For over a decade, Dan Kuschell has dedicated his life to helping people transform their lives to attract prosperity, abundance, and wealth. He is the premier authority in helping companies and individuals get improved results to increase their incomes, sales and bottom lines. He is a pioneer in providing cutting-edge systems, strategies and easy-to-apply tools for individuals wanting to make drastic improvements in their wellbeing mentally, physically, socially, spiritually and financially - at home and in their careers.
RIC THOMPSON: Dan, let's just go ahead and jump right into this and get everybody into the whirlwind that is your success and the success that you breed for everybody. You made $71 million in the past 72 months. A lot of folks listening are just starting out, or at the very least, maybe making a little bit less than you are right now. Let's talk about the 7-Figure Blueprint. How can people get their own 7-Figure Blueprint going?
DAN KUSCHELL: I think an important place to start is the foundation. Like everybody else, I started in a place where I didn't have any real experience in information marketing, and then I built it. I would say the number one secret to keep in mind is to consider how you can help your clients in building your 7-Figure Blueprint. Years ago, I got a chance to learn from Zig Ziglar, Ric.
I know you've heard the quote, and many have. It's really at the forefront of what we do on a daily basis. That quote is, "If you'll help enough other people get what they want, you never have to worry about what you want." I think that's so important in today's economy in speaking of helping people, as well. I know we'll open it up for some email questions down the road, if it's applicable to the group.
Also, today I see a lot of people, Ric, bombarded by offers, programs, email overload, education overwhelm, and so on. Coming back to the foundation, one of the things we do on our programs is to work really hard to keep things simple. I'm actually a very simple person. A lot of people say, "Dan, what you do best is take big, complex ideas and break them down into very simple terms for me to understand, and most importantly, to apply."
At the forefront of that is a quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes. In it's essence, that quote says, "I wouldn't give a fig to be on the other side of complexity, but I'd give my life to be on this side of simplicity." I think what people want today more than anything else is certainly to have success, but we want to do it on our terms. We want to do it where we can have a life and a lifestyle and where we have freedom and the ability to enjoy it.
I find that most people starting their online business, or even a traditional business, in many cases buy themselves a job instead of building a real business or a lifestyle. That's what's so impressive about what you and your wife have done, Ric. Overall, with all the different programs and campaigns, I know you have spent a lot of time in really designing your business around your lives. It starts with that. That's why I refer to this as the 7-Figure Blueprint. It starts with those core principles of helping other people and also doing it in a simple way.
RIC THOMPSON: I have to agree with you. I think that's the driving motivator for a lot of us as entrepreneurs: to keep things nice and simple. That's part of the romance of Internet marketing lifestyle. You give us a laptop, a phone and an Internet connection, and we're in business. I've shared this with you personally before, but nobody else has heard this yet.
Liz and I are going to take off for three months this summer and travel with the boys. We're literally going to move out of our house, put our stuff in storage and go traveling. That's the Internet for you if you can keep things nice and simple. That's one of the reasons why we're all here. It's not just to make money, but to do it so we can have a great lifestyle. That means we can't be wrapped up in a lot of complexity and, like you said, overload. There is a lot of stuff out there that we can get confused with, that's for sure.
DAN KUSCHELL: Absolutely.
RIC THOMPSON: Where do we start? What's the next thing?
DAN KUSCHELL: With the foundation, everything that we've worked to build in our core is built around what we call 'The Wealth Formula'. The Wealth Formula has, basically, three components. Number one: you do the work one time and you get paid over and over again. It's the idea of creating passive streams of income. Number two: you speak to large groups of people at one time.
There are so many different mediums today-the Internet, radio, TV-and multiple ways to speak to large groups of people at a time in an automated fashion. We'll talk more about that throughout our program here. Number three, and most importantly, is to do something you're passionate about. My wife is really the one who drove this home for me. Do the things that you enjoy. Do things that you really love and are passionate about.
Otherwise, we find ourselves moving away from the simplicity model. These are three simple ideas: do the work one time and get paid over and over again; speak to large groups of people at a time; and do something you're passionate about. Before I get too far into some principles, maybe it would help if I share a little bit about my background and where I came from. Would that be all right?
RIC THOMPSON: I think that's fantastic, but first, listeners, I hope you wrote those three things down that he whipped off because each one of those is a million-dollar bit of advice. Make sure you have those three things written down because they sound really simple, but they can be incredibly transformative, speaking from personal experience. I just had to get that in there, Dan.
