becomes, "is there another way of looking at this?"

Just asking the question will totally change your frame- and it could lead you to success beyond your wildest dreams.

It has for me- and my dreams are pretty wild!

Some appallingly small number of Americans hold passports.  And an even smaller percentage use them.

Just as I could see the town of Erfurt, Germany much clearer from the top of a thousand-year old bell-tower, you will see America much clearer from a distance- and away from the alarming barrage of persuasion and intimidation messages that Americans are bathed and bombarded with daily.

Although I miss my family, friends, and master-mind group, I have to admit that I come up with some of my best, and most profitable ideas while walking through medieval plazas, or sitting alone in a centuries-old house in a small village in East Germany.

The lack of distractions helps me focus on what's important.

So, how can you change your frame?

What opportunities are sitting right in front of you- that you only need to shift a few degrees left or right to actually see- and take advantage of?

10/04/05  Portable Empire- Doing the Time Warp, again.

What century is this, anyway?

The pics on this page are from Meiningen, Germany.

On the medieval plaza, surrounded by old and majestic buildings, there is a fair going on.  Walking over the tiny bridge and looking at the architecture and scenery, I wouldn't be surprised to hear the clop-clop of horses hooves as knights on their way to the crusades thundered by.

Beer and spiced wine are being consumed.  Bratwurst, Indian food, and Turkish food are going fast.

 Children are bouncing and getting wired on candy. 

Everybody wants to ride the ferris wheel.

I'm deep in the former German Democratic Republic.  The people here have had an "interesting" time of it.  Since the end of World War 1, anyway, they've been bounced from political system to political system- the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and then the Russians.  Then Capitalism. 

Whew- what a ride.

The German Democratic Republic was really none of the above-  it was a satellite state of the U.S.S.R. 

The Ruskies weren't real interested in capital investment, so much of East Germany is pretty much like it was at the turn of the Century.  In fact, much of it is pretty much like it was several centuries ago.

For a history buff like me, it's heaven.

I spend a few hours back in the 21st Century tending to my Portable Empire.  Coaching, customer service, blogging...  then I step through the door into a very different world.

For many of the people I meet, I'm the only American they've ever seen.  They're struggling to learn English, they get their information about the U.S. from T.V. - Think "Dallas."  When they find out I'm from Texas, they assume that I live on a ranch and drive a horse.

The fascinating part for me is that they want to tell an American their story:  what life was like in the GDR, how hard it is now...

They were promised a "cradle to the grave" socialism.  In 1989, when the Berlin wall came down, they got their freedom- including the freedom to starve. 

Some of them are making the transition beautifully.  Some aren't.

Beer helps.

I can kind of relate- the start of the "Portable Empire" experiment- the start of my internet marketing career- came as the result of me realizing that everything I thought I knew was wrong- and I had better change my beliefs, thoughts, and programming if I was going to improve my world

Of course, it was my choice.  And my world didn't really change that much... I had the benefit of a "western" education, and a working knowledge of capitalism.

Obviously, I'll never know exactly how it feels to have your whole world change overnight the way the East Germans do.

Sometimes, having everything change overnight is exactly what you need. 

There have been books, for example, that changed my world-view immediately.  Conversations.  Seminar lectures.

Then there were the knocks on the door, or the late-night phone calls that also changed my life irrevocably...

Like I mentioned below- I'm treating this trip as a vision quest.  Seeing what it might be like to lose my ethno and geographic centricity.

A strange time-warp of a country where I don't know the language...
 

Perfect!

10/02/05 - The Portable Empire IN Germany-

So, the question is, "is it possible to continue growing, building, and maintaining an internet business while exploring the world and having fun?"

The answer is, "yep."

I choose to take my portable empire on the road, because I love to travel.  Between sets, it's fascinating to me to sit with, in this case, Germans, and discuss their local politics and environment.  I want to have a deeper understanding of the world.

Your portable empire journey may be from the bedroom to the kitchen...  the concept is the same.

That's what I love about the internet lifestyle- it's about the freedom to go where you want to go, do what you want to do, whenever you like- without silly frustrations like bosses, traffic, punching a clock (or in my case, punching a boss), etc.

(for the guitar nerds out there, that's a custom strat going through a Voodoo-Labs sparkle drive, a Marshall bluesbreaker, a Dano wah, and a Line 6 tape echo simulator, into a Fender stage 120 amp.)

Here's my office.  I've managed to tap into the house internet access, which is twice as fast as the service I have at my house in Texas, and costs 3 euros a month.  I've replaced the house computer with my laptop, which is the same computer I use at home- all of my software, passwords, etc. are available at the touch of a button.

I didn't have any problem getting the laptop to Germany, even though I flew Delta- a word to the wise:  "Delta's employees are angry and vocal about the bankruptcy."

