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The beginning stages of entrepreneurship carry a certain sanctification that I miss... Rough, but extreme growth.
Hey, what's going on everyone? This is Steve Larsen and you're listening to Sales Funnel Radio.
Welcome to Sales Funnel Radio, where you'll learn marketing strategies to grow your online business using today's best internet sales funnels. And now, here's your host Steve Larsen.
Hey, how you doing? You know what's funny is, I was listening to Russel's stuff, and I actually went through and I've been indexing all of his videos and going through and indexing him and saying like, "Okay. This little clip from this section to this section. And this second to this second is about this, and it's the best version of him teaching it.
And then I'll watch more video and it's kind of on like two or three times speed, which in Russel time is like 10x speed, it's so fast. Most people do not talk that fast. Then ... Index this and index this, it's been super super fun and I just noticed that he starts everybody with, "Hey everybody how's it goin?"
I don't know why but ... the beginning of every of my podcasts if you listen to is probably like, "What's up everyone this is Steve Larsen and-" You know it's like, it's the same thing every time but I'm like I should probably switch that out.
The other thing too is I kinda want to switch out my intro and outro jingle, like, I like it a lot, I made it by hand which is awesome. But man ... Yeah, I dunno, I'm all about variety so I kinda want to switch it up a little bit.
Hey you guys it's been really cool these last few weeks. There's been so much going on. My brother just got married, so cool, I'm the oldest of six kids. I got four ... three brothers, and two sisters. And we're all really close to be honest.
My siblings and I were actually really close which is rare, and it's cool, we're actually all buddies and friends and we all kind of just cheer each other on with what we're doing.
I got a brother who's really into coding, he's very very good at it. Got a brother who's actually a phlebotomist, which is amazing, that's so cool.
My sister actually started working at ClickFunnels which is awesome. She's still in college, she's actually my assistant, she's the one that goes in and does all my podcast stuff and she's really enjoyed it. She's actually also getting into e-commerce which is cool.
Then I got two young siblings as well which is super awesome and fun and also my parents, and we have a lot of fun together.
I guess the only reason I'm telling you guys that is that you guys know ... So my brother just got married ... We always go do like these crazy bachelor parties, always, it's so fun. And I'm Mormon, you guys know that probably right? Russel is, mostly everyone in the ClickFunnels office there is. I don't think that was on purpose, most of us are right.
So we don't have like the normal, typical bachelor party that you see on Hollywood, like it's not that way at all where people are like hiring strippers and drinking and stuff like that, it's not like that at all. What my brothers and I do are tradition now because the older three boys, we're all married now. I'm an uncle a couple times now which is awesome, And so, what we always do though is we try and have like man trips, something that's so ridiculous over the top masculine.
Something that's just kinda crazy and out there, but only a group of guys with no supervision would do. Because I'm a kid at heart and I will be forever and I don't care.
So my other brother when he got married we're like, "Dude what if we floated a river." I'm like yeah that'd be cool. We're like, "What if we actually made our own boats?" We're like, "Yeah, that'd be cool. What if we made our own boats out of cardboard and floated the Snake River? What-" And it was such a, "Yeah, that's manly right."
And we went and we built this massive fire and had food by the fire right next to the river. And while it was all cooking and stuff like that, we literally took pieces of cardboard and we taped it all together. And we go like two of us per cardboard boat, and we actually constructed them really really well. I actually didn't think they'd do as well as they did.
The problem was that they worked so well, and the current was so strong that they actually ended up taking us a mile down the river before they capsized. And we were not planning on going that far. We were laughing our faces getting into them because we were sure they would capsize immediately. And it's a deep, fast river, I think it was the Snake I'm not sure. But regardless, it was a very deep, very fast and big river.
And we get in this thing, we're floating down the river ... Anyway, it was super super awesome. And the water was freezing, freezing, it was just after winter time. This is like two years ago actually. And they start capsizing, it's cardboard, you know you're in water. And there's holes punching through it and all of a sudden we jump out into the river and we swim to the shore.
