If you’re familiar with popular Christian literature, especially on the topic of relationships between the opposite genders then I’m sure you have an idea of where this blog is going by the title above. For those who are not affected by the recent blow to the Purity movement, allow me to enlighten you.

In 1997 a book by the title of “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” hit the Christian book market. In this book the author, Joshua Harris discusses his opinions on how one should handle their interactions within relationships, between both males, females and God. Many strong Christian families grabbed a hold of this book and ran with it hoping that it would save their children the heartache and pain that often comes with poor choices in this area. As a result, the Purity moment was created by which my generation was strongly affected.

Recently Joshua Harris has publicly renounced his teachings and his faith as a whole. Leaving his family, faith, and career, Joshua has turned his back on all that he once held as absolute truth. Such a drastic transformation from such a strong leader has caused many in the Purity movement, and Christianity as a whole to question what they believe in.

This questioning is one that I have experienced, however, it came about many years before Joshua revoked his beliefs.

Growing up as the pastor’s oldest daughter, the pressure to be perfect was a heavy load that I was constantly aware of. This pressure was not placed on me by my parents but instead by the rest of our congregation and society as a whole. As a PK (pastor’s kid) I was expected to know the perfect prayers, the right bible verses and the correct answer to every situation in life. The problem was that this just wasn’t true.

I was just a normal teenager trying to figure out life and myself. In those moments when I didn’t know the right answers or the perfect biblical solution, or worst when I found myself doing things I knew I shouldn’t, it caused me to question everything I believed.

You see, my beliefs were based on my ability to perform. I had the perfect to-do-list of everything a “good Christian” should do. Yet even with this list, I could never reach that expectation of perfection, which meant that there was either something wrong with me or God.

I remember laying on my bathroom floor sobbing my eyes out as once again I questioned my faith, my worth and my God. We all have our own “experiences” in life, and this was mine. As I lay on that tile floor I heard a voice as clear as if it were in the room with me, “You’re not the one who comes to me. I came for you.”

It was at this moment that I began to understand how Christianity truly works. We can never be “good enough” to reach God. He is the one who reaches out to us. God wanted me just the way I was. There was no list of thou shalt and thou shalt not that he was hanging over my head. Once I understood this I was able to have a relationship with my Lord instead of constantly trying to please him and others. It was then that I could open up my heart and allow Him to work in and through me. It was then that I learned that the power to resist that which I knew was wrong was not of my strength but was something that he enabled me to do.

To tie this back to Joshua Harris; Kissing Dating Goodbye is not an evil wicked book. However, when people take it and turn it into a to-do-list thinking that in a sense it can save them, the results are disappointment, heartbreak, and anger.

I have personally seen this in the lives of many of my friends. Girls who were so scared to speak to a guy in fear that they might develop feelings for them leads to thoughts such as “I’m not pretty enough for him to notice me” and “I’ll never be good enough”. Boys struggling with their natural drives and thoughts constantly beat themselves down for not being able to block out these feelings.

Here’s the deal. Love is a choice, not a to-do-list. If you came home to your wife, kissed her, told her you loved her and handed her flowers, then processed to pull out your checklist and check each item off, your wife would feel anything but loved. Doing something because you have to is not love. Kissing Dating Goodbye hurt so many people because it was a list and not a choice.

The Bible says that a relationship between a man and woman is the closet picture on earth of the relationship between Christ and his church. It would stand to reason therefore that a romantic relationship should be molded after how Christ loves the church. This is a love with no strings attached, no unattainable expectations, and no to-do-list. These are all the things of the Old Testament law which is exactly what Jesus came to replace.

Regardless of your opinion on dating vs. courting, the method has nothing to do with the result. There have been many young adults who lost their purity while wearing purity rings and successful marriages that came from couples who kissed before their wedding day. The list is of no use if it’s not a choice. Love is not love if there is not a choice.

As a child, our family entertained large numbers of guests regularly. As a result, each of us children had to learn a skill that we could present at a moment’s notice. Music, skits, and speeches were among many of the choices, but the most popular by far was magic.

Recently I have been going through an in-depth study of the role of Sales as I intend to pursue a career in this area. During this study, I have have had the opportunity to interview sales experts, one of which happens to be a fan of magic as well. Adam Thibeault is an experienced and successful Sales Representative at Combined Insurance. Here is a summary of our interview.