Maybe I should offer them a copy of the "Absolute Beginner's Guide to Internet Wealth?"  That's another beautiful thing about a portable empire.  You're not tied to a local economy.

German beer.  'nuff said.

No additives, no preservatives, made from natural ingredients according to laws that are centuries old, from recipes that are much older than that.

We've started the tour in small clubs.  I like that part best- festivals are fun, too, but I like to hang out with the people between sets.

After the show, the waitress in the back got her English textbook, and asked me for some help with her English. 

Remember, until 1989, the East Germans had to learn Russian- no English.  It came as a rude shock when the wall came down to find out that Russian was not, in fact, the language of world trade.

So- English is very important in East Germany, where unemployment is very high.

Shortly, there were seven or eight people gathered around the table while I gave an impromptu English lesson.  It's a way to give back.

They do love music.

It makes me realize just how lucky I am to live near Austin and San Antonio- there are world class musicians playing clubs every night. 

In East Germany, there's really not much available in the way of live music.  Bands that have pretty much run out of steam in the U.S. continue to tour here- sometimes with an original member or two.

Even that is hours away for these people, and gas in Germany is pushing $6.00 a gallon. 

Of course, I'm lucky to be able to play to such hungry audiences, too.

This, by the way, is the second strangest autograph I have ever signed.

I'm treating this tour as a vision quest.  A chance to get in touch with what I really want to do next- as well as the final test of the portable empire. 

So far, it's effortless.  My coaching clients are getting the instruction they need.  I'm handling the customer service for the Milagro Research Institute every morning- no problem.  I'm keeping my newsletters current and doing research- (I brought psychology text books for a little light reading, as well as the obligatory Kinky Friedman novel.)

After the tour, and after the Big Seminar, I'll be working on a way to share the portable empire concept with others.  If you've got any ideas or suggestions, email me at pat@patobryan.com

And I'm watching...  hungry crowds eager to learn, and learning English... that sounds like my kind of market. 

Stay tuned!

9/23/05- The Portable Empire Does Germany-

(to see pictures of Joe and his new guitar, keep reading!)

Therapist, coach, and author Carolyn Matheson has just released her new book, "Yes to Less Stress."

Since her time goes for about $700 bucks an hour, getting an ebook you can refer back to over and over again for a small fraction of that is a screaming deal. 

If you're dealing with stress at any level (in other words, if you're breathing) you need this book. 

Click HERE.

We're still sending positive energy toward Rita. 

The storm has veered to the East and is apparently going to miss Houston.  That's really the best possible outcome, unless it were to decide to just reverse itself and go play harmlessly in the ocean.

Keep those positive vibes coming!

I was just thinking that hurricanes are wild, unharnessed energy.

Energy comes in many forms.

I had lunch with Mark Joyner (and about a dozen other people) in Phoenix.  We had sushi.

My brain scans sushi as "bait."  I had rice.

However, it was worth it to listen to Mark and Craig Perrine talk about marketing.  Their ideas are charged with energy.  Out of this energy comes products that make, in some cases, millions of dollars.

This led me to think about lists.  You can generate a lot of energy by sending emails to your list.  I met several guys at the seminar who had lists of over a million subscribers.  Sending information to a million people with the press of a button is powerful- I'm visualizing Thor sending a million lightning bolts in an instant.  This is that powerful, but you can do it from any "hot-spot" on the planet.

That leads, at least in my mind, to money.  I've heard that "money is energy" for years, but I've only recently come to see how that works.

You add the energy of a good idea with the energy of a big list, and you create energy in the form of money.

Except money doesn't exist. 

A coaching client in South Africa sends $500 to my paypal account, and I can immediately use that money to buy Indian food and coffee in Berlin.  Or transfer it to my bank in Austin.  Or buy something in Malaysia or Hong Kong that will be shipped across the globe and be waiting when I get back from Germany.

At no time does a dollar bill exchange hands.  It's all energy.  And the stronger the energy you are able to focus at any given time, the more energy you're able to generate.

And it doesn't require much energy!  Unless I'm putting together a new product, I can usually get my work done in less than two hours a day. 

And, most interestingly, I can put in that two hours anywhere on the planet. 

That's what the "Portable Empire" is all about.

For the next month, I'll be posting from Germany.  I'm taking the portable empire on the road. 

My goal, is to go where I want to go, and do what I want to do, when I want to.

And then, once I've solved all the problems and learned all the tricks, I can teach that.  In the meantime, we'll learn together.  .

To see where I'm playing, click HERE.  My agents will be adding more dates.  They don't believe in giving me too much advance notice.

