Most of think, including me for a long time, that vacations cost “a lot” of money. In fact, if your traveling in the US, the hotels, food at expensive restaurants, and gifts for friends and folks back home can leave you empty handed and a big burnt hole in your pocket.
But not this time.
I just got back from a 35 day trip to Brazil with my “new” (yes new) fiance. We visited 8 different cities and took literally 7 “mini-vacations.”
We vacationed and took a…
- 5 day trip to Natal, where I learned the secret to flushing the toilets in Brazil (hint: don’t flush the paper down) and ate lobster like it was our job for $3 a piece.
- 5 days in Rio de Janiero where I proposed to Alessandra at Corcovado “the Christ Statue”
- 14 days in Goiania, Alessandra’s hometown and where I gained most of my 16 extra pounds
- 3 days in Caldas Novas, the land of a natural hot springs and the monster 1.5 ton cow beast (Dan Kennedy would be proud)
- 4 days camping in the middle of nowhere on a sandbar in the Aruaguia river, where the piranha’s are an Aphrodisac and poker goes til’ 7am.
- 3 days in Pirenopolis, where I learned that Alessandra’a uncle is the world’s biggest 80’s fan… he loves Heart.
The best part…
I made more money being on vacation than “actually” doing work back home.
Honestly, I “maybe” worked 5-8 hours throughout the entire 35 day trip and I still made a nice chunk of change *completely* on autopilot.
So what do I attribute it to?
A couple of things.
Creating Passive Websites
Ah… the beauty of affiliates and consistent, residual traffic. You can’t beat that.
This was a nice portion of the income I earned while I was away. When I create new products I first map out a plan for generating affiliates and creating that evergreen, residual traffic stream to consisntely drive new leads, prospects and sales to the new site.
When your creating your product, first off, it’s gotta be good. You can’t polish a piece of crap with pretty graphics.
Proof, proof, proof, case studies, case studies, case studies are everything.
One thing Yanik Silver mentioned before was, “do it, document it, and profit from it.”
I always kept that at the top of mind when creating new products. Because without the proof and some case studies of whether YOU have proved it first, it’s a tough sell… it’s then theory and theory doesn’t sell too well without some serious poop polishing.
Ok I’m getting off topic here, but ah yes. Passive income.
This comes from affiliates, ppc, and other jv partners. Creating this base of affiliates to drive traffic to your site is critical to creating a 5-figure passive income starting today.
Are you building a list of “just” affiliates?
Another thing and I learned this from Rich Schefren a ways ago, “Build a business, not an income.” So true. So start thinking long term, bigger larger themed businesses not one off websites that “make money.”
Keeping the Pipeline Full
I learned this when I worked for my friend Joseph Visconti’s company, Valuerich, when I was a executive salesman in which I had to sell magazine ad space to CFO, CEO’s, and Marketing Managers of small-cap public companies.
It was all about keeping the “pipeline” full.
What is that?
Simple. You stop getting prospects, marketing for potential clients, or driving traffic your pipeline becomes empty and you produce no sales. You then have to ramp back up build up your pipeline of potential clients or customers and like any numbers game, there is a conversion.
In my Product Launch Consulting company, Powerlaunch, from where I learned most all of my strategies from my indirect mentors Jeff Walker and Frank Kern, it’s always about creating a consistent flow of prospects coming into your pipeline.
Some clients can afford you but about 90% cannot. So keeping that new influx of potential prospects especially in a high ticket “hands-on” transaction like product launches is essential.
Ideally, knowing that 90% can’t take on me or you, you then create a range of products that they can purchase from you to get some of the knowledge that you provide with the consulting (duh I should do this)
Residual Results Based Marketing Campaigns
This is something I learned from Jay Abraham and one of my mentor’s Bob Serling…
“Create a marketing campaign inject it into a business. Take the same campaign and inject it into another, then another, then another. In the end you have case studies, proof, and something that is, and most importantly it’s PROVEN to work.”
It’s that simple.
You have a “proven” campaign that has worked with this Company A and produced $3,583 in 3 days, produced $14,738 in 5 days for Company B, and produced $7,873 in 7 days for Company C.
Companies today are looking for proven ways to make more money. Not a fancy ad they got from a ad agency which is new and unique and most likely will fail.
Give them stuff that works, that will make them money immediately, and you have a client and passive income for life.
Now that you have a proven campaign, results, proof, AND case studies you simply SCALE IT UP. But before you scale it up, you create your systems, your processes, find competent people to put into your system, and then promote the heck out of yourself and your company.
You can do this through direct mail, endorsed mailings (via email), space ads in newspapers, or through your warm network of friends, collegues, and joint venture partners.
The beauty about this is every time your clients run one of your proven campaign in their business… you get paid… and paid handsomely.
Just imagine having 3, 5, 15, or like a friend of mine, 250 businesses using your marketing.
Can you imagine the checks and money flowing into your bank account?
An ungodly amount.
Anyhow, I hope this helps some people to start thinking more RESIDUAL, more HAND’S OFF, more AUTOMATED, and more LONG TERM.
Cheers,
Chris Brisson
P.S. When I left Delray for Brazil I mentioned to Michael Masterson, “I bet being away for 35 days, I’ll make more money.” At around day 22 I sent him an email saying “it’s true.”
He said…
“Vacations are very good… but you won’t make any money on them unless you spend the time at the office sloggin away.”
So take his word for it. Vacations are great. Bust some arse, build your systems so you can then truly create a residual ever growing business to enjoy your vacations.
P.P.S. I must thank Brandon Fredrickson for inspiring me to write this. He gave me a case of “vacation’s over, get to work.” Thank Brandon.
P.P.P.S. Alessandra if you’re reading this… I love you baby. (Had to throw that in there guys)
I’m a big fan of Todd and give much credit to him helping me “see the light.” So grab a pen, a pad of paper, download this call and take some serious notes.