But what we weren't expecting was how far it actually took us and we didn't bring shoes, and there was nothing but thorns and thickets all around us, so we spent the next hour and a half gingerly placing each step all the way back to a road where we walked barefoot back all the way. And it was super fun, yeah.
To me there's not enough of that kind of activity in ... Especially men, or boys or teenagers anymore, there's not enough masculinity. Anyways, personal opinion on that. But man, freakin rub your face in some dirt, be a man, you know what I mean, it's okay to be masculine, it's okay for women to be feminine.
That's my personal opinion on that, I don't know why I told you all that...
So what we did for my other brother's bachelor party is, we were like, "Okay, well we gotta do something crazy, this is some feat of manhood." Once together we all went and we climbed the Tetons which is near-death experience. We did it in the middle of a blizzard. We didn't really plan that well but it was really fun. Like hanging on the side of these rock faces with like a thousand feet drop behind us is slightly stupid but really fun.
Anyways, so for my brother's bachelor party, the other brother...
What we did is we're like, "Okay, we gotta involve fire somehow, there's gotta be some food. We'll hang out a little bit but what are we gonna go do that's kind of insane and extreme?" So what we did is we went out to some sand dunes and we soaked these t-shirts in gasoline.
We tied strings around them and we went at night time and lit them on fire and we literally played golf on the sand dunes at night. We had hula hoops that we were lighting on fire and those were the holes. It was super fun.
And I was like, "Oh that's awesome, what else can we do that's crazy and extreme?" This is no joke sometimes how I create projects for marketing too by the way. Sit back and, Russel and I do this, and we'll sit back and go, "What else is like cool? What's so insane that makes this offer insatiable?"
And we'll add that in. I guess there's the marketing tie for right now.
So what we did though is, I was like, "We gotta make a flamethrower, Like we're in the middle of the dunes, this is gonna be so cool." So we went and we bought this squirt gun that looked like a Gatling gun and we loaded it with gasoline. And it's super scary because I mean if that got on it was ... But it was super fun.
And we pumped the squirt gun up and we were shooting gas all over the place and lighting it on fire while it was coming out and it was like, anyway. Super Rambo-ish, super awesome. Wow it took seven minutes to tell all that.
But anyway, I guess part of the whole point of this is I did right down, like I wanted you guys to know that ... Don't take yourself too serious, have fun, be fun, no one falls in love with people who are boring. You can't be boring okay, you gotta go do stuff that's awesome and cool.
One of the first ... Lets see, it's in Russel's new book, and I'm probably going to be referencing that a lot because I've been dying to tell you guys some of the things in it but I haven't been able to. I've read it well over five times before it ever launched because I have it.
And I helped made it a little bit, and I made the acknowledgment which is super cool. And I'm using it to help create some of the courses and products that we're going to be pushing out and it's super awesome.
But there are different rules to the attractive character, and the attractive character tells us that number one, "You cannot be boring, you've got to live the life that your audience wishes they could." Right or, "You've got to live the life that your audience is craving for and longs for."
Okay, that's one of the rules of the attractive character. So I've been trying to practice that to be honest. Not that I've been living in ways that I wouldn't normally, but honestly I just have fun, and it's super sweet. We're going off and we're doing some crazy stuff and it's been a whole lot of fun.
It's just been fun, I don't even know what to say about it...
But anyways, I ended up sitting back and I was talking to my brother and he started telling me, he's like, "Dude, I've been watching some of the things you've been doing and it's really fun and I actually really wanna get into e-commerce." And I was like, "Oh that's so cool." But he and I spoke for a solid three hours about this.
And I realized when it was over, I had been talking about funnel strategy and cool econ things. And the book "DotCom Secrets" was really the base for the things that he was asking, while the "Expert Secrets" book was really how to sell that stuff. And then I was saying, "Well, while you're doing that you might as well go and look at two or three other gurus. Here they are, here's some sweet names of people who could help you learn e-commerce."
Anyway, very exciting, super super awesome stuff...
It was shocking to me because I was sitting back and I was thinking, "That's so funny, I just wish he would come to the event." Garrett White, at the last Funnel Hacking live event, he said in there, he held up the "DotCom Secrets" book and he's like, "Read this."