What made you choose to pursue this role?

“I’m driven by ‘I can do this’ as opposed to a monthly pay-check.” 

According to Adam “In Sales, if you have the confidence to go after your goals, then one thing that no one can take from you is commissions” 

Starting in college, Adam discovered that he could gain more from listening to podcasts and educating himself then he was gaining in the classroom. This led him to Praxis where he completed their 12-month course gaining real-world experience and training. From here Adam set his sights high, found a company he wanted to work for and through sweat, blood, and tears, landed himself a job as a Sales Rep.

This go-get-it attitude and perseverance along with being able to determine your outcome and results are what led Adam to Sales, and my siblings and me to magic. To those who watch from the audience of life, this role may appear to be an allusion, confusing, and perhaps a bit intimidating. For the magician though, this preference is anything but. It is a well planned out strategy in which the performer has full control over the outcome.

What skills and training are required for this role?

“Perseverance is the number one difference between the people who are successful and the people who will be driven nuts.”

In a job that often results in more no’s than yes’s, the ability to keep going even after one has been kicked in the teeth is a must.

Adam goes about looking at his progress by basing it on personal outcome as apposed to capital outcome.

“Put the judgment of whether you are doing well or not on ‘did I make as many calls, sales presentations, or book as many appointments as I could?’ That is the metric you want to go for, rather than getting the sale.”

Gaining a customer’s trust, presenting and proving the reliability of your product, and dealing with the slammed doors in your face, requires one to stay focused and push forward toward the end goal regardless of what happens along the way.  

Often when performing our little magic show, a hiccup would occur resulting in impromptu maneuvering and adjustments on my sibling’s part. You should have been there the first time my sister tried to saw my brother in half. Sometimes we had to throw the trick out the window and make up a completely new one on the spot. Regardless though, we had to deliver a stunning performance. As long as the audience cheered, the presentation was a success.   

What is the greatest challenge?

“Getting up in the morning.”

Adam says that once he gets to his car he can then get anywhere he needs to throughout the day. Getting to the car though is the struggle.

As in every area of life, the big key activities only come about as a result of the little steps that came before. Any morning routine involves an alarm and the will power to get out of bed. Getting ready for the day involves boring tasks such as getting dressed, brushing your teeth and eating your Cheerios. In the same way, preparing the presentation, making the calls, and scheduling the appointments has to come before the exciting pitch can be made.

“Getting up in the Morning.” could be replaced with“Getting the appointment.”

My siblings and I loved performing in front of our family and friends, but besides the baby of the family who could rely on her cuteness to get her an appose, us older kids had to work on our acts before we performed them. A 3-minute trick would take three days of practice, but the stunned looks on everyone’s face was worth it in the end.

What does your day to day tasks look like?

“The day starts with the night before”

Each night Adam schedules out the following day. From appointments and meetings to travel time and smaller in-between tasks. This ensures that each morning when he wakes up to charge the day, he knows exactly what needs to be done first and every step after that.

As we said above, there is quite a bit of flexibility that goes into this job and maneuvering is a daily task. However, this adjusting is far easier to deal with when the rest of your day is planned out and accessible. 

One thing about presentations, whether they be on magic or any other topic, is that a well planned out order is necessary. Without knowing which trick need to go next, my siblings and I would have been pulling rabbits out of our hats, when we were supposed to be turning flowers into doves. Order plus perseverance equals productivity.

What is the significance of Sales as a whole?

Personally –

As an insurance salesman, Adam says that he has, “literally seen people’s lives be saved because of the money our coverage provided them.”

“I wouldn’t do anything else in the world. If I could just help people, which I can and will, I’d want to do it.”

Regardless of what you are selling, a belief in that product and its impacts on humanity is what will push you to do whatever it takes to get that product into the hands of the customers who need it. You must believe in your product enough that you would invest in it yourself. You are investing in that product, each day that you give your time and effort to your company.

As a company and sales as a whole-

“Being apart of a team to reach a common goal is so improvident. Even if you’re the janitor (which is how I started), you are helping the team as a whole reach their goal of helping others.”  

Each member of a team is vitally importation no matter what their title may be. You are only as strong as your weakest link and no person can be replaced. That janitor who cleans the office allows the members on each team to accomplish their tasks by having everything they need to improve the company as a whole. If you believe in the mission of your company then you must also believe in each member of your team, because without them, that mission will never be reached. 