Yes, let's give folks your background. At this point, with all the success you've had and the wisdom you're giving out, people might be thinking that you were born an Internet marketer.
DAN KUSCHELL: Exactly. As you know, Ric, I grew up in the inner city of Detroit. My dream was actually to play pro-baseball. I thought that was going to be my way out of the inner city. That didn't work out. I had an injury. I ended up coaching college baseball. I don't know how many people listening have ever been in a situation where they were doing something they loved, but didn't make a lot of money at it.
I was more of a volunteer as a hitting coach for a college baseball team than anything else. Although I loved it, I didn't want to have a roommate named Dad until I was in my mid-30s. I started pursuing some other things. To fast-forward to today, I've been in the direct marketing business, now, since 1988. Let me repeat that, 1988. My big break in direct marketing came in direct mail in 1992.
We've been able to help thousands of people with our radio show, our TV show, our books, training, resources and coaching. We've generated somewhere in the neighborhood of $71 million in revenue in the last 72 months. I'm a proud father of two kids. I have a beautiful daughter who's four; my son is two. The beautiful angel in my life is my wife. It wasn't always easy.
I remember back in the'90s, in fact, when we were struggling. To give you an idea about Alyssa and our friendship and love and commitment to each other, we had done pretty well. I guess the reason I'm qualified in many ways, Ric, is because I've been where most people have been. I'm not one of these people who talk about all of the success, although I've had some pretty good successes, comparatively.
I've also been on the other side of success. I've made millions and I've lost it a couple times. I've had products that originally I thought were great concepts and ideas that ended up not being really great at all. I've had cars repossessed. I had a home foreclosed on. I've lost millions of dollars in real estate. I've had good times, and I've also been humbled with some tough times.
I think that adversity really builds character. I remember a time in the mid-90s when my wife and I were running one of our businesses. We ended up having to rent a room from somebody's apartment. That's how humbling it was. Things were so tough we couldn't afford furniture, so we got an air mattress. I believe it was a used air mattress. When we would wake up in the morning on the air mattress, it was deflated.
That's where we've come from to where we are today. I'm so humble today, overall. I've had the opportunity to travel around the world and meet some incredible people, like Sir Richard Branson and some of the leading experts in the world, and have our shows and different things. I guess at the end of the day, Ric, the question I propose is, "How many people would like to have a $70 million education?"
I'd ask anybody listening right now the same thing. Imagine building a $70 million business, operating at home, spending time with your kids, traveling and doing what you love. If I throw that out there, here's the problem with that. Most people don't believe it can happen to them, but I want to propose something different. What if that could happen? Get out the colors and a sheet of paper right now and jot down a few ideas.
If you were building a $70 million business, imagine if you were generating $200,000 per week, what would that do for you? What would that give you? I know, Ric, that you and Liz are a prime example. Some of the other experts you've had on your program are great examples. I want to challenge you as you're listening to this right now. If you were generating $200,000 or more per week, what would you be doing?
What would you be committed to? With that being said, I guess I'll throw in another strategy that ties into the Wealth Formula. Strategy number one, which I think is so critical to someone's success in business-whether it's online or in a traditional business-is to do what Stephen Covey calls 'begin with the end in mind'. You have to begin with the end in mind. Think about it, Ric. You probably know the answer to this. What's the number-one reason to start any business?
RIC THOMPSON: To get out of it.
DAN KUSCHELL: Right; at least to have the chance to get out of it if we choose to. In other words, we started with the end in mind. We may never sell that business. We may never get out of it, but if we set it up from day one to sell it, or to be prepared to sell it, it's going to run efficiently so you have a lifestyle or a life versus the business owning you. Michael Gerber, who I had a chance to learn from years ago-Ric, I know you're familiar with him, as well-wrote a great book called The E-Myth.
If you take all his principles and concepts from The E-Myth and The E-Myth Revisited and his consulting program, and narrow them down to the simplest point, he basically says, "Systems run business. Find good people to run those systems." To me, that's what 'beginning with the end in mind' is all about in getting started.
RIC THOMPSON: That's huge. Again, listeners, that little piece of advice right there, if you really think about it, will totally transform the way you're running your business if you're not following that right now. Put some thought into that. That makes a major difference. You're right, Dan, that's been a major driving force for how Liz and I do things. Everything is on systems. Everything has standard operating procedures.
