A wildly successful Wizard of Ads partner forgot to warn the client and, well, he got fired. Let’s let him tell the story in his own words. If you like what Johnny is saying (and you will,) consider attending the 2-day class he will be teaching with Chris Maddock, (another of The Great Ones,) in […]

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. 1. Polite Greeting2. Name3. Relevant Personal Link4. Manage Expectations – Inigo’s Guide to Networking Success, page 2

If you want your brilliance to be recognized, speak up! Bret Ridgway has witnessed a couple thousand speakers during his 25-year career, so he knows the many benefits to be had by men and women who take to the podium. You don’t need to be a gifted public speaker to win customers, employees, and investors. […]

Success has been kind to Noah St. John, the self-described “nerdiest nerd,” who started in a 300-square-foot basement apartment with no money, no girlfriend, and very little hope. The core idea for how to turn his life around — and that of the more than 1.8 million others he’s helped since — came to him […]

The first half of what I’m about to tell you, I have told you before. But you will understand why I chose to repeat it when you read the second half. – RHW The average person has 5 senses. We can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.   We also have the ability to interpret […]

July 3, 2023: “Our Hunger for Relationship”

EXTRACTED FROM: Second Chances: ‘I survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge’ – ABC7 San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — On Baker Beach, it appears a pair of tourists are talking like old friends, just trying to take a perfect selfie with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. In fact, Kevin Hines and Ken […]

This is where to click if you want to read about Stephen or talk to him. He’s fun. – Indy

    This is the link you want to click.

Lido missed the boat that day, he left the shackbut that was all he missed, and he ain’t comin’ back.At a tombstone bar in a juke joint car, he made a stopjust long enough to grab a handle off the top.Next stop, Chi-town, Lido put the money down, let it roll. He said, “One more […]

From NASA, In 1824, Joseph Fourier calculated that an Earth-sized planet, at our distance from the Sun, ought to be much colder. He suggested something in the atmosphere must be acting like an insulating blanket. In 1856, Eunice Foote discovered that blanket, showing that carbon dioxide and water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere trap escaping infrared (heat) radiation. In the […]

“The Death of Chatterton” by Henry Wallis (1856) The Death of Chatterton was shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition with a quotation inscribed on the frame from the Tragedy of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe: “Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight, And burned is Apollo’s laurel bough.” The famous writer, […]

A few years ago, the busted-up statue of Ozymandias was found (video below) and it is now assembled in a museum in Memphis, Egypt (2nd video below). Archaeologists believe eight-metre statue found in Cairo slum is of Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt in 13th century BC. Ramses the Great or Ozymandias, ruled for 66 […]

Everything I’m about to share with you happened in England and France during the lifetime of Thomas Jefferson, while America still had its “new baby” smell. The English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge gave us “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in 1798, while Napoleon sailed to Egypt to fight the Battle of the Pyramids and […]

Lieutenant Colonel Ricky Howard has handled more than $1 BILLION in purchase contracts, many of them with small businesses. His client is a reliable buyer, and once your company is selected as a vendor, you will likely remain a vendor for decades to come. Howard is an expert on how to win government contracts, from […]

Manley Miller said, “Accepting guilt is hard. Finding justification is easy.” Peter Wehner said, “The greater the ethical compromises we make, the fiercer our justifications become — and the angrier and more frustrated we get at those who won’t go along for the ride.” And then John Kay piped in, “I am irresistible, I say, […]

You’re in an elevator, moving from one level to another. Sometimes the elevator goes to a higher level.Sometimes it goes to a lower one.You won’t know until you get there. You are in that aimless time between one chapter of your life and the next.You are moving from a predictable past to an unpredictable future.You […]

“Any time I get a little money that I can spend on myself, I buy another typewriter and put it in another room and start another project. It could be a novel, it could be a poem I’m working on, it could be a translation, it could be an essay, a literary criticism, it could […]

When the founder of Hasidic Judaism, the great Rabbi Israel Shem Tov, saw a misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted. Later, when […]

“It is all settled beneath the chattering and the noise. Silence and sentiment. Emotion and fear. The haggard, inconstant splashes of beauty.” – Jep Gambardella, The Great Beauty How can you not watch a video that has racked up 1.3 Billion views?