You're probably wondering why I tour.  Sometimes, I do, too.  It's not for the money.  I usually lose money touring after the expenses are deducted from the gross.  It definitely takes time away from what I do best, which is making and marketing products online.

This is probably my last tour.  I intend to treat it as a vision quest.  Distance gives perspective.  I intend to set the intention of mapping out my path to the next level while I'm watching the German countryside zoom by.  I intend to have fun, reconnect with my German friends, and take a good hard look at what I'm going to do next.

Up to this point, internet marketing has been a fun game.  I suspect it will always be fun.  I'm curious to see what I can accomplish as I get serious with it, and treat it like a business. 

Want to join me on my vision quest?  You don't even have to leave your house.  Just set aside a little time each day and close your eyes.  Set the intention to visualize where you want to be in six months, a year, five years.  Feel it.  Immerse yourself in having already attained it.

At Thursday's MasterMind meeting (my last until November) Joe and I celebrated our success with the Pelmanism project by exchanging gifts.  He gave me a cigar-lighter fit for Donald Trump.  I gave him a guitar.  Check it out.

It's an updated design based on a National Steel guitar, which was popular with the old blues guys in the 20's and 30's.  It's got a unique tone, and is LOUD.

This one even gets louder- it's got two pickups, so you can plug it into a guitar amplifier and wail. 

The secret is out.  That's what internet marketers do when they're not internet marketing- they wail on their national steel guitars.

Anyway- I'll be posting pictures of castles, cathedrals and rowdy Germans.

Stay tuned...

9/18/05  The Portable Empire in Phoenix

Before I show you around Phoenix, and show you the sexiest seminar picture in history, I want to tell you a story. 

Check this out.  I get emails every day from people who want me to promote their products.  I check them all out- and it's obvious that most of them are not right for my subscribers. 

A few days ago (I'm watching the sunlight on the mountains as the sun rises in the sky.  Who needs T.V.?  You can just sit and watch the shadows as they move across the mountain.  Fascinating.)

Anyway, a few days ago I got an email about a book called "Mind Over Money."  You can go HERE to check it out.

I realized that it would be perfect for my subscribers.  It's an intelligently written 30-day course that uses basic principles of psychology and the sort of techniques we talk about in "The Lost Art of Pelmanism" to help you get control of your inner real-estate.  Your mind.  And we all know that once you've got control of your mind, everything else just falls into place.

I really like the "one simple lesson a day" aspect of it.  Go HERE to snag it (it comes with lots of bonuses, of course, and is only available until the 27th of Sept.).

Phoenix.  Sprawling town of improbable mountains, intense colors, and one of the most interesting internet marketing seminars in history.

This is the view from my hotel room- it's even better at night.  I'm trapped in this very comfortable hotel room with my laptop computer, good coffee and cigars.  The Beatles are on the stereo, and there's a full moon out tonight.  The Portable Empire on the road.

Oh yea.  Want to hear about the seminar?

You don't come to internet marketing seminars expecting surprises, do you?  They're usually fairly predictable affairs. 

I guess if you were expecting to be surprised, you wouldn't be- but nothing prepared us for what went on today.

Michael Fortin and his partner Sylvie Charrier were giving their presentation.  They've come up with an alarmingly clever product that converts keywords in text into hyperlinks that are pulled from a database of clickbank products.  It does a lot of other stuff, too.  It's really quite revolutionary.

Towards the end of the presentation, Michael, who showed no noticeable signs of instability before-hand, suddenly dropped to one knee and- on the microphone, in front of a severely shocked crowd- proposed to Sylvie.

Totally romantic-  "Will you marry me?" he asked.

He presented her with an engagement ring on the spot.

The crowd, of course, went wild.

This was supposed to be a surprise.

Sylvie, who is no slow cookie, responded with a ring engraved with the word "yes."

Brave men, strong women, and Craig Perrine clapped and cried.  It was truly touching.

If you want to visit Michael and Sylvie to congratulate them- Michael is HERE.  Sylvie is HERE.

It didn't hurt sales, either- once the emotional dust settled and the two love birds finished their presentation, people were throwing their credit cards at them.

 Literally.

Check out the power point slide in the background.   That's funny!  I wonder if Michael planned it that way?

I was watching some of the other speakers while this was going on, and I could read their minds.  They were wondering what they could do to get the audience's attention like Michael and Sylvie did.

I predict that internet marketing seminars get a lot more interesting.  Michael and Sylvie have raised the bar.   I'm sure we can expect more, and more shocking stunts from the stage.  There may be beds on the stage at the big seminar.

Craig Perrine, Sylvie, Michael and me in the lobby during a break.

Craig will be the "best man" at the wedding.

Mark Joyner had the crowd dancing in the aisles. 

This was a good thing...  the speakers are covering an amazing amount of material.