Then he held up the "Expert Secrets" book and he's like, "Read this." I can't remember the exact words he was saying but his basic principle was that, "You know what's funny is you pay to get in the inner circle and half the stuff, more than half, almost all of it is actually coming from the two books." He's like, "If you guys would just read and apply the things that are in the book, you'd be done."
That's actually one of the things that we're thinking about making now, is somewhat of a guide to help people get through to the Two Comma Club. Because there is a process, there is a way to pull this stuff off, to make it that it doesn't seem so daunting. Or a step-by-step guide and that's what everyone's looking for. And it goes a little bit back to that duct-tape marketing principle that I was talking about.
I was listening to my brother and we were talking back and forth and I was like, "Yeah it's so interesting, if you would just listen to this, if you would just listen to this, if you would just do this." And those were kind of the thoughts that were going through my head, and I was like, "My gosh, you guys, there's so much information that's already out there. But these roadblocks get started in your head because you have not executed at all."
Okay, one of the first funnels I ever built was with a software called GetResponse. That's right, you heard me right, I used GetResponse and Wordpress. But those are two different funnels, I actually built a funnel in GetResponse. They had this landing page software, and I think they still have it actually, and it was before I ever used ClickFunnels or knew what it was, or even knew that it existed.
Actually, it may not also have existed yet at that time, or they were at least in beta.
But what I was doing is, this MLM hired me to come in and start building ... They're like, "Hey we get most of our sales, back end sales, by selling these books. When someone buys the book on Amazon they usually end up going and buying the product that the book talks about, so we push books." And I as like, "Okay, that's cool." They're like, "Would you help us build this thing for it?" And I was like, "Yeah, that'd be awesome."
And at the time I pitched Vivint about this concept and either I did a bad job explaining or they just didn't care, I think it was more they didn't care. I was like, "You guys have door to door sales people, you could totally replace them and get your own sales without having to pay any commission." They're like, "Oh, whatever."
I was like, "Oh well, anyway, it's kind of ... anyway whatever." But as we were creating this funnel to push books, it totally worked by the way, and we were pushing books and it was really fun.
There was this guy who would not stop asking the most obvious questions and every little piece that I said to him, he had to question it. And it drove me crazy. You guys, it was nuts, we would have gotten so much more done if I had stopped validating every single thing.
Like I understand the point in what he was trying to do but it was like, "Hey, lets put this button on the right, we'll make it- how about a red button, how about red?"
"Why would you do red?"
"Because, red converts highly, and honestly it matches the color scheme so there's two pluses right there and lets toss it on the right here."
"Why would you put it on the right side? How come it's on the right side?"
And I'd be like, "Oh my gosh, because usually peoples' scroll-bars are on the right side and if they're not using a scroll wheel on their mouse then they're clicking on the side and pulling down, and peoples' mouses have to go as far, and we actually find we get better opt-in rates because of that."
"Okay, okay sounds good."
"Cool and lets put a little snippet under here that says something like, hey only available for this next little bit."
"But why would you say that, that's not true." It was like every thing, everything was like that. And I immediately realized who I did not want to be my customer, was guys like that.
And I'm not trying to say, "Hey, take this all in blind faith." And that's not what I was saying to my brother either. And there was a time where I ... I wasn't trying to say that to people but I got frustrated when there was like, "Just believe me, like this is how it works okay."
I've built so many funnels now in my life for my age especially, it's like come on.
And it was cool because my brother wasn't doing that, he was like, "Okay that's awesome. What I want you do is when you read the Expert Secrets book, if you have not gotten it already, or when you read DotCom Secrets book, or when you're learning from any guru, as long as they're an actual guru, or they really know what the heck they're talking about.
What I want you to do is don't decide whether or not you're going to do it right then. All I need you to do is decide ... Okay I see that's a possibility. That's all you need to do. All right, don't immediately decide whether or not it's a yes or a no, or a that's crap or that's cool.
Don't decide that, the only thing I need you to do is sit back and go that's possible and that's possible for me." Because people go, "Oh yeah that's possible." But then they'll also go, "Well that's possible but only for that guy because in the certain position he can only do this. That's only possible for Steven because he's podcasting like crazy and he's Russell's assistant."