“Bats can hear shapes. Plants can eat light. Bees can dance maps. We can hold all these ideas at once and feel both heavy and weightless with the absurd beauty of it all.” – CryptoNaturalist

The Vikings invaded the UK about 1,500 years ago and then continued to raid and plunder for a few centuries until they finally just blended into the people who are now the United Kingdom. Over a glass of wine, Ian Rogers shared 24-seconds worth of thoughts about the different nations that comprise the UK, then […]

Hi, I’m Gene Naftulyev, one of the newest of the Wizard of Ads partners. When Roy told me what Manley texted and told me that Indy wanted to put it in the rabbit hole, I said, “Tell Indy that I’ll mail a free copy to any of his rabbit readers who wants one” To get […]

Dateline: Austin, Texas Headline: Mickey Kennedy Has Spent 25 Years Helping Small Businesses Write and Distribute News Releases Body:  Mickey Kennedy believes small businesses should not have to pay exorbitant prices to write or distribute news releases. In October 1998, he launched a news release service that has since provided hundreds of thousands of small […]

Kindergarten, in Indonesia, is as expensive as college, but it gives kids whose parents can afford it a huge advantage that stays with them for life, allowing them to outperform the poorer kids year after year. Kindergarten for their child is the impossible dream of every poor parent. Roy and Pennie have known Misi since […]

In the Harvard Grant Study, the world’s longest running and most comprehensive psychological study, the five most mature, healthy defense mechanisms associated with higher life satisfaction were: 1. Altruism: focusing on others’ wellbeing 2. Humor: making light of difficult or stressful events or experiences 3. Sublimation: turning anger or frustration into productive energy 4. Anticipation: […]

According to a comprehensive study conducted by Yale University and published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, people who read books more than 3.5 hours a week live a full 23 months longer than the people who didn’t read at all. That extended lifespan applied to all book-reading participants, regardless of “gender, wealth, education or […]

  Savannah Drew was in a wilderness camp when she met Bosco, the camp dog, a lifelong friend of mine. When she saw the hat, Savannah suspected that Bosco might be a dog I knew, so she sent me this photo to see if she was right. Savannah would have asked him if he knew […]

“Does the chemical composition of Jägermeister cause a craving for string beans? Is there some property of string beans that becomes addictive on those rare occasions when they’re consumed with Jägermeister? I asked myself these questions as I shoveled string beans into my mouth, huge crunchy forkfuls, and watched TV – weird cable shows, most […]

President John F. Kennedy said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” Mac Lackey says something similar, “The time to think about selling your business is long before you plan to sell.” Having founded and sold six companies, Mac is something of an expert on entrepreneurial exits. Two of his […]

“On a three-year voyage in the 1740s, a British naval expedition under the command of commodore George Anson lost fourteen hundred men out of two thousand who sailed. Four were killed by enemy action; virtually all the rest died of scurvy… In roughly the same period, James Lind, a naval surgeon, conducted a scientifically rigorous […]

“Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation – the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless, yet […]

Brian played guitar.He wasn’t very good,That was his charm.And he swore he’d be an indie god by 23.Now he’s 25 and living on Long Island.And I called him up, to finally do some catching up,And that’s when he said to me,Listen carefully… “I was just a kid then.Money makes the world spinAnd if they tell […]

Anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?Can you tell me where he’s gone?He freed a lotta people but it seems the good they die young.You know, I just looked around and he’s gone. Anybody here seen my old friend John?Can you tell me where he’s gone?He freed a lotta people but it seems the good […]