For hours on end we sit and absorb information.  It's good information.  It will increase our revenue and we want to hear it.

It makes my butt hurt.

Here's a million dollar idea- a free-lance massage therapist would make a fortune if they were to set up their massage bed (or borrow the one from the stage) and offer ten/fifteen minute massages during the breaks.

One of the things that goes on at seminars is "power networking."

Some people have products they're promoting- they need to meet the people who have big lists.

The guys with lists are really popular.  Kinda like the guys who take their '59 Les Pauls to guitar shows.  Or the only pretty girl in the bar at closing time.

There have been some impromptu brain-storming sessions that have given birth to some businesses.

There is an aura somewhat like a "singles bar."  You can tell by watching who's making deals...

They walk around with a dazed look and a huge smile...

The ones who aren't getting lucky are starting to get a little brittle. 

Business and personal relationships are formed.  I've had a blast with the meta-webs guys, some wild conversations about spirituality, the Tao Te Ching, Kerouac and the beat poets, laughed so hard I almost fell out my chair... 

You need to go to seminars.  If you're going to build your own portable empire, you need the knowledge and the relationships.  I have never been to a seminar that didn't increase my income by at least ten-times what it cost to attend.

One of the speakers pointed out that the human community is moving online.  We don't really know our physical neighbors anymore- I have no idea who the people are who live next door to me- but we have intimate online relationships with people all over the planet.  This trend is going to continue.  One of our boys, for example, lives in Wimberley with us physically, but lives in California with his friends online.  Because of the time difference, he's up way too late and sleeps way too late- in the physical world of Texas.  He's on California time-

This virtual world allows us amazing possibilities.  My booking agents are in Germany.  My web design guy is in Pakistan.  My coaching clients email me from all over the planet. 

Consequently,  my income comes from all over the planet.  This is the first time in the history of the world that one guy with a laptop computer can run an international business, with outsourced labor and international product delivery- and immediate payment. 

There used to be bumper stickers in Texas during the last oil-boom that said, "If you don't have an oil-well, get one." 

Today, it should read, "If you don't have a portable empire, get one."

It's all about freedom.  The freedom to do, have and be anything you want.  Go anywhere on the planet and still keep generating income. 

Most of the action happens in your mind.  It's the great ideas that bring in the money.  However, you need a way to get that great idea into a sellable package, and then let the world know it's there.

I've gotten tons of email asking me about the infrastructure of a Portable Empire.  What kind of software do you need?  What kind of hardware do you need? 

Here's how I do it.

Hardware:  (on the road) laptop computer, digital camera, portable stereo (CD player, mini-speakers, noise-canceling headphones), video camera, cell phone.  The Glenfiddich and cigars are optional, but I find that they help.  I like being able to set up my command center in the same way in each hotel room.  I can travel with a backpack and a carry-on duffle bag, and carry the physical part of my empire with me without having to check any bags.

Hardware:  (back at the office)  I make a lot of my own audio products.  If you deal with e-books, etc., you probably don't even need an office.  Scanner, printer, recording studio.

Software:  You need to have a way to put websites online.  I use Microsoft Frontpage.  Microsoft Word would also work for the kind of websites I make. 

You need an autoresponder to stay in touch with your readers.  At the top of this page, on the right, is a banner-ad for 1ShoppingCart- they provide my autoresponder.  Click on that if you need one.

Email:  I use MicroSoft Outlook and it really, really, really sucks.  Unfortunately, I'm not aware of anything that's better. 

Web Browser:  I use FireFox 90% of the time. 

Photos:  my laptop reads SD cards, which saves a lot of time.  I can just pull the card out of the camera and put it into the computer.  I use PhotoStudio 5.  Photoshop is better.

Video: Sony Vegas Pro works for me. 

Audio:  I could set up an audio-product generating room at seminars, but I don't want to be the recording engineer.  However, I have Sonar 4 on my laptop, and I've used that to record products at Joe's kitchen table, my dining room table, coffee shops, etc. 

Accounting:  I use Quicken.  My CPA is getting pretty adamant about keeping records, etc.  I detest and resent every second I spend doing book-keeping.  I dislike the consequences even more.  Quicken sucks, but it's the best of what's available.

More pics and info from Phoenix coming up soon- stay tuned!

9/11/05 - The Portable Empire in Atlanta

Do you like to travel?

Do you like to make money?

I thought so.

Me, too.

In the past few weeks, I've carried my "Portable Empire" experiment to Houston, Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Sacramento California. 

Next weekend, I'll be in Phoenix, Arizona.

Two weeks later, I fly to Germany and hook up with my band for a
month long tour.  I'll post the dates and locations in a few days- and I'll be blogging and posting from Europe during the Month of October.

This weekend I attended the "Success Mania" seminar in Atlanta, Georgia.

