Be CONNECTED To Your Followers!
by Zak on Dec.18, 2011, under Marketing
Welcome back to my blog!
Today’s video is about something I experience on a day-to-day basis. The whole idea of being connected to everyone and everything around me (rather than creating a distance between everyone) is something especially important as a marketer and business owner. Watch today’s video to see what I mean.
In the end, what really matters is how well you can CONNECT to your audience. How well you can show your audience that you are like them, and you truly have a valuable gift that they need to have.
People are looking for like-minded people before they’re looking for great products and business opportunities. We buy products and follow business opportunities not because of the product or the business opportunity, but because the person who introduced it to us is closely connected to us and our desires. Truly successful network marketers know this, and they are always trying to connect to their leads and their leads desires so that they can sell them into the business.
Creating a distance between yourself and your followers won’t help you at all. Think of it this way: when you meet someone who arrogantly flaunts their money at you and then tells you how you can do the same thing, are you going to want to follow them? I’ve found countless people like that, and I’m completely repulsed by these types because I get the vibe that they just want to show how much better they are than everyone else before they want to show you how to duplicate their results.
Only when you establish a true connection with your audience will they buy your products and follow your business opportunities. And it really doesn’t have to be hard! You don’t need to force an awkward conversation to make a connection, a true connection between leader and follower is about as natural as can be. When you become talented at being connected with your followers, it will come effortlessly.
One thing I do to help create a strong connection with my followers is I listen to them. I listen to their stories, and I don’t think of a way to sell them into my business as they’re talking to me. I just listen, and let their words touch me. Many marketers these days have forgotten how to listen. They just hear what they want to hear, and proceed straight to selling their business. When marketers do this, it isn’t being connected to their followers’ needs at all. All it does is creates a distance and makes the lead hold on to their wallet tightly.
The world’s best marketers understand this well. They take time to build and nurture relationships before they even say a word about their business. These people get how important it is to be connected to their followers. And that’s why these people succeed.
There are countless ways to get yourself to feel that connection if you have trouble. In my case, I feel connected by biking, going for walks, and just being outside in general. Being outside and with nature stimulates me, but it’s your job to find what stimulates you! Thanks so much for watching, and I’ll catch you again next time.
Take care,
Zak
Why You Should Put YOURSELF Before Everything In Your Life…
by Zak on Dec.13, 2011, under Healthy Living / Fitness, Marketing
Welcome back to my blog!
After being sick for a few weeks, I finally feel well enough to shoot a video and post it on my blog. Today’s video is about keeping your priorities straight, and why it’s so essential to put yourself before anything in your life. Check it out below…
Of course, I don’t mean you should absolutely disregard everything and everyone around you so that you can focus on yourself. The reason it’s so important to put yourself before everything is so that you can always give as much as you can to your following, and never give any less.
If I were to not put myself first, I would continue to create through my sickness, it would definitely not be the level of quality as when I’m in good health, and as a result, I would likely lose some followers. So, if I didn’t put myself first in my business, I’d be shooting myself in the foot.
To be perfectly honest, I struggle with this one a LOT. I NEVER want to stop creating the life I want, so when I know that I need to stop, it’s difficult for me to do that. It’s hard to let myself relax and not work so hard, even though I know it’s for the greater good and I’m doing my body and my business a huge favor. I’m sure you can relate, especially if you’re as passionate about your business as I am!
When I was first starting out in my business, I made this mistake. I pushed through my sickness, working just as hard as before, as if my own constitution was at its peak. This turned out to set me far back in my work, and it didn’t really have any positives. My workouts made me feel like throwing up, my work created definitely wasn’t at its best, and sleeping was something I dreaded every night. This lasted for about two months. It didn’t feel good at all, and now that I look back, I will never let myself make that mistake again.
The next time I fell ill, I tried just stopping everything. Workouts, business, everything I didn’t absolutely need to do, completely stopped. I slept well every night, let my body rest and recover, and within a week, I already felt much better. Because I absolutely put myself first, I was sick for a lot less time, and as a result, I was able to get back on my feet so much sooner than when I tried pushing through.
When you just stop everything so that you can rest and care for yourself, you feel better much quicker than if you push through your sickness. And I can assure you, that WILL happen. 
especially during the winter time. Just remember that you need to be the number one priority in your life, and whatever needs to happen will happen. As long as you put yourself first, you’ll be able to give your body the care it needs when you fall under the weather.
I hope you’re enjoying your day today, and I’ll see you again for my next video.
Take care,
Zak
When You’re Passionate About Something, It Shows!
by Zak on Dec.06, 2011, under Marketing
Well, the title says it all. Your audience can just tell when you’re truly passionate about something you’re writing about or making a video on. That’s why the most successful marketers are the ones who are passionate about marketing. They love to market, and it shows in everything they do!
So when you’re really excited about something, your audience will see that, and they’ll often get excited with you! Today’s video will show you exactly what I mean.
After I told my friend about Hahn’s Hibachi, he could just tell that I was really passionate about the food. I really don’t know how to explain it any other way.
That sparked in my head the whole idea that passion flows out from you and everyone around you can see it! Another good example is whenever I talk to anyone about biking. Biking is one thing that I really live for. Absolutely everyone around me knows I’m totally passionate about biking. It’s because my passion shows in my biking!
If you’re really serious about your business, you’ll become passionate about it, and everyone you talk about it do will be able to see that. Everyone who I’ve personally explained my business to can tell how excited and enthusiastic I am. It’s simply because passion shows! Because I am passionate about my business, anyone I explain it to gets enveloped in my passion for it
If you don’t really feel that way about your business just yet, don’t worry. As long as you continue taking effective action to move your business forward, you become more and more excited to create results! Eventually your business will be something you ARE truly excited about, and the passion will show!
A lot of business owners and network marketers fail because they aren’t truly passionate about their business. They think that their business is a side income stream, when in reality, it should be thought of as THE income stream. They aren’t willing to put in the time and effort to learn how to market effectively in this new day and age, and instead market the old-school way by harassing friends and family!
Passion shows in network marketing and business. People buy and follow those who are passionate about their business, and they simply won’t for those who aren’t. If you’re really serious about making your business the best it can be, start by being passionate about it. Let people see just how enthusiastic you are about your opportunity. Show your passion by learning the best skills and tactics to implement in your marketing.
When your passion shows, your business explodes! If you can find a way to convey your own excitement to those who are following you, you’ll be able to market so much more effectively than the some 97% of marketers who are still doing the 50-year-old techniques of harassing friends and family.
So, are you truly authentically excited about your marketing? If not, what can you do to get more excited about it? What can you write/record/make a video on that you are truly excited about, so your following can feel your excitement? I’d love to hear your comments!
Yours in Freedom,
Zak
Seeking Out Opportunities To Improve Your Life
by Zak on Nov.26, 2011, under Healthy Living / Fitness, Marketing
A few days ago I found an opportunity to improve my image. And I went through with it! So today’s video is a product of that idea, and the end result of how I look now. But throughout your life, you’re going to ceaselessly find chances to better yourself and various aspects of your life.
It’s your responsibility as a leader to follow through with those opportunities whenever you find them, because they almost ALWAYS make your life better, even if by a tiny bit. Watch today’s video and see what happens when you do…
My crazy hair had always been a heated topic of mixed opinions between my friends and my family, but something came over me that made me realize that I needed to do something different. Sure, it definitely was something unique, but to be honest, it remained pretty static at about that for the last three years. This is really the first time since then that I’ve had my hair at a normal-ish length.
When this really hit me, that I’ve had my hair pretty similar for three years, I wanted a drastic change. I didn’t want things in my life to remain the way they were going. I always had a feeling that my unique hair had an undesirable effect on my personal image, but to be honest, I was too afraid to do anything about it. Too comfortable to make any big changes at the time.
So, on a whim, I decided to take most of it off, and completely change the way I look. Many people at the gym instantly saw the change and said the new hair makes me look a lot more respectable. And most of my family had been waiting a long time for this
But the point is that I saw an opportunity to improve my life, and I went for it! I was no longer satisfied with the static state my hair was in, and I wanted to break out of the norm I sort of made for myself. And to say the least, the reaction from everyone around me was definitely better than when I started growing out my hair
You’re going to find countless opportunities to improve your life. It’s your job to keep and eye open for them, and when you see one, take it! It might help you, it might hurt you, but no matter what happens, you’re going to learn something about yourself. That’s the most important thing, that you continue to learn and grow from the opportunities you find to improve your life.
It can be challenging, even scary at times. I’ll admit, I still look in the mirror and surprise myself sometimes! But that’s perfectly normal, to feel a little uneasy about trying something new. But when you see how your life has become better because of the simple choice you make to go after a new opportunity, that’s what really matters.
I appreciate you being here with me today I look forward to helping you improve your own life, and I’ll see you again for the next video.
Yours in Freedom,
Zak
Why Creativity and Negativity Don’t Work Together
by Zak on Nov.21, 2011, under Leadership, Marketing
Creativity and Negativity – Welcome back to my blog!
Today’s video goes hand in hand with my last one. When you’re in a negative state of mind, it hinders your ability to be creative and make the amazing content you consistently do. That’s because creativity and negativity just don’t mix! Watch my brand new video to see what I mean…
Creativity is a truly wondrous thing. Creativity is when you release the unique gifts that make you different from everyone else. Your creativity is something that only you can offer, and no one else in the world can.
There are countless ways to let your creativity shine through you, but no matter what it is, one way you WON’T release your own creativity is when you have a negative state of mind. Creativity and negativity just don’t work in the same picture!
When you have a negative state of mind, it hinders your own ability to be creative. You stop thinking about yourself, and you start thinking about everything around you. Insecurities, excuses and past patterns of action become louder than ever. As a result, being creative is EXTREMELY difficult when you’re negative.
If I know that I’m coming from a negative state of mind (and I’ll be the first to admit that that definitely happens quite a bit as an entrepreneur) I stop working on whatever I’m working on. I know that it won’t be to the benefit of my project if I continue to create from a negative state of mind. So, I stop working until I know that I’m coming from a place positive enough for my natural spontaneity to show in my work.
I’ve found that there are two ways to do this best. The first thing I always try is a technique outlined in my last post called “Gratitude over Attitude” and more often than not, it instantly shifts me back to a place of gratitude, which works wonders for my own creativity. However, it’s not 100% effective, because sometimes my own negativity is so great that it’s still difficult to be grateful for what I’ve created thus far.
When this happens, the best way to pass the negative feelings is to just let it flow through you the way it naturally would. Thankfully, when I come across negative emotions, I don’t hold on to them forever. The less I think about it, the less it affects me. Eventually these thoughts naturally pass, and I can continue to create the unique work that I do. This was once a difficult thing for me because when I was younger I often held grudges against those who wronged me. But a few years ago, I realized that this really doesn’t serve my purpose or my vision, so I simply let the bad feelings pass. And I feel SO much better now that I am!
So if you’re in a negative state of mind, please do everyone a favor, and wait until it passes before you continue to create the fantastic things you’re doing. Remember, your audience follows you because of your creativity, not because of your negativity! Take this to heart, and your followers will be glad you did!
Yours in Freedom,
Zak
Choose GRATITUDE over ATTITUDE!
by Zak on Nov.15, 2011, under Leadership, Marketing
Today’s blog post is about overcoming negative feelings and emotions with something I call “Gratitude over Attitude.” As a marketer and an entrepreneur, there are going to be countless times you’re going to feel some negativity. That’s just the way it works! We all have good days, and we all have bad days.
Today, I’d like to share with you a great way to shift your thinking from negative thoughts back to positive thoughts. Check out today’s video to see what I mean…
You just think differently when you have a mindset of gratitude. Simple as that. It always comes down to a choice you make. Either you can be mad and unnecessarily negative about your life, or you can be grateful for the opportunity your life gives you.
Have you ever had a day where it seems like absolutely everything is going as bad as can be? Like there’s no way things can get any worse? As a marketer and an entrepreneur, you’re bound to have countless days like that. But if you’re going to let it get the best of you because you forgot to choose gratitude over attitude, then you’re just shooting yourself in the foot.
From a place of attitude, you may think to yourself things like “I can’t do this workout. There’s no way I’ll be able to call all my leads today. I won’t be able to create a website today, maybe tomorrow.” Do any of these thoughts serve your purpose? Does it help you to invest your thoughts in negativity?
From a place of gratitude, these same thoughts would sound more like “This workout is challenging me so much, but I’m glad I’m growing. I’m grateful to have so many leads flowing into my business, so why should I put off calling them? I know having a website will put me so far ahead of my competition, so I want to create it today!” When you choose gratitude over attitude, the exact same thoughts sound completely different. And you feel so much more empowered to continue creating!
This is a huge part in why most network marketers and business owners inevitably fail. Negative days come (and they don’t stop coming) and they choose to feel their own negative attitude rather than their positive gratitude. With these negative thoughts that come with attitude, these marketers stop pushing themselves. They stop seeing opportunities, and start seeing obstacles. And eventually, they quit altogether because they forget to choose gratitude over attitude, and their own attitude gets the best of them.
Successful marketers know this. They know how important it is to be grateful for all the opportunities (good and bad) that their business gives them. And because of this, they take effective action to defeat the many hurdles of owning a business, and find the levels of success rarely seen in our industry.
So, remember: gratitude over attitude! It just feels good to have a mindset of gratitude! That’s why the results you can achieve with a mindset of gratitude are so much more than a mindset of attitude. Use this in your business my friend, and I promise you, success will come to you so much EASIER!
Yours in Freedom,
Zak
Why It’s ESSENTIAL To Take On Challenges In Life…
by Zak on Nov.12, 2011, under Healthy Living / Fitness, Leadership, Marketing
Hello again!
Today’s video is about something especially important. Life is going to challenge you in ways you never thought possible. I’d like to encourage you to stand up to the challenge, and give it all your efforts! No matter what it is – marketing, work tasks, workouts – you’re going to get challenged, and there’s a good chance you’re going to get challenged a lot! The only question is this: are you up to the challenge?
If you’re ready to take a stand, to push yourself through the challenges in your life, then I invite you to check out today’s new video!
It’s not easy, I know. But think of it this way: if taking on challenges were easy, then everyone in the world would be living lives of complete happiness, abundance and freedom! So by taking the extra effort to challenge yourself, you’re putting yourself about everyone else who is too afraid/lazy/insecure/whatever to push to the limit!
When you continue to challenge yourself and take challenges head on, when you become used to challenging yourself beyond what you know is possible, that’s when magic really starts to happen. That’s when you begin to see things in a different light, and start doing things you never thought possible before. The one driving force behind me when I decided to do a bootcamp class, then a treadmill class, then my own workout, was that I wanted to prove to myself that I could really do it. That I am capable of doing whatever I set my mind to.
What is it that you really want to do in your life? What is your deepest desire for yourself? Because whatever it is, I can GUARANTEE that you’ll be faced with countless challenges on your path to your dreams. So today, I urge you to face those challenges as you see them, and go at those challenges with everything you have! That’s what makes things happen. That’s how I lost weight. That’s how I’m building my own business. Because I never back down from something that will push me out of my comfort zone.
Challenges are so essential in my life because it helps me grow to who I need to be to do what I want. It’s not so much the hardship that shapes me as the personal growth I experience as I go through it. I start to see things differently. Obstacles become opportunities. Hardships become cake walks. Challenges become my gateway to the life of my dreams. Now I am grateful for every challenge that comes my way because it turns me into something more than I am.
Honestly, I’m not too big into the whole personal development thing, but this is absolutely real. When you get into a system of constantly taking on challenges in your life, your life will change in so many ways. I never thought I’d be in the shape I’m in today, building the business I’m building, inspiring the people around me to live the lives of their dreams. It’s because I challenge myself, and I grow in the process. That being said, I dare you to try it out yourself!
Take care my friend, and I’ll see you next time.
Ciao,
Zak
How To EASILY Implement New Things As You Learn Them…
by Zak on Nov.07, 2011, under Marketing
Welcome back to my blog!
Let’s face it: doing new things is hard at first. Implementing new marketing techniques, testing new workouts, calling new people on your list… it’s never easy! Luckily, there is a way to move past the discomfort of trying new things. And it’s really simple when you think about it.
Check out my new video to see what I mean.
This was one of the toughest things to move past when I was starting out with my workouts and my marketing. When I started, I had this really bad habit of soaking in all the training, knowledge, information, whatever that I needed to know… and then not doing anything! It’s almost like I was ready in every way to do what I needed to do, but I never actually put my feet forward and did it!
Now that I look back, this bad habit stemmed from two things. First, it came from a need to make sure things were absolutely perfect before I went forward with whatever it was (workouts, marketing, you name it). Because of this, I never went forward with it because naturally I never thought it was perfect enough for me to go with it!
Second, it came from a lack of a commitment. A lack of a true desire to push myself. A lack of really knowing how much effort it would take to implement the new things I was taking on. Because I wasn’t truly committed, of course I wouldn’t set my plans in motion as I learned how!
Eventually I just bit the bullet and dived right in. Despite all my insecurities, all my imperfections, I realized I had to get started if I was ever to create anything. That’s how I started working out again. That’s how I got involved in network marketing, and then internet marketing. That’s how I got past the barrier of learning all the things I learned and not doing anything else: I forced myself to immerse myself and learn as I go.
They say experience is the best teacher. I actually learned more about working out and marketing AS I was working out and marketing than before when I was just learning everything I learned. I learned from my experiences what worked best or me, and what didn’t work at all.
So now, anytime I learn something I know will help me in the long run, I just do it. Honestly, when I start at first, I don’t feel like it’s under my control at all. But as I keep doing whatever it is, I learn as I go, and I become a better person because of it. That’s why trying new things is so important.
When you’re used to doing things that you aren’t used to, it really helps to free your time and energy to do the things that truly matter in your business! What areas in your life do you find it hard to move through because of trying new and uncomfortable things? Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!
I hope you enjoyed today’s video, and thanks so much for watching.
Yours in Freedom,
Zak
How To Hold Yourself Accountable…
by Zak on Nov.04, 2011, under Healthy Living / Fitness, Leadership, Marketing
Today’s blog post is about holding yourself accountable, and it comes from a part of my workout routine. One thing I do once a week, every week, is I put myself on the chopping block, and I take absolute responsibility for everything that I’ve “forgotten” to do during the week as far as my workouts go. That way, nothing goes unaccounted for, no matter how many workouts I forgot to do during the week!
But this goes for your marketing too! If you can get in the habit of holding yourself accountable for everything you do in your business (and also everything you DON’T do) you’ll be able to create more powerful results for yourself and your business!
Check out the video I made to see what I mean…
A really helpful way to always keep yourself in check is to always have a PLAN. Know exactly what you’re going to do today, and make sure that it gets done! If my plan says I’m going to work out my chest and triceps today, that’s what I’m going to do. If I’m planning on calling someone who has a question on my business, you know it’s going to happen.
Of course, not all plans always go through. That’s just the way it works. But anytime any of my plans fall through, I always make a note to myself to get it done as soon as I can the next day (usually first thing in the morning) so that I can hold myself accountable. For me, usually when I think about something when I go to bed every night, I remember what it is the next morning when I wake up. This is why I’m always able to fix fallen plans first thing in the morning, because the big thing on my mind the night before whatever I forgot to do.
It’s especially important to hold yourself accountable as a network marketer. You’re always going to have people asking questions about your business, and you’re always going to be making plans with people about meeting up to answer those questions. If you don’t hold yourself accountable at all times, and just take absolute responsibility for everything you do, only one thing can happen: your leads will give their business to someone else.
Ultimately, when you own a business, it doesn’t really matter what kind of product you have to offer. You’re not selling any products per se, the only thing you’re selling is YOURSELF. You’re selling your own personal brand. Do you want your brand to be recognized as one that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, or do you want your brand to be recognized as one that takes responsibility for all their actions and inspires authentic leadership? The choice is yours. All you have to do is hold yourself accountable for all that you do.
So… Let me know your thoughts! If you see ways you can take responsibility for your business, and hold yourself accountable… please make sure you do it!
Ciao,
Zak
What NEEDS To Get Done?
by Zak on Oct.31, 2011, under Healthy Living / Fitness, Marketing
Welcome back to my blog!
Today’s video is a result of some thinking I did today. I realized that pretty much anything I do in my life gets done if it absolutely needs to get done! But if that need isn’t there, that’s when things don’t get done. That’s when I find myself making excuses, and it never happens.
After thinking about it for a bit, I shot a quick video so you can see what I mean!
You might be thinking, “Okay Zak, I get that what needs to get done gets done, and vice versa, so what?” One thing I didn’t touch upon in the video is what to do next! You might notice what I talked about happening in your own life. Some examples are doing a job and getting paid because you NEED the money to support your family and your dreams; or taking your car to a gas station when it’s running low on gas because you NEED gas to run your car.
But what about the things that aren’t absolutely necessary? How do you get yourself to wake up early in the morning to do that run you’ve always wanted to do, or make that phone call you’ve been dreading for the past week to a fresh new lead, or write a new email to your list? Getting these things done is a LOT harder.
The first step is to re-evaluate what you need and what you want. Take a moment to really think about everything you’re doing, and ask yourself, “Do I need to do this? Or do I simply want to do this?” You can unlock a ton of hidden motivations when you really dig deep and find the motivating factors behind what you’re doing in your life. I’ve blocked a lot of things out of my life with this simple idea, and it’s really helped me get clear on getting the important things done.
Next, create a NEED to get it done, and make a plan that you can stick to! I find it really helpful to stick to a plan I’ve made for myself, because when I just go out and try and get everything done without a clear and concise plan to stick to, I find myself losing track and going in totally different directions from what I originally set out to do. (I’ll talk more about this in my next blog post.)
Finally, put it into action! It’s always tough to do things you’re not used to, but the discomfort is always only temporary! What’s especially important is that you come from a place that you need to do whatever you’re doing. Remember that there’s a reason you’re doing what you’re doing, and you’ll be able to create things you never even thought possible for your life!
Distinguishing between your wants and needs is something absolutely necessary if you’re going to build a successful online business, or achieve your fitness goals, or pretty much anything! I hope you enjoyed today’s post, and I’ll catch you next time!
Yours in Freedom,
Zak McCrossen
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Zak’s Online Marketing Intensive Video Series
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