“Why do millions of people buy James Michener’s books and why does every bed lamp shine down on his newest title? Isn’t it because he has spent 40 years coming back from far journeys and difficult languages, to tell us about other people’s other ways of life? Other challenges and other lives survived?” – Ruth […]

  I’m still parked out by the lakeEighty miles from Santa Fe.And I’m sittin’ here, just parked out by the lake.   If you’re wonderin’ where I parked,I’m out parked by the lake.It’s the lake that’s eighty miles from Santa Fe.   And I’m parked out by the lakeEighty miles from Santa Fe.It’s the lake […]

Dr. Michael Lenox is an expert on artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. He knows the opportunities and the dangers of digital technology. Dr. Lenox advises business people on how to prepare for 2024, a year in which more data will be generated than in all previous years combined. Dr. Lenox is interviewed today by roving […]

      “An art which isn’t based on feeling isn’t an art at all.”– Paul Cézanne  

  “The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenalin but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.” – Glenn Gould, concert pianist  

The identity of the lady with the fan on the previous page remains a mystery, although there have been suggestions that it is Johanna Staude, a friend of Klimt who modeled for him. But the mystery of her identity reveals how he felt about the people he painted. They were never the entire point of […]

“And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.’ And it was so.” – Genesis ch. 1 “Don’t be misled… You will always harvest what you plant.”– Galatians ch. 6 IMAGE: Dame Mit Fächer (Lady With a Fan), […]

Why Write? “Last week, I was in a classroom in Austin, Texas, where a girl who was apparently going through a really rough spell at home wrote a poem that was definitely tragic and comic, both, about — everybody was yelling at her in the poem, from all directions. She was just kind of suffering […]

Joanne Lipman was the first woman to become a deputy managing editor at The Wall Street Journal. She was the founding editor-in chief-of Condé Nast’s Portfolio magazine. She served as editor-in-chief of USA Today and chief content officer of its parent company, Gannett. Currently, Joanne is a regular contributor to CNBC and a lecturer at Yale University. In her […]

You see this handful of sand? Could you imagine counting every grain? Could you imagine how many grains of sand there are on this entire planet? Our best estimate is that for every grain of sand here on earth, there are 10,000 stars in the universe. It is probably more likely that we don’t really […]

Height is a vertical line.Width is a horizontal line.When you have both height and width, you can create a 2-dimensional image.Depth is the 3rd dimension. Combine these first 3 dimensions – height, width, and depth – and you have created volume: space. The 4th dimension is Time. These first 4 dimensions encompass our physical reality, often […]

Why Write? “Last week, I was in a classroom in Austin, Texas, where a girl who was apparently going through a really rough spell at home wrote a poem that was definitely tragic and comic, both, about — everybody was yelling at her in the poem, from all directions. She was just kind of suffering […]

Take a look at Richie’s store.

Dave Albin helps business executives and employees face and overcome their fears. But that’s nothing special. What makes Dave a legend among corporate coaches are the methods he employs. Dave is the #1 firewalk instructor in America, having cajoled more than one-half million people to walk, barefoot, over a bed of hot coals exceeding 1,000 […]

Jerry Seinfeld was once thinking about golf announcers whispering. He then found something in his notebook about how people whisper when they talk about tipping.  When you notice a commonality between two or more things, Seinfeld explains, “You say, ‘Oh there’s something there.’ And now we make what’s called a charm bracelet: You take these […]

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Dear Sir: I like words. I like fat buttery words, such as ooze, turpitude, glutinous, toady. I like solemn, angular, creaky words, such as straitlaced, cantankerous, pecunious, valedictory. I like spurious, black-is-white words, such as mortician, liquidate, tonsorial, demi-monde. I like suave “v” words, such as Svengali, svelte, bravura, verve. I like crunchy, brittle, crackly […]

My friend Ryan Deiss wrote: “Since I believe we’re entering into/already in a recessionary phase, I’m going back and reading memos from 2007 and 2008. Lots of applications for today (or maybe that’s just my confirmation bias speaking). Either way, it was a fun walk down memory lane. Do you ever read your old stuff?” […]

“‘God Only Knows’ is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it. It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian. I’ve actually performed it with him, and I’m afraid to say that during the soundcheck, I broke down. It was just […]

      We have art so that we shall not die of reality. – Friedrich Nietzsche

Amy Dockser Marcus won the Pulitzer Prize because she can clearly explain things that are deeply confusing to so many of us. Amy understands – and can explain – the complex relationships between economics, society, health, and medicine. In a meticulously researched book, she talks about the remarkable accomplishments of “citizen scientists” – ordinary individuals who […]

If you can keep your head when all about you        Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,    If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;        If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;    If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster     And treat those two impostors just the same;    […]

The wizard rarely voices ads anymore, but he wrote and recorded these for his longtime friend, Sean Jones. Penticton is wine country, the Napa Valley of Canada. Okanagan Falls is very near Penticton. If you ever get a chance to visit, you should. The Tiny Tribe is there now and will have a full report […]

  Bob Johansen has been forecasting the future for the past five decades. He and his colleagues get it right 60% to 80% of the time. Bob is no pointy hat, crystal-ball-gazing fortuneteller. In addition to helping clients like Procter & Gamble, Walmart, and McKinsey, he is an instructor at the Army War College. Bob […]

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But Some Things are NOT a Matter of Perspective. “Perhaps you’ve heard it said that if you want to form a new habit—say, flossing your teeth or exercising regularly—all you have to do is perform that act for 21 days in a row, and presto! The desired behavior becomes automatic.” “That, my friend, is a […]

Bryan Eisenberg knows I am concerned about mental decline. Not my own. Everyone else’s. Bryan’s awareness of my concern caused him to think of me when he read this from Rosita Diaz: My husband and I went through the McDonald’s driveway window and I gave the cashier a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so […]

“I took this photo 6 years ago and turned it into a Monet.” – Craig Arthur You have a gift with the camera, Craig.

  “Happy Thursday to you and Pennie, from midway on the hike to Pinnacle Peak.” What a photo!– RHW “The desert makes it easy.” 😁 – Michele

“Once upon a time, I lost a friend because I thought facts beat feelings. Nope, lesson learned. When someone loves you, they trust you all the way – and facts can’t melt hearts. That’s why I learned to write ads that help people fall in love with you, not just trade money for stuff. Love: it’s stronger […]

Nick Loper has helped tens of thousands of people bring home some serious extra cash on top of what they earn in their day jobs. In fact, Nick’s podcast, which offers a steady diet of “side hustle” ideas, has been downloaded more than 25 million times. Nick is a fountain of money-making ideas. Near the […]

QUESTION: In your summary, you said, “No daypart can cross 6A, 7P, or Midnight.” Why? I’LL BEGIN MY ANSWER WITH A QUESTION: When you ask Nielsen to calculate the Reach & Frequency of ads scheduled 6A to Midnight – (Remember: Frequency is REPETITION; the number of times an individual in your NET REACH will hear […]

SUMMARY 1. Make sure you have great ads.2. Buy a 1-week schedule with a 3-frequency. (You can go as low as a 2.5, but not 2.4.)3. No daypart can cross 6A, 7P, or Midnight.4. Buy the largest 1-week NET REACH you can afford. If you’re using more than 1 station, the Master R&F cannot drop […]

Bryan Eisenberg knows I am concerned about mental decline. Not my own. Everyone else’s. Bryan’s awareness of my concern caused him to think of me when he read this from Rosita Diaz: My husband and I went through the McDonald’s driveway window and I gave the cashier a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I […]

Dr. Henry Mintzberg has written more books than the Beatles had #1 records. He is an organization and management rock star. Dr. Mintzberg says many organizations – for-profit and nonprofit – are making a big mistake when they embrace a one-size-fits-all approach to structuring their operations. Listen as Dr. Mintzberg – who has received a whopping […]