It was a mixed bag- I'll give you a full report in just a minute.
 

The whole point of the "Portable Empire" experiment is to discover if it's
possible to go on "permanent vacation," and still successfully run my online
businesses.

I'd say the evidence is pretty overwhelming that it can be done as long as 1) I don't have any employees and 2) I find a way to involve my family.  From talking to other internet marketers, it's pretty clear that balance is the absolute toughest part of the biz.

This is the seminar itself.  I didn't count the people, but the room is "ballroom" sized.  It  wasn't completely full, but there was a large and very, very responsive audience.

When I say responsive, I mean that they were engaged with the speakers in a very church-congregation sort of way, and they bought an alarming amount of products.

Credit cards were steaming.  Bank accounts all over the country are starving.

The products came in various shapes and packages, but really, most of the speakers were selling "hope." 

Hope that the buyers would be able to, by buying the product,
be able to break out of their lives and into the life-style of their
dreams.

Buying a product ain't gonna make 'em a dime.

I teach my coaching clients the hard, cold truth- that you can only make money online by either making products, selling products, or doing both.  Most of the attendees at this conference do neither- they're into network marketing and MLM, which means that they don't control the products or the sales. 

Some of the speakers were awesome, some of them were alarmingly cynical and, in one case, downright larcenous (in my opinion.  I'm not a lawyer).  More on that in a minute.

The hotel where the convention was held, the Atlanta Renaissance, borders on the airport.  Seriously.  Here's the view from my balcony.

I've set up my command post here in the room- portable stereo, good cigars, cell phone, and my trusty lap-top plugged into a screaming high-speed connection.  The portable empire with room service.

It's really nice to come back to "reality," after spending several hours of having my emotions manipulated and check on my various
promotions, handle the customer service issues, and stay in touch with the world- literally- with email and cell-phone.

I'm old enough to remember a time when this technological command post would be either magic or impossible.

Speaking of being old, and the world, I just got my schedule for my German tour- I'll be playing 26 one-night-stands in a row.  No breaks.

I'm excited about seeing so much of Germany, and I'm afraid I may have lost my mind.  I'm 50 years old, fer gosh sakes.  In "rock and roll" years, I'm 179 years old, at least.  Isn't that a little old to be impersonating a rock star?

This may be my last tour- I'll make that call after I live through it.

In the meantime, back to the seminar-

Let's skip over the cynical, manipulative speakers- especially the guy
who fell to his knees on the stage and cried, begging the audience to buy
his products (for their own good, of course).  I'll just delete a few paragraphs,
and let's go on to the great speakers.

My favorite speaker at this seminar was Armand Moran.  Aside from his odd predilection for Karaoke bars, Armand is a good guy.  And his talk was easily worth the price of the airfare, hotel, and tickets to the seminar.

He pointed out, in 90 minutes, about eleven hundred ways to make money on the internet.  They all involved either making or selling products, or both.

He pointed out that everything at http://www.gutenberg.org/ is in the public
domain.  Everything (almost) that is printed by the U.S. Government is in the public domain.  (Pretty much) everything printed before 1923, and a whole lot of stuff printed before 1960 is in the public domain.

We just did real well with a public domain project (www.PelmanismOnline.com)

Really, really, really well... so I was all ears.

Armand gave the audience more than hyped-up hope and false exuberance.  He gave information that, if put into action, could make you rich.

Another really, really, really...  really....  really really (that's how he talks)
good speaker was T. Harv Eker.

Ol' T. Harv wrote "The Millionaire Mind," which is a very powerful book that lives on my desk... and several million other places. 

T. Harv (do his friends call him "T"?) was the most motivational speaker I've  ever heard.  He was also brutally honest.  He pointed out that you can tell the "fruits by the roots."  In other words, your results are determined by your
Thoughts and feelings, which direct your action.

If you're not getting the results you want, you need to change your thoughts and feelings (for which you are responsible), which will change your actions.

In other words, if you're not just exactly as successful, happy, and rich as you want to be, quit whining and change it.

Read his book, "The Millionaire Mind," to find out how.

Good stuff.

This is John Childers.  He's the guy who taught most of the other good speakers how to speak.  His professional speaking course costs $25,000- and is a bargain.

I'll probably invest in that course next year.  It takes four days, and I just don't have four days off this year.  At least, not in a row.

He not only teaches you how to be an effective public speaker, he teaches how to get very rich doing it.  Guaranteed.

Funny guy, too.

Bill Hibbler, Frank Garon, and humble self.

Bill's my road-trip buddy.  We both live in Wimberley, we're in the same mastermind group, and we both grew up in the music
business.  He's at www.gigtime.com- go say hi.