You find the best people possible, and that's part of what enables us to go traveling for three months this summer. It's not that we're not working. We're going to be tapped into the web and working and communicating, but if we didn't have those systems, there goes life; there goes summer vacation.
DAN KUSCHELL: Coming back to the simplicity concept, we have to be aware of the 'Shiny Object Syndrome' or the 'Magic Bean'. It's so easy today with all the new technological advances and this and that type of program, to get distracted. At the end of the day, the core is still the basic business fundamentals.
RIC THOMPSON: Absolutely. Where would you say is a good place to start with the basic business fundamentals?
DAN KUSCHELL: Great question. Before I dive into that, the other thing I'd love to share is that people ask me, "Dan, why do you do what you're doing? You're daily generating somewhere in the neighborhood of $30,000 or $40,000. Your consulting fees are over $10,000 for a half- day. Why do you do what you do?" My real mission, Ric, as you know, is to leave a legacy.
Most importantly, it's for my family, but also, there's so that much we can do in the world today because there are so many small business owners and online marketers who are struggling, and it doesn't have to be a struggle. If I'm keeping my numbers right, Strategy number two, as far as a fundamental, would be to find a hungry market in your business. It's like fishing. I think about coming back to simplicity.
For years in my business, Ric, this is what I would do. Imagine being out fishing. We see some people named Ric and Liz Thompson. They have a huge fishing boat. It's a beautiful boat. They have several lines and people on the boat. They have a captain on the boat. People are fishing and catching fish. There are fish everywhere. You're catching fish like nobody's business.
Here I am, brand new and getting started in my business. I get my little rowboat because that's basically how I get started. I throw a line in the water, and I get my first nibble on the hook. Instead of doing what a good fisherman does, I put on my snorkel gear and dive into the water and say, "Here, fishy, fishy, fishy." I chase the fish. That's how I did my business for years. Of course, you're going to chase a lot of fish away that way.
I find that a lot of business people do the same thing, or have systems that are really structured that way, not only from a marketing perspective, but a sales perspective. People become sales repellants instead of attractors. We have to go fishing. As you're listening right now, you may want to write this down. Hopefully, in your marketplace, you will become a trusted advisor.
Look around at your colleagues and the companies or people you have synergies with and ask yourself, "Do they experience these types of problems?" What are most business owners doing from our experience? Number one, 80% of businesses are going to fail in their first three years. Eighty percent! According to certain statistics, over 95% will fail within five years. That's a pretty big statistic. Eighty to 95% of people are going to fail within five years.
Number two: most people buy a job. They're not really running a business; they're running a job. Number three: they're working in their business, not on the business. That comes back to systems. Number four: they're afraid to ask for sales. We'll talk more about that in a few minutes. Number five: they have a mantra of 'if you want something done right, do it yourself'.
Yet, successful business owners actually learn how to outsource it, delegate, and develop leadership. Next, most business owners think too small with the day-to-day kind of things. Next, in order to be successful you have to be technically savvy today. That's a crock. I didn't even get Outlook, Ric, as you know, on my computer until a couple of years ago. That's because a 24-year-old kid in my office said, "Why are you operating out of a Hotmail account?"
If someone like me, who is not technically savvy, can actually have success with technical stuff, I believe anybody can. Last, but not least, what are most business owners doing today? They're confusing activity with productivity. People confuse shuffling paper clips and doing paperwork with the things that drive your business, which are sales and marketing.
Those are about seven, eight or nine different principles that we find most business owners online or off are doing. That leads into feeding the hungry market. I could spend a lot of time on different methods of feeding it because we've done it through infomercials, radio and TV. With your group, the Internet Marketing VIPS program-Very Important Profit Systems-I'll talk a little bit about Internet Marketing.
I'll talk about one of the underground secrets, so to speak. It's like the Loch Ness Monster. People have heard about it; they just haven't seen it for themselves yet. That's this term called 'SEO'-Search Engine Optimization. I happen to work with one of the leading underground SEO experts in the world. I paid him and his company over six figures over the last couple of years to do certain pieces of SEO marketing for me.
I got him to agree to do an exclusive two hour-plus interview with me for members in our group. I'll talk about that a little bit later. For practical purposes right now, I'll just give a perspective of how good he is at doing what he's doing, and the education there. A lot of people today, Ric, as you know, talk about search engine optimization and going into what are called long-tail keywords, which are great.
You can get up in the rankings very quickly for very small, niche-type industries. It looks really prolific at the end of the day. The gentleman I've hired and had the chance to consult with and learn from about search engine optimization actually focuses in big categories. In fact, he's had number-one rankings in something called 'real estate leads'. What do you think the value of that would be?
SmartLipo™, Weight Loss Houston, and 35 other niches. He and his wife have built a business that nets them over a million dollars each because of the strategies they adapt and employ to flat-out get to number one, first-page rankings on Google or the search engine. As you look at search engine optimization, their strategy is to be able to implement.
People often say, "Dan, when you sit down with a consulting client, and you're talking about helping to add a seven-figure infusion of sales, business or profits to their business, what are some of the things that you ask them?" It's really simple. I'd like to offer this for everybody, number one, to consider for their own business; and number two, again, if they become a trusted advisor in their marketplace, these will be powerful things for them to keep in mind, too.
The number one question is, "What's working in your business?" Number two: "If you're able to add an extra million dollars to your business, what would that do for you?" Ric, I'll ask you since we're here together. If I were able to work with you and add an extra million dollars to your business, what would that do for you and Liz?
RIC THOMPSON: That would give us a lot of breathing room and give us a lot more security and comfort in terms of paying staff. We outsource everything, going back to your systems. It would be nice to have that extra cushion and not necessarily work so hard and worry about paying the outsourcers next month.
DAN KUSCHELL: Nice. Anything else?
RIC THOMPSON: Of course, the mind is boggled. To add an extra seven figures to your business, we're talking about a nicer place to live. We're talking about upgraded vacations and trips; first-class instead of coach. It's a lot of money. Seven figures, we're talking about an extra $80,000 a month to make $1 million dollars over the next 12 months.
DAN KUSCHELL: Yes.
RIC THOMPSON: Eighty thousand dollars a month goes a long way.
DAN KUSCHELL: It sure does; or $20,000 a week.
RIC THOMPSON: Yes.
DAN KUSCHELL: For the sake of time, this would be the second question I ask a business owner as I work to consult with them. We'll speed this up because I know we're going to run short on time, but hopefully everybody's getting a picture of how simple this can be when you ask the right strategic questions. Question number three is: "What's the number-one problem or challenge in your business that keeps you up at night?"
That's a big one to stop and think about and get real with. I look at my failures I've had in the past. I have failures that hit me every month in different ways. The fact isn't whether we're going to get knocked down and have failures, it's how long we stay down. Are we flexible? Do we adapt? What's the number-one problem or challenge in your business that keeps you up late at night?
Number four: "What value would you place on me helping you get more sales and increasing your bottom line?" That's a question I ask directly to a client or potential client. It's funny how I got started eight or nine years ago. I actually went on NBC Radio and was doing a promotion for my book and an upcoming seminar I was doing in the area. I actually challenged the host.
I said, "If you apply my principles, I guarantee you'll increase your income by over six figures, over $100,000, in the next 12 months or less. Are you ready to take me up on the challenge?" I did this live on the air on NBC. He ended up taking up the challenge. He generated over $100,000 extra in four months and two weeks putting the principles into place.
I have the confidence to ask that type of a simple question. On the other side of it, I like to ask, "If I could show you a way to build a 7-Figure Blueprint in 12 months or less, would you want it today?" I find that most business owners truly, if they're building a business or looking to build a business long term, will say yes. As you're listening right now, what do your clients really want?
At the end of the day, what do you want? In your business there are a lot of things you can come up with, but one of the key ingredients is that they want more money. They want more sales. The fact is that you already have the solution in your hands right now. You have the tools and the support. It's bringing it all together. To me, it's like baking a cake. You have to bring all the ingredients together. You have to put it in the right formula.
We simplify it. I guess that gets us to Strategy number four. We went through 'find a market', 'feed a market', and now we go to 'multiply your efforts', which is creating an automated sales and marketing system. Ric, do you think it would be helpful if I revealed a $71 million education on how to create an automated sales machine, or give them the leverage so they could show their clients how to do it or think about it, too?
Want even more tips and tricks? This article was just a small portion of an hour-long interview. And this interview was just ONE of 24 top interviews conducted by Ric Thompson for Internet Marketing TNT. If you'd like to get your hands on ALL 24 interviews, simply >>Click Here<< and check out Internet Marketing - Very Important Profit Systems.
Member comments together with Member Names may be used by
InternetMarketingTNT.com for promotional or other media efforts.
Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior
such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or
material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users
who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the
content that you post.
Comments (0)
We invite you to be the first to post a comment regarding this article.