Like that is not true at all.
And so what I need people to do and I would love it if you guys would just do this and accept it. That when I say something it's for a reason, when Russell says something it's for a reason. When these things are published lots of times it's for a reason. But please don't discount things that you're learning from other people, or gurus or people in the industry, whatever it is ... just on the fact that you don't know if it's gonna work.
Like well you don't actually know if that's gonna work. It's like, actually I do, and it has.
And then I got to spend all this time fighting whether or not they should actually do the thing that I'm telling them instead of them actually doing the thing. Does that make sense? And for some people it becomes such a big big pain in the butt, that they end up having no more progress.
It stops them cold, and that's literally the reason why I stopped doing the book thing with that MLM, was because that guy was there, the whole time ... We had straight out scream sessions about it, I get passionate about this stuff because I know it works and it has the power to change peoples' lives and my own life, and get products to the people who need the product. You know what I mean?
And so I get passionate about it and I'm not saying, "Take it on blind faith." I'm not saying to like jump right out with both feet all the time. But what I am asking is that you don't discount what things Russell is saying right off the bat. Don't make that your knee-jerk reaction.
Remember in the book "Rich Dad Poor Dad". Robert Kiyosaki, right he's talking, and he says in there ... It's a super famous quote, you guys are already gonna know it before I finish it, but he basically says in there, "Poor people say I can't afford that, rich people say how can I afford that." And you don't need to be rich to apply that statement.
Remember I got to Russell's first funnel acting live event, actually it was his second one, it was my first one. I got to it with hardly any money because I asked, "How can I afford that?" And the way I was resourceful was by trading funnels to get to the event. I didn't even ask for money, I said, "Hey I'll build you this funnel, buy me a ticket to that event over there." And they're like, "Why?" And I was like, "Because it's gonna change my life."
And they're like, "Okay, cool." And then I build another funnel, "Hey get me a hotel night for these nights." "Why?" I was like, "Because there's an event there and I want to go to it. Hey get me a flight." That's literally how I got to Russell's first event, okay because I had no money.
What I'm asking you to do is ... I had to break my mindset. There's so many people where I've talked to and they've been like, "100,000 dollars, oh my gosh that's so much money and that's insurmountable and I'm never gonna hit that." And if they already think that then they're dang straight right, it's right, it's true, they're so true. They will go nowhere, they will go nowhere. Already, they're done, they're dead in the water.
And I get so sick thinking about, I'm like, "Gosh I hope nobody in my podcast thinks that about the things that Russell publishes, or that I publish, or people who are actual gurus publish." Instead change the mindset to think, "Okay that could be a possibility."
I'm not asking you to say yes or no, I'm asking you to say, "All right, all right I could see that that could possible work and I could see that that could possibly work for me." And then dive into the stuff, then start being analytical about it, then try and judge it afterwards.
That way you're not fighting against a mind that's already said no. Now you're just trying to educate your brain and make it work and make it happen.
Anyways guys, I hope that makes sense. The message that I'm trying to share here is ... The reason I think why it spawned up is because when I was at Dan Henry's event, the AdCon event, I asked the question, I was like, "How many of you guys are right now."
I was like, "It's okay this is a safe environment. Raise your hand right now if you're broke." And there was a lot of hands that rose. I was like, "Raise your hand if you're brand spankin new." And there was a lot of hands that rose. I was like, "Raise your hand if you feel like this has been extremely exhausting and you just want to find the answer."
And a lot of hands went up, like most of the room on every one of those questions. And I just, in my mind was like, "Ah, yes ... I'm not in that position anymore but I was, and I know what that's like. And it's sanctifying."
So rather than you run away from the pain and say, "That can't work, that can't work, that can't work." I've got some very close people to me who are like that and it drives me nuts. Rather than do that, what I need you to do is turn your sail and you sail straight into the storm. You wade directly into the pain and you do it on purpose. And you say, "I'm gonna figure this crap out. I accept the state that I'm in. I'm not trying to choose how I feel about it, it is what it is. And so I'm just gonna push forward, I'm gonna do it."