Frank is a mighty man in the internet marketing world.  He's an  ex-truck-driver who has built a very successful business, and he now spends his time teaching others how to do it.

He's also a great guy with a wicked sense of humor.

I was going to list his website- so I did  google search on him- 147,000 sites that mention him are listed on google.

Go see for yourself.

The guy on the right is Stephen Pierce.

The girl on the left is one of about a dozen people trying to fill the orders for his products.

He was an honest speaker, and an entertaining one. 

He brought 36 "businesses in a briefcase," and I'm pretty sure he sold all of them- at $5,000 each.

Bill and I agreed that they were too cheap.

They included (get this!) an ebook (the product) a professional web page with a professional sales letter, an autoresponder packed with a whole series of messages, registered domain name, web hosting, a year of coaching from Stephen, and I forget what else.  Too much good stuff.  All unique.

If you can't make five thousand bucks in a week with that kind of head start, you're not trying.  Of course, the minute he let the audience get up from their chairs and head for the sales table there was a stampede.  It had a brutal kind of beauty to it.

And that's about all I want to say about the seminar-   some of the speakers I didn't mention are playing the "churn and burn" game.  They'll eventually run out of "marks."

Bill used to live in Atlanta, but apparently Atlanta has changed a little bit in the last twenty years.

 We went exploring.

We got lost.

This is somewhere in the Buckhead area.

We dubbed this the "kudzu cathedral."

Kudzu is an oriental plant that may one day rule the world.  It's everywhere.  It's amazing.

And what about the portable empire?

Mission accomplished.  (is that cynical?)

Really. 

All the promotions are proceeding, all the people who needed help got help, and, honestly, I didn't run across a thing that needed doing that I couldn't do-  except, this weekend I did it with room service, while watching huge airplanes land at a major airport- every 30 seconds.

The real test will come in October.  Can I run my online empire from Europe while playing blues clubs in a different town every night? 

It's gonna be... interesting?

8/26/05  A Kinky Night

Joe Vitale and I discovered an amazing lost book, written in 1919, and we've brought it back to life.

It's called Pelmanism, and it's a precursor of "Think and Grow Rich."  In my opinion, it's at least as valuable as Napoleon Hill's book- and it's been lost for decades.  You can get your very own copy by clicking HERE.

Also, and this is really cool, you can see some high quality scans of the original advertisements for Pelmanism.  They're pretty awesome- click HERE.

It's August in Texas.  Can you tell?

I agreed to play a benefit for the man I hope will be the next governor of Texas, Kinky Friedman.

Here we are, between sets.

In my earlier years, I did some time working in politics, and I don't know why an intelligent, honest man would want the job.  In Kinky's case, it will involve a serious cut in pay- he's been a best-selling author for a long time.  I think the guy just loves Texas.

He stopped in Wimberley to promote his grass-roots campaign, sign hundreds of books, posters and t-shirts, and do a live TV interview with Bill Maher on HBO. 

He brought his car. 

I have no idea what it is, but I like it.

Running for office has its trying moments...

and its perks.

And how, you ask, is Pat going to tie this to internet marketing?

Actually, I learned a lot about promotion and marketing watching Kinky and
his surprisingly professional team go about the business of building a
grass-roots following.

His campaign is internet driven.  I have no idea how large his mailing
list is, but he's gotten 40,000 people to volunteer to work for his campaign-
strictly from online marketing.

That's a lot of affiliates.

I was also reminded of something Dan Kennedy says, "If you want to be
successful, look at what everybody else is doing and do the exact
opposite."

That's what Kinky's doing, and it's working.

There have been lots of attempts to grab the Governor's mansion
by candidates who tried to run as "independents."

The last guy to win the race for Governor of Texas running as an
independent was Sam Houston. 

It's tough to get the money, the machinery, and the press without party affiliation.  If he did the same things other independent candidates have done, he'd get the same results.

That's been my secret since I started my internet marketing adventures:  If you want something other than the obvious to happen, you have to do something other than the obvious.

The internet is pretty over-populated with people chasing the latest hot topic.  Watching what the gurus do, and then doing an imitation.  They're a pretty frustrated bunch- if this has been your strategy, ask yourself if you're really getting the results you want.

Who do you think made more money, Elvis, or an Elvis impersonator?

It's been my observation that the guys and gals who really hit the ball out of the park are the ones who come up with either an original idea, or an original way to present an existing idea.

So, I'm grateful to the "Kinkster."  He blew into town with a good, entertaining show.  He stands a chance of ending Texas' run of really bad governors, and he's doing it for the right reasons.  And, he appears to be having a whole lot of fun doing it.

And he's inspired me to be even more outrageous. 

Stay tuned!