Working as a family to entertain our guests was an undertaking no single Walter could take on by themselves. There are no spotlights with a team because no one person can get where they’re at without the company as a whole.

What hard skills are necessary for this role?

“Organization and Follow-through” 

As we discussed above, organization is a key skill in every area of sales. However, organization is not only necessary for the before stages but also the after. Being able to look at a situation and figure out what went wrong, determine how to solve it, and then put these new actions into play, will be the difference between improvement and remaining in the same old rut. 

Talking to people is a large part of sales, but gaining the trust of a customer is a whole different can of worms. It is your job as a salesman to convince your customers that the product is reliable and worth their investment. This requires follow through. Saying something is one thing, performing it is another. Walking your talk and proving your claims is what sales are all about. After all, you are apart of that product. When that person thinks of the product you sold them they will also think of you because you are connected in their minds. 

When my siblings and I would talk to people who had been to our house in the past they would often bring up parts of our presentation and the things they enjoyed. This information would let us know which acts were more pleasing and would help us improve the show as a whole. In the end, though, our ability to jump up and put on a show spur of the moment was what impressed our audience the most. We didn’t just tell them about our hobbies, we showed them.

What does it take to succeed in this role?

“Gritting your teeth, smiling, going on with a positive mental attitude, and doing 10% more than you’re asked to. This is the only thing I’d quantify as my success.”  

Let’s be honest, life is often pretty hard and some days just get you down. On such occasions, one must determine who is in charge of their life. Their circumstances or themselves.

By moving past a pour experience with a genuine smile and positive attitude, one can use these negative events to improve themselves. Either you determine your circumstances or your circumstances will determine you.  

With this mindset comes the ability to rise above and achieve more than others thought you possibly could. Giving all you’ve got in every situation is what will put you ahead in life. Going above a beyond, accomplishing in 10%, 20% more than was expected of you will not only prove to the world what you are capable of but will also prove it to yourself. 

Each time you reach the goals you are training yourself to be an over-comer and reach higher the next time.

The first time I performed in front of an audience, I was far from an Oscar nominee. I remember times when I was embraced to no end and never wanted to try anything new ever again. At these times my parents would lovingly push me back on the stage and tell me to try again. It was for these exact moments that my parents made us perform. These obstacles would determine what kind of person we would grow up to be. Either an over-comer or a person who accepted defeat.

If you could give one piece of advice to a young person considering this role, what would it be?

“Put yourself out there”

The only thing to fear is fear itself. If you allow the fear of what others will think or what might just happen keep you from trying new things, then you’ll never achieve anything in life.

Adam went to New York with $800, a car full of clothes, and a few copies of his resume. His greatest fears were not being able to provide for himself, being alone, and finding himself stuck in a mental rut of never improving. By making this move to NY, Adam faced each of these obstacles, using them to push himself above and beyond.  

My parents created safe atmospheres for us kids where we could put out selves out there with people who cared and loved us. As we’ve grown up, that safe place has diapered but the ability to try new things, take the risk, and share with the world has only grown. The crazy things that you do in life are what define who you are, who you will be, and give you the confidence to take on the next new fear.

 

Conclusion

Whether you are selling insurance or preforming a card trick, all of life is about sales. When applying for a job, going on a date, or introducing yourself to a stranger, you are selling yourself. When you discuss with a friend, convenience your aunt to make your favorite dessert or ask your boss for a raise, you are selling your opinions. No matter what you are selling in life, the skills of perseverance, organization, and a drive to overcome fears and reach new heights will be the determining factor of you closing the deal. 

Growing up as a Cowboy Pastor’s kid (a C.P.K.), I believe that I can adequately give an accurate description of what a cowboy church is.

According to Wikipedia, a Cowboy church is defined as a “local Christian church within the cowboy culture that is distinctively Western heritage in character. A typical cowboy church may meet in a rural setting in a barn, metal building, arena, sale barn, or old western building, have its own rodeo arena, and a country gospel band.”

That’s a decent answer but still leaves quite a few questions, which I will now provide the answers for.

What a Cowboy Church is Not

When most people think of a church they picture a white steeple building with pews and carpeting. These churches are filled with well-dressed members, the men often in suits and the women in dresses. The pastor preaches from a pulpit and the choir leads the congregation in their most beloved hymns. Each week there are such activities as a youth group, Bible studies, and even bingo night.