Right, and I do it. And you just do it, there's nothing else to it. It's actually really easy when you think about it, you just do it. And you think, "Hey if this guy's saying it and he's got more money than I do, then he's probably right." That's what I'm asking you guys to do.
When you get this "Expert Secrets" book, if you haven't gotten it already. Get "Expert Secrets" or get "DotCom Secrets" or whatever it is that you're trying to push forward and build your sales funnel around, turn into the pain if you're brand new. If you're experienced and you're crushing it, awesome, continue to find the places-
This is actually a concept that Tony Robbins teaches. When my wife came back from the Tony Robbins event that she just went to, she was gone for three or four days. And she came back and she said, "Honestly, one of the best, coolest things that he taught me was that I need to turn into the pain." People will avoid pain, but you actually don't end up avoiding it. You actually only end up prolonging the pain. And instead the fastest way towards pleasure is, seriously, turn into to pain, accept the pain, walk directly through it, whatever it is that sucks.
If it's a relationship that needs to be fixed. If it's something in your business that needs to be fixed. If you currently are not making a decision and actually making offers and trying to get peoples' credit card numbers. I was in that category for a little while, that was the one for me. I just realized I wasn't asking people for money, which is so stupid. I say it now but you guys are doing that, because I did that, we all have done that before.
And so all I'm asking you guys to do ... And I hope you guys, you feel me, do you guys get this? Do you understand this? Because if you can seriously just accept the fact that you are not where you want to be, and that people are trying to teach you, and there's more than enough information that's out there, what really is the problem then? Why have you actually not hit the goal?
The goal has not been hit because you're not choosing to hit it. That means you need to say no to some things, as far as opportunities go, but it also means you need to be dang humble and realize you don't know it all. And when I personally started doing that, and I made an offer, and I stopped offering single products ... that's when it all blew up for me.
It's a serious humble pie, it's a serious piece of humble slice or whatever you want to call it. It sucks too, whenever humble pie comes along it doesn't just come in the slice, it comes in the whole pie, it hits you right in the face, like crap.
Don't take yourself too serious, have fun with it, accept the fact that you are in a position that you need to be in to grow. And if you turn into it and wade through it you'll learn the lessons faster, you'll get through the pain faster and you'll get the pleasure way faster as well, which is awesome. And that's totally what it's been super cool.
You guys know that for a while that I was at this 1000 dollar a week level, which is awesome. The last two weeks in a row has been 2000 dollars a weeks, it's just going up. And what I've been doing is working and it's been really really exciting. I'm not making millions yet, but I know I will, and I accept the fact that I'm in this state. I'm not trying to hide it, I'm not trying to BS anyone or say that I'm making millions.
This is exactly where I am and I'm gonna enjoy the lessons that are in the stage that I'm in. And that's all I'm trying to tell you guys. And that's what I was trying to do with my brothers also, just have fun with where I am, enjoy now.
Don't be so far future-focused that you actually miss what's going on right now...
Anyway, that's all I got for you guys. It was kind of a long podcast again. I'm getting long-winded on some of these podcasts guys. A lot of you guys, I've had some of you guys reach out to me and you're like, "Man I love the length, like 12 to 15 minutes that's perfect." And I was like, "Oh that's cool, it's good feedback, good to know." Not trying to be long-winded, I just want you guys to know there's so much to this and 90 percent of it is your own psychological state, okay.
There's more than enough information out there, there's more than enough out there for your product to be created, there's more than enough for it to be completely automated for you to do this on the side of your actual job. What's stopping you is you, you know. And it's hard to hear that, and it was hard for me to realize that about myself. Way back in the day when I actually accepted it and got over it things happened.
So anyways guys. Hey I hope you guys are doing awesome, get out there and crush it. Make a decision on one offer, one business, don't worry about anything else, kill everything else and just do one, launch it launch it launch it. Get people out there, put your offer in front of as many people as you can and that's the fastest way to you actually getting money that I know of. They'll try and do 100
things, you'll kill it, meaning you'll kill yourself. All right guys, talk to you later. Bye.
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