8/19/05  Kali, the benevolent destroyer

First, there's a video on "Introduction to Autoresponders" HERE.  I made it for my coaching clients, but if you're curious about what, exactly, autoresponders are and why they might be useful, you'll probably enjoy the video.  It's free.

Enjoy!

In Hindu Mythology, Kali is the symbol for the cycle of destruction and creation.  She is identified with the darker side of the feminine- but it's important to remember that the destruction she represents is a necessary trough in the cycle of destruction/creation.

You can't have one without the other.

The Tao Te Ching talks about this concept in gentler tones.  It's the hole in the vase that allows you to carry water.  It's the door in the wall that allows you to enter the room.  The value of what is, is made available by what isn't.

This can be a tough concept, but I've found it very useful.

Sometimes, to attract something that works into your life, you have to get rid of what doesn't work.  To have what you want, you may have to give up what you don't want.

But, bottom line, you have to make room in your life if you're going to attract something new.

For example- when I was first beginning my internet marketing journey, a year and a half ago, I was spending up to five nights a week playing in bars.  This involved loading my truck with my music gear, driving (sometimes hundreds of miles) to the gig, setting up the gear, playing music for four hours, and then the whole process repeated in reverse.

Sometimes, the sun was rising over the Texas hills as I drove into my driveway, which is real romantic sounding unless you're the one actually dragging home at six in the morning.  Of course, I was useless for the rest of the day, and I'd do it again the next night.

In Texas, you can count on making, on average, about fifty bucks for playing in a bar.  Sometimes more.  Sometimes less.

Once I made the commitment to build my online empire, I had to stop doing that.  It was a leap of faith.  The money I made from playing guitar wasn't much, but it was all I had.

But I couldn't have both.  I couldn't continue to wear myself out playing bars and still have the energy to create and market information products.

Kali swung her terrible sword, and I just stopped playing bars.

And a funny thing happened.  Almost immediately, positive things- events- opportunities- rushed in to fill the vacuum.

Another funny thing happened.  As part of my business creation, I put myself through a sort of "Masters Class" in learning to think like a successful marketer.  I filled my mind with books and articles about success, positive thinking, creative visualization.  I basically reprogrammed my mind.

I had a lot of help, for which I am very grateful- but it was the result of a massive commitment on my part to delete the limiting beliefs and "loser" mind-set, and replace them with beliefs and thoughts that would result in success.

Here's the funny part.

As I became more aware of my "self-talk" and belief structure, I became less interested in hanging out with people who were stuck in "loser" mode.  You know the ones.  In Texas, there are actually guys with "born to lose" tattooed on their arms.  A lot of the musicians I knew had it tattooed on their minds.  Booze and easy chicks are part of the attraction, but there's also a "beautiful loser" syndrome endemic among musicians that encourages failure.

Finally, I had to delete most of them from my life.  And the strangest thing happened.  A whole new group of friends appeared to fill the vacuum.  Wonderfully creative people whom I never would have met if I hadn't made room for them.

This brings to mind the story of the general who had his troops gather on the shore and watch as their ships burned.  The general had ordered the ships burned so that his soldiers, stranded in foreign land, would understand that they had to either win (and build new ships) or die.  This was brutally motivating.  They won.

On a side note, I have heard two highly successful businesspeople give a passionate lecture about deleting the word "try" from your vocabulary.  Think Yoda.  There is no "try."  If you're going to do something, do it with all of your heart, and with a full intention of accomplishing what you set out to do.  It is a waste of your time, for example, to "try" internet marketing. 

Don't bother.

It's a waste of your time to "try" to have a successful relationship, or learn to play the piano, or skydive.  Either do, or don't do. 

In the spirit of Kali, both of those speakers were women, by the way. 

So, what's this got to do with you?

It depends.  If your life looks exactly the way you want it to look, and you've got everything- spiritually, psychologically, financially- that you want, you can probably just nod sagely and go on.

If you're like most people, there is an opportunity here for you.  Do a "what's working" inventory.  Brutally (but compassionately) inventory your life, and make a list of what's not working- and delete everything on it.

Just like that.

Visualize Kali with her sword, and get rid of what's not working.

You'll be amazed at how quickly the void is filled with things that do work. 

If you're going to be an info-product marketer, and you can't seem to find the time... now is the time to look at the things standing between you and success and make the decision to choose success.  This means NOT choosing the things that are causing you to fail.  Delete them.  Stop doing them.  Make room for success in your life, and leave no room for the distractions.

This works for whatever your goal is- if you're going to do it, don't "try"- DO.

8/09/05  Back in the Real World

It seems as if I had just stepped off the airplane from Sacramento, and here I was loading up the XB for a video shoot in Corpus Christi.

You'll be amazed at how powerful our new products are going to be- we'll be speaking to you on many levels, visually, aurally, hypnotically, and subliminally. 

Very exciting- off to the land of great cheap Mexican food, hypnotic beaches, and soggy margaritas.

I'll post pics of the video trip, but I want to talk to you about the realities of "making it" in the online world.

As you know, I run a coaching program for newbies.  I've got clients in Europe, England, South Africa, Australia, and all over the U.S.  You can sign up here- if you're ready.

I was talking "via email" with one of my newest clients today.  They had fallen for some bad information.  Unfortunately, there are some less than scrupulous marketers out there.  If somebody offers to take a certain amount of money from you, and then give you back substantially more money- with no effort on your part- they are lying.

Let's just let that soak in for a second. 

If you're just starting out on the web and want to make an income from it, you're going to have to do some work.  It's easy work.  It's nothing you can't handle.  But, if somebody is offering to do it all for you, and make you more than they cost, hit them with a brick if necessary, but get away from them. 

There ain't so such thing as a free lunch.

Looking at my client's website, which a company made for her, which was going to make her money... I almost wanted to go visit them.  Have a long talk about ethics and morality.  With a cricket bat.  A nice hunk of hard wood.  Think Spinal Tap, here.  These guys are preying on the helpless.

That site was about nothing but selling the company's products.   Basically, you pay them to host their commercials.  Isn't that nice?

Let's talk about what you really need.  Product, list, and a way to take money.  A way to handle affiliates.

Clickbank, 1shoppingcart, and an imagination.

I imagine that the learning curves look daunting.  So much new information, so much to learn.

So, when someone offers to make it easy and do it for you, that sounds very appealing, doesn't it?

It never works.

It's like the coaching services that "guarantee" that if you send them $12,000 they'll make you rich with no effort on your part.  Ask to talk to a "repeat" customer who has had that kind of success before you sign up.

Life just doesn't work that way.  A lot of my clients are refugees from those programs.

So, take a deep breath.  You can do this.

First of all, you want to control your list.  There are only two companies that professionals use to do this- 1shoppingcart.com  (see the banner at the top of this page) and aweber.com.

Your list is your lifeline, your goldmine, the key to your success.  It's the most valuable asset you will own. 

You'll want to feed them information, and train them to look forward to your emails.  Then, when you ask them to buy something, you already have a relationship with them- you're not just another hand out in their mailbox.  Basically, a one to three ratio is about right.  Give them information and gifts three times for every time you ask them to buy something.

So- you need to get an account with 1shoppingcart and learn how to use it.  it's really not very hard, and their online tutorials, while boring, are very good.

Then, you need a product.  that's where I come in- I can help you weed through the BS and find great products in your mind or on the web. 

Products are everywhere.  Every problem is a product, and every product leads to another product.  For example, right now I'm learning how to edit video and burn DVD's.  I'm starting as an absolute beginner.  I've got the software and the right gear, now- it's amazing how much difference that makes.  You can't get professional results with amateur gear.  The good news is that pro gear is remarkably cheap.

But, in addition to the ability to make marvelous new products, which will bring in even more money, I can then make an ebook (or a video) about how I learned to edit video and then sell that!  

Any time you solve a problem for yourself, you put yourself in front of a percentage of the world that hasn't dealt with that problem yet.  If you can make it easier for them- soothe their pain- they will pay you.

But watch how these things come together.  You will market these products to your list, and people who buy your products will also get on your list... so keep an eye on the ball.  You'll want to develop a lot of products that have something in common, so that your list will keep buying.

You need a niche or a theme.  I've written in detail below on how to do this, but the bottom line is- find out what's fun for you and get people to pay you to do it.

I love to travel and to learn.  That's how I'm choosing my niches.

Then you need a way to take their money.  Clickbank is good for this, but has some limitations.  They have a fifty dollar limit on products.  I've gotten them to go as high as a hundred bucks, but that's about all they'll do.

But, yes- you do have to learn how to use Clickbank.  Don't fight it.  Embrace it.  Go to www.clickbanksuccessforum.com and ask questions and search for answers. 

Paypal is cool for the more expensive products, but paypal doesn't serve some countries.  I have a coaching client in South Africa, for example, who has to pay with 2checkout, which is at www.2checkout.com

that's a merchant account, and anybody with a credit card or a checking account can buy through them.  very useful.

Be sure and get a Paypal debit/credit card.  Your sales are available for your use immediately.  I've paid for a couple of trips, while on the trips, by running promotions using payment through Paypal.  Launch the promotion from the hotel room, and use the Paypal card to pay for the room... brilliant.  Fun.  Exciting.

So, if you're willing to do just a little work, this gets real easy.  You need stuff to sell, a way to take the money, and people to sell to.  If you control those three points, you're well on your way to financial freedom.  If you give up control of