As for the cowboy church my dad pastors, we look a bit different than your typical church.

Instead of a white steeple church, we meet in a barn. After all, it was good enough for Jesus.

We also have no dress code. Often our members are coming in from working and caring for their livestock. This means dirty jeans, muddy boots, and of course cowboy hats. This dress attire is not restricted to members only. The pastor is never seen without his cowboy hat on and as his child, I can tell you that I’ve only seen him in a suit maybe three times in my life.

Speaking of the pastor, his weekly messages aren’t what you’d be used to at a traditional service. If you’re not familiar with the fundamentals of Rodeo then you most likely won’t understand half the analogies. Agriculture examples are often used including calving, breeding, castration and other such delightful everyday task of a rancher’s life.

The music is also countryfied with our two-stepping version of I’ll Fly Away and Amazing Grace. Most of the songs we play on a Sunday morning are also the same ones we play at our annual barn dances. Many a George Strait and Willie Nelson songs have been tweaked to share the gospel message via acoustic guitar and a bit of twang.

As for our weekly events, youth group is replaced by open arena nights and ropings where most of our attendees are students of the local high school and college rodeo teams. Bible studies take place at our many rodeo events, as the messages are shared by the pastor on horseback. And for our upper aged members, a combination of barn dances and mini ropings are a way of ensuring that all ages have a blast. If you don’t know what mini roping is, you’re missing out.

Along with these western events, we also put on a yearly Rodeo Bible Camp where kids ages 8-18 come to be taught by some of the world’s best rodeo cowboys and cowgirls while also learning about the word of God and His love.

What a Cowboy Church Is

With this understating as to what a Cowboy church looks like and how it functions you might now be interested in stopping by and checking out one in your area.

Now hold your horse. Before you buy yourself a cowboy hat and a pair of boots I’d like to inform you of one last thing. The Cowboy Code of Cowboy Churches.

The entire reason cowboy churches exist is for two main reasons.

#1. To Share the Word of God with those who otherwise would never step foot into a church.

Stinky odors, conversation topics, and not to mention the lifestyle choices that often find their way into these cowboy’s lives, keep most them from ever stepping into a church building in fear that the ceiling will fall in on them. These are the people we at cowboy churches are out to reach.

My dad has said many times before that when you walk out into our parking lot you should see beer cans in the back of pickup truck. Otherwise, we’re not doing our job.

With this said, we don’t condone pour lifestyles, but just as our Lord and Savior came to seek and save the lost, we make it our mission to meet these people exactly where they are and love them with all our hearts. We don’t expect people to become perfect to walk in our doors. We welcome them as they are and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of saving.

For this reason, we have all kinds of people sitting in our seats any given Sunday. Cowboys passing through from the rodeo the night before, ranchers that have never opened the bible let alone know what’s in it, truck drivers who needed a place to turn around, even bikers. Yes, bikers.

This atmosphere is focused on the agricultural lifestyle but the down to earth openness attracts people from all walks of life.

#2 To Preserve and teach the character traits and lifestyle of agriculture.

This is not just a show. This is our way of life.

Our pastor doesn’t just put on an act for Sunday service, he makes his living by working cattle and training horse. This isn’t a John Wayne twist for entertainment purposes. Our members are proud to live the lives they have chosen. Ones that require them to get up at the break of dawn to care for an animal or tend a field. This is a hard life that requires hard people with soft hearts.

It is this life that we wish to pass on to the next generation to ensure that we don’t disappear in history along with the beliefs that we hold so dear.

Conclusion

So before you go out and buy yourself a cowboy hat and pair of boots, try just stopping in, the way that you are. Cowboy Church isn’t for cowboys, it’s for all who will hear. Our desire is simply to be that voice that cries out to all who will hear, sharing with them the coming of our Lord. (Matthew 11:15)

“It doesn’t matter if you win, as long as you had fun.”

This is a statement that I’ve heard time and time again. Usually given to a young child weeping over their loss, this saying is meant to soothe the blow of defeat.

I believe that failure is an experience everyone should endure multiple times throughout their life. However, the benefit of learning from losses is a topic for another blog. The subject I wish to discuss is that of a winners mindset.

