TDW #010: Top 3 Million-Dollar Takeaways From CaboPress

I traveled 2500 miles to host a session at CaboPress—an exclusive invite-only biz conference in Mexico...

...all so you didn't have to.

(But you'll wish you did.)

What is CaboPress? It’s one of those events you look forward to every year because:

1. The food is delish
2. The drinks are cold
3. The scenery is beautiful
4. The company is effing fantastic

In short: it’s going to ruin every other conference for you. Instead of full days with sessions, you meet for half the day. Instead of meeting it in conference rooms without windows, the sessions are poolside (check out the pic below). And instead of people talking at you, everyone participates in conversations.

(If you want to learn more about it, check out CaboPress.com and tell Chris I sent you!)

Alright. Enough gushing. I want to give you the meatiest nuggets from some of the other hosts. Here are my top 3 takeaways from the event.

1.) Authority → Influence

"If you have credentials, but no influence, your authority will never be fully activated." – Brian Clark (Founder of Copyblogger)

If you've ever felt like an "invisible expert" — this is why. It’s because you have the credentials…but no influence.

This makes everything more difficult. And it’s the primary pain point I hear when talking with gifted, smart, and driven entrepreneurs. The problem isn’t lack of knowledge. The problem is lack of authority–people don’t believe your knowledge is valuable.

It’s why two people can say the exact same thing and one gets ignored while the other is lauded. 

Authority comes from influence. Influence comes through trust. Trust comes through unity. Unity comes through expressing—over and over again—your values, lifestyle, and beliefs.

2.) Email Guidelines

I thought I was sending enough emails to my list. Then I met Samar Owais. She’s worked with big boys like HubSpot and CopyHackers. Plus she's know as the “email dominatrix” in some circles. She’s that good!

Samar rocked my world with her email marketing guidelines:

1. why are we sending this email?
2. what action do we want the reader to take?
3. what emails do we send after they do that thing?
4. what emails do we send if they *do not* do that thing?

As someone who sends an email to a list of people nearly every day, I had never even considered point #4. Think of how much opportunity there is in simply asking someone, “hey, you didn’t do this thing I was hoping you’d do – but I’d love to know why so I can serve you better the next time…mind sharing?”

Gold.

She also hit me with this stunner of a stat:

Every $1 spent on email marketing has a potential yield of $42 in return. $1 goes out. Up to $42 comes back. Even if that stat is one-tenth true, email marketing is a medium that deserves our attention.

(So excuse me while I send another email to my list!)

3.) Keeping It Simple

"Life is easy when it's simple. It's keeping it simple that is difficult." – Mike Killen

Replace 'life' with 'marketing' and you've got a formula for a 7-figure business. Not to mention a 7-figure life! Mike’s talk was one part inspiration, one part ass-kicking.

Mike shared his story of a scary brush with cancer. I won’t do it justice, but let’s just say he was physically unable to work for almost a full year. He had to keep his business going. But instead of doing more he did less. A lot less.

So he chucked everything that wasn’t mission critical. Empowered his team to take the reins. And while he focused on getting healthy…his business grew. And not by a little. In the year he was off, the 5x their revenue (...or something pretty close to that–can’t remember the exact figure because I spilled a Bloody Mary on my notebook!).

Out of everything I took in at the conference, Mike’s quote stuck with me the most.

I'm still thinking about it.

Complexity kills.

Simplicity scales.

More ≠ better.

Less = better.

BONUS: 4 Ways to Get Paid

My poolside session was built around the 4 ways to get paid:

A.) Paid for what you do
B.) Paid for what you know
C.) Paid for how you do it
D.) Paid for who you know

If you’re in the workforce, you’re likely already getting paid for what you do. This is 98% of most people (which is why most people are broke). Push buttons. Pull levers. Easy.

Getting paid for what you know is the next level. You’re collecting income from pushing buttons and pulling levers, yes. But you’re also getting paid for knowing how to accomplish those tasks. 

Examples include:

• Teaching a course
• Leading a workshop
• Creating a digital resource

Paid for how you do something? That’s where things get interesting. Even if you’re in a super-crowded niche, there’s a specific way you do it. No one else. Your personality, wits, experiences, and skills all mesh together into how you do what you do. It’s your secret sauce.

Examples include:

• Creating a certification program
• Building a coaching network
• Franchising your business method

Getting paid for who you know is the ultimate revenue source. You’re getting paid for your network. And “your network is your net worth.”

Examples include:

• Affiliate marketing
• A paid membership or online community
• Joint ventures

Incorporate as many ways as possible into your offer stack.

Be bulletproof.

Final Words

Virtual events are great. But getting to CaboPress every year reminds me how important it is to be in the same physical space and time with like-minded individuals. 

Until next week….

Justin

P.S. — I'll be talking more about my "4 Ways" next week at this free training (100 spots available).

When you’re ready, here’s how I can help you: