Every great breakthrough of my life came as a result of a product I bought or read

So it's trendish to say, “Just produce. Don't read.”

Or reading is a waste of time.

As is getting an education.

This is what people say.

This is so far off base, I can't even BEGIN to articulate it.

Well, getting an education taught me to read and think. I do NOT believe you have to go to college to learn how to do that. Not at all.

But I DO believe you need self education.

Your great trainers and teachers like Jim Rohn, Charlie Tremendous Jones, Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill and so many others have said it.

The most important tool you have is you brain

And an investment in your own self education, and self improvement has the highest payoff of anything. Napoleon Hill called it Specialized Knowledge.

I remember many, many years ago when I bought Corey Rudl's Internet Marketing program (as did about everyone else at the time.) It taught me the power of an associate program. I started what was arguably the firsts affiliate program for a 100% digitally delivered ebook called Amazing Formula.

Oh my goodness.

The money poured in

I'd NEVER have known to do that if I hadn't bought, read and studied Corey's product. I got many other things from him. But that would be another post.

I go back to the simplest of things.

As a teenager I had a bad acne problem. I read a book on how to clear your skin. And I did. BOOM!

I love it when someone else figures out how to solve a difficult problem. Or gives me a perspective that makes a difference.

Like this yesterday.

I spend $197 for a product on how to sell big tickets without strategy sessions. This is has been written by other authors. But I liked the way this particular teacher of the Craft expressed it. I'll make a lot of money because of that product.

Or today I bought another one about how to repurpose your content. I ALREADY repurpose my content. But this person uses a team to do it. And I don't. So dime to a dozen I bet I'll get some takeaways worth far in excells of the $99 I paid.

The $600 Million Man Was a Big Reader

Way the heck back when I started as a copywriter, I got paid up to $10,000 to write letters for clients. This was back when that was a lot more money than it is today. Back then, hardly anyone charged that much.

In any event, my best client was Walter “Itsy Bitsy” Hailey.

Walter started as a failure in selling. Hi mentor told him to read Think and Grow Rich.

He did.

Within 5 years, he was a millionaire.

And out of his Mastermind group, he got an idea that made him $78 million. He replicated the idea several more times and netted $600 million.

Where would he have been if he read some of the negative things written about Napoleon Hill and said, “Ain' no way I'm reading that.”

I can't even tell you how many thousands of people changed their life by reading Think and Grow Rich. I mean, Russell Brunson, founder of Clickfunnels, has a whole Napoleon Hill ROOM! He owns the original typewriter Napoleon Hill used to write Think and Grow Rich. And numberous other rare items from him.

Charlie Tremendous Jones said “Leaders are readers.”

In my experience, that's true. All the real achievers I meet are folks who invest heavily in Specialized Knowledge.

Did you know that Andrew Carnegie, founder of the steel industry in America, was an avid reader of great literature?

Or how about this?

Freaking Elon Musk learned to build rockets from READING BOOKS!

I kid you not.

Not All Books or Courses Are Goldmine. You Have To Dig To Find The Gold

With all this said, I've spent a ton of money on books, thousands and thousands of dollars, that ended up being duds. The same goes for courses, products and training programs.

But that ONE game changer you find can pay for the others many times over.

I see people complain about a $5 or $10 “make money” program. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

They spend $10 on ONE, get that, ONE PRODUCT!

And they're disillusioned that money isn't rolling in.

I mean, my goodness. I don't even know what to say.

I read 30 and 40 books in one sitting at a coffee shop. Well, to be fair, I skim through them looking for that one diamond.

And often I find it.

I have a whole section of my library devoted to about 100 game changers I've found.

Best wishes,

Marlon

PS: If you're new around here, go here and grab my free Seed Marketing Report. Find the need, sow the seed, reap the harvest. It's a GREAT way to look at marketing and sales.