Recently I participated in a western sorting event at my local Cowboy Church. At this event, there were all levels of cowboys. From big-time sorters, ranch hands, even first-time competitors and kids.

In high school and growing up on a ranch, I’ve had my fair share of sorting experience. However, since my ACL surgery last year I’ve only ridden a horse a handful of times. To be honest, I hadn’t even planned on competing, yet I did.

Signing up last minute I ended up with the last slot. As I watched everyone go before me I saw the pros flash in and out of the pen, more often than not spooking the cattle instead of sorting them. The ranch hands were too concerned about looking the part and upholding their reputations to slow down and read the livestock. And the kids were so nervous with mom and dad coaching them from the side panels that they couldn’t control their horse.

When it got to my turn, I was just happy to be on a horse again. Once in the pen, my experience came back to me like riding a bike and by the time the flag dropped for my time I had sorted off 6 steers, winning the event and scoring higher than any competitor that day.

What were the differences between me and the pros, ranch hands, and kids?

I was winning to play whereas they were playing to win.

Sure I wanted to win, but I honestly was there to have fun. My fellow competitors were there to win, regardless of whether they had fun. As a result, I was able to go into the ring calm, cool and collected because my eye was on the event instead of the trophy.

In every area of life, one must be able to keep their head in the game without being distracted by the end prize. Of course, we should aim high. Of course, we want to reach the top. But if you’re not looking at the steps that you’re climbing because you’re too focused on what’s up ahead, you’ll end up losing balance and falling off the edge.

Your skills and experience are what get you to the trophy, so focus on that and let the prize come to you.

“It doesn’t matter if you win, as long as you have fun”…because if you forget to enjoy the game you’ll never actually win anyways.

What could Payton Grace Walter possibility have to share? There are no PhDs in front of my name. No significant trophies on my wall. Not even a dramatic life story to tell. After all, doesn’t someone have to be an expert in an area before they’re qualified to share with the world?
My personal opinion is that if you wait till you know everything about a topic, you’ll never actually share it. There will always be more to learn and there will always be people who know more than you.
No one person can know everything and therefore there will always be topics to learn. Fortunately, though, that means that there will always be other people learning as well.
No matter how much you may know about any given area, there is someone, somewhere who knows less than you and can benefit from what you can share.
This is how humans interact. We are all teachers in our sense. It is the job of each human being to lend a hand to our fellow man by sharing what life has offered to us.
This is the mindset of driving my decision to take on a 30-day blog challenge. Throughout Oct I will be writing and publishing a blog post each day, no matter what. For the next 30 days, I will have to share information that I have gathered from all areas of life.
•Warning•
The first blogs I published will most likely be pretty rough. This is a learning experience for me and one that may be a bit daunting at times.
This a huge step for me to put myself at the mercies of those who click on this post. However, I want to improve my ability to communicate effectively to others and am therefore willing to look like a fool at times. My only request is that you lend me that helping hand of knowledge by offering feedback from time to time. I may not be great now, but I know someday I will be.
With that said, I do believe that the content I have to share is worth your time. I may not have a Ph.D., trophies or a dramatic life story, but I’m willing to put myself out in front of the world.
I promise that if you choose to accompany me on this journey, I will deliver compelling, informative, and even humorous content each day. Even if you only gain one ounce of knowledge, this challenge will have been not only worth your time but also mine.
I have a hunger to learn, and since you’ve read this far, I can assume to have that same hunger. Together we can learn from each other.
So here’s a thank you in advance, for allowing me to share.

What is a Second Brain?

Have you ever read a book and forgot what it was about 3 months down the road? Perhaps you found a web-design but later on couldn’t find the link. How about the mounds of projects that you tell yourself you’ll get to yet never seem to find time to accomplish.

In a world where there is an endless supply of information, it can be difficult to retain this knowledge.

These are the problems that a Second Brain is created to solve. Having a Second brain allows you to live freely, gathering as much information as your heart desires, storing, and turning it into results that show the world just how awesome you are.

 

How to Work Evernote

Evernote is an app that allows you to store vast amounts of information in an organized and concise manner. This information is stored in Notes, Notebooks, and Stacks. Watch the following video to learn how to create these categories.

 

 

Organizing Evernote

Once you have these notes, notebooks, and stacks you will need a system for how these forms of storage will be organized.

This is where the P.A.R.A. method comes in to play. Watch the following video to learn how to create this system.

 

Creating To-Do-Lists

Once you have a project determined and you’ve selected the resources you wish to use, it’s time to create a to-do-list so as make your notes easy to access quickly. Watch the fallowing video to learn how to create a to-do-list with Evernote.

 

Prioritize and Organize

Once you have this to-do-list you will need to determine which tasks need to be accomplished first and add each necessary step to ensure that nothing is overlooked or left out. Watch the following video to learn how to prioritize and organize your to-do-lists.

 

Creating the Perfect Note

With an idea of how your Second Brain will be functioning, it’s time to look deeper into how you create the notes that will be the base of your information storage system. Watch the falling video to learn how to create the perfect note.

Find What Works for You

The main reason for a Second Brain is to allow you to work as efficiently as possible. To make this program fit your lifestyle and your form of learning you will need to experiment with different methods. Watch the following video to learn how I use this program to fit my visual means of learning.

 

Master Flow

To gather large amounts of knowledge and use that knowledge to create projects, you will need to enter into that state of mind where you perform at your best. Watch the following video to learn how to enter into and control your set of flow.

 

Retrieving Notes

The three main categories of a Second Brain are Retaining, Storing, and Retrieving. If you can retain and store the information you gather, yet are unable to find it when you need it, then the entire system crashed down. Watch the following video to learn some tips and tricks on creating notes that you can find.

 

Taking Your Second Brain With You

We have covered a vast amount of ground in this course. With each of these steps and keys to remember it can seem overwhelming.

You Second Brain is meant to free you to learn, not bog you down with restrictions. Watch the falling video to learn how to create your own travel-size Second Brain booklet.

 

Learning, Storing, and Retrieving

Life is all-out learning. No matter what situation you may be in the ability to gain information and improve yourself within that state is what life is all about. So get out there, gathering as much information as your heart desires, storing that knowledge, then turn it into results to show the world just how awesome you are.

 

 

 

We’ve all heard the stories of a fair maiden held captive by some form of evil and the prince who comes to her rescue. These are sweet and endearing, but have you ever taken the time to look at everything these Prince Charming have to go through. It is no easy undertaking that’s for sure.

Another heroic role that has many similarities is that of marketing. True there’s no white stallion or sleeping princesses, but there are plenty of acts of chivalry.

Allow us to step into this world of make believe in in order to get a better idea of what it takes to become a Prince Charming of Marketing.

Computer Savvy

In place of a sword and armor, our heroes of the business world rely on their technical tools and advertisement platforms. Much like magic, these marketers can conger up an email, video ad, or campaign slogan that’s sure to pierce through any dragon that dares to stand between then and their beloved customer.

Multitasking

There are many obstacles that a prince faces along his journey. Beast, witches, and controlling stepmothers. In the world of marketing there are just as many and more challenges that face marketers on any given day. Multiple clients running different campaigns, each using varying  programs and platforms, makes a creepy old lady with an apple looks easy. This is a juggling game that requires multitasking and a great deal of organization skills.

Targeting

Rescuing the right princes is vitally important, otherwise you might end up with an ogre. In the same way, reaching out to the right customer is of utmost importance. The process of finding these customers requires a large amount of research. Who are they, where are they, and how is the best plan of action for reaching them? Without knowing the answers to these questions your advertisements will be a game of hit and miss, sending your companies money down the drain.

Ever-Changing field

It seems that the more time goes by, the more fairy tale stories get harder. It use to be that true love’s kiss could solve every problem. Now you have to consider glass slippers, floating lanterns, and let’s not even talk about the guy who had to turn into a frog. Ever-changing situations is just a fact of life, especially in marketing. With commuters and technology constantly advancing, the ability to learn and a love for learning is a must for this role. There will always be a new, more efficient means of accomplishing a task that will save you time and your company money.

Providing the Need

In the end, rescuing the princess is all that matters. No matter what obstacles or dangers may stand in the way, our prince will find a way to storm the castle walls, sweep her off her feet and carry her off in style. Happy ever afters are what stories and markets are all about. At the end of the day, if a customer’s needs have been provided for and their life is improved because of the product you were able to provide, then you can ride off into the sunset knowing your fairy tell has a happy ending.

 

The road to rescuing a princes is a difficult and territories journey, but a prince with the right characteristics just might be able to make the sale and get the girl.

Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and Kraken. What do all of these creatures have in common? No one believes in them because no one has ever seen them.

If Bigfoot was your mailman, the Loch Ness monster swam around the California beaches, and the Kraken was a usual cruise line sighting, then there would be no doubt of their existence. After all, seeing is believing.

The same is true in the business world.

It matters not how impressive, reliable or revolutionary your product may be, if no one sees it then no one will know it exists. Without the right means of putting your business out in front of the right people, your ambitions will join the list of mythical creatures.

Fortunately, there is an elite force of myth-busters who can help you prove the existence of your product to the world. These man and women are the marketers (dramatic music added).

What is Marketing?

Marketing is the process of getting a product in front of a potential customer.

Many aspects go into this role. To name a few-

Targeting:

This is the process of determining exactly what kind of person would be interested in the given product and how to reach them. If you are selling Moo moos, you could target married women, over the age of 35, with the yearly income of $24,000, by focusing your ads to Facebook. This is an extremely important aspect of marketing since it cost a company money every time one of their adds pops up.

 

Advertising:

This is where seeing becomes believing. By use of advertising a marketer can put your product in front of the chosen customer. If the advertisements are convincing and persuading, then there is an opportunity for a sale to be made.

 

Communication:

The ability to portray your product will be determined by the marketer’s ability to communicate with both you as the company and the customers. If the marketer does not fully understand what the product is that you are selling, then they will be unable to create persuading advertisements. If they are unable to communicate clearly to the customers via those advertisements, then the entire process will be a waste.

 

What Makes Marketing Important?

Without marketing, a company would have their products and the customers would have their needs, but the two would never meet.

Mythical beast doesn’t enjoy their lives of solitude, which may be why some work for insurance complies. In the same way, companies don’t like their products to collect dust on a shelf. Which is why they use marketers.

Consider any product that you use. From your laundry soap to your cell phone. Every item that you invest in is the result of marketing. Without that 50% off sign on your laundry soap you most likely would have gone with Arm and Hammer. If it weren’t for those YouTube adds of iPhones, you would have remained in the dark ages with your flip phone. Regardless of the form in which marketing takes, visually or verbally, the end goal is to convince you the customer that your life will be significantly improved if only you purchase this product.

 

 

Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and Kraken. All of these creatures have one thing in common? They have not marketers proving their existence to the world. The question is, will your product be on the next addition to the mythical creature list?

“If a tree falls in the forest and no one sees it, did it really happen?”

This last week I was assigned with the task of diving deep into the area of Marketing so as to learn exactly how it functions. I had the opportunity to Interview Yitzchak Young  , a experienced and successful Marketer and Copywriter in Growth Marketing. During this interview I came to understand the importance of marketing and its ability to make a companies fallen tree heard.

Here is the summery of our interview.

#1. What made you choose to pursue this role?

“I enjoyed the psychology of it and realized how helpful marketing can be for an individual and organization.”

Starting a business with his brother, Yitzchak discovered the importance of marketing as a role. Learning from ground one, these two brothers used trail and error to determine how to reach their desired audience.

#2 What skills and training are required to fill this role?

“So many. Oh so very many.”

Five of the hard skills that Yitzchak shared are as follows:

1.Study Copywriter and Persuasive Copies.

2. Study Markets. Knowing what the customer actually wants as apposed to what they say they want.

“The least sufficient thing you can do is try to market a product to someone who doesn’t want it, even if they say they do.”

3. Learn how to jungles multiple tasks at once

4. Learn how to work and use different platforms

5. Become good at Excel and Tracking data. Figure out the information you need to target potential customers.

#3 What is the greatest challenge?

“Learning the numbers and how to use Microsoft Excel”

Stating out, Yitzchak didn’t see the necessity of numbers, were as today he does. Numbers and the ability to use them to target customers is what makes the difference between marketing to the right person and making money or marketing to the wrong person and losing mosey.

This is only 20% of marketing though. According to Yitzchak, the other 80% is in gathering the right information. In order to target the right customer you have to know who that customer is, where they are and the best way of going about reaching them.

#4 What is the greatest gain?

“Because I made an as, a person now has a product or service that is impacting their life in a meaningful way.”

Marketing is the act of changing the world one satisfied customer at a time. It is the journey of bringing a person with a need together with the solution they are seeking.

#5 What does your day to day tasks look like?

“Almost everyday is different.”

Depending on what kind of marketing role you have, the company you work for, and the client you are helping, your day to day tasks will vary. However, there are two main tasks that most be accomplished every day.

First, Checking to make sure that the right people or being targeted. Second, that reports are being made concerning what you have accomplished and how effective your outcome was.

#5 What is the significants of Marketing as a whole?

“If a tree falls in the forest and no one sees it, did it really happen?”

If you create the perfect product and construct a stunning website, yet no ones knows about it, does it actually exist?

Without the crucial role of marketing, a company would have no promotion. The permeation of adds and creative draw that brings a customer to a product, resulting in a sale, all comes form marketing.

#6 What does your day to day tasks look like?

“Almost everyday is different.”

Depending on what kind of marketing role you have, the company you work for, and the client you are helping, your day to day tasks will vary. However, there are two main tasks that most be accomplished every day.

First, Checking to make sure that the right people or being targeted. Second, that reports are being made concerning what you have accomplished and how effective your outcome was.

#7 What hard skills are necessary for this role?

“There are so many hard skills in marketing.”

In short, you need to know how to work programs, platforms and targeting. Here are a few areas that will help you improve these skills.

1. Micro Soft
2. Excel
3. Copy Writing
4. SEO
5. Google Adds (or any platform your company is using)
6. Hub spot ( or the CRM you choose to become an expert in)
7. Email sequence
8. Sales letters
9. Writing in general

 

#8 What does it take to succeed in this role?

“As a company, you have to learn how to test your campaigns”

Success as a company means customers. In oder to ensure that this goal is acquired you must be able to test your strategies to prove that they will reach the right audience.

“As a marketer, take mistakes in strides. If you mess up, fix it. If you fail, tray agin.”

Mistakes are opportunities to learn. Use these opportunities to improve yourself and your efficiency. The ability to create value is a marketers means success.

 

#9 If you could give one piece of advice to a young person considering this role, what would it be?

“Understand that what you are getting into is not just promoting ideas and products. You are studying reality, people, and humanity as a whole. Understand that first”

If you go into marketing with the wrong mindset then you will become lost and confused. If you know that this is a role based on human actions and how humanity functions, then you be able to go in knowing exactly what you need to look for to succeed.

 

Just as a fallen tree goes unnoticed if no one is around to hear, so your product could go unnoticed without the right lumberjack marker calling out “Timber!”

I just finished up my 19th move this last week, so I think I can claim the title of professional in this area.

One of my favorite parts about moving into a new place is the empty walls with all their potential. Instantly I start planning where I’ll put this or hang that.

Walls are are a lot like life skills. When you have these skills it’s easy to add experience to them like pictures and wall decor.

In the role of operations, there are four main walls that one can hang their experiences in order to showcase their qualifications and accomplishments.

Creativity

On this wall will be plaques of accomplishment. Obstacles that at first seemed daunting and impossible, yet turned into awards of customer satisfaction and company improvement. On a daily basis, operations personal are faced with situations and dilemmas that require them to look at their tasks form a new angle. Being able to dissect a problem to its core, then put it back together in a manner that will increase its efficiency requires creativity.

Communications

On this wall, you have windows that allow you to see the outside world. An ability to see the needs of others and then effecting show them how to reach the solution to those needs is key in ensuring that your customers achieve satisfaction and the appearance of your band remains untarnished. Communication is the skill that allows this clear view on both sides of the business wall.

Technology

On this wall hangs pictures, capturing a single moment that holds a thousand words. Knowledge of how to run and use technology will allow you to create those outcomes that took a thousand 1s and 0s. Just as a picture, no one sees the background story of your project, but the outcome points to the importance of the journey and the tools used to accomplish it.

Learning

On this wall is mounted a mirror, showing who you are as a person. Every day as you pass by this object it will ask you the question, “who are you”? Are you a person who rises to the challenge of a new situation, embracing the chance to improve yourself? Are you a person who pushes through mental blocks or lack of understanding? Are you a person who loves to learn?

In a world that is constantly changing, this is the key skill that will ensure your ability to succeed. Every task can be learned and every obstacle can be overcome, but only if you are the kind of person who believes that it can.

 

An empty room holds so much potential, but a full room shows that potential. The question is, what will you hang on your walls?