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The Bula Network New Media Niche Project (Join Me And We’ll Learn Together)

We’re all interested in seeing what other don’t see. Bands often sell VIP packages at premium rates to give well-healed fans an opportunity to go back stage. Authors will often invite rabid reading fans to a high priced luncheon where they can interact, ask questions, hear the author speak and get a signed copy of the latest book. We crave greater access.

Equally compelling are the stories people share of their struggle. We watch the Biography channel and see how our favorite stars rose from obscurity to fame. It’s all very intriguing.

In business – especially online business – we’re all drawn in by people willing to share how they went from an idea to launching a website that gained thousands of daily faithful readers. We hear people talk about starting with an email list of only family members, but growing it to hundreds of thousands. How did they do that? It’s the question we all ask. It’s the question we all want answered.

Our assumption is, if they did it, then maybe I can do it, too.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Still, the lessons are worthwhile. Whether we can ever replicate their success or not, there’s surely something valuable in seeing how they did it. If nothing else, it’s fun to hear the stories and to learn a thing or two along the way.

No, I’m not indifferent about learning. Or teaching. I’m quite ready to get on with it. So brace yourself.

Today, I begin a project that you can be part of. Wait, wait, wait. Don’t get too excited because I don’t know enough about all this online stuff to teach you much of anything – other than what doesn’t work!

I’m going to invite you to join me on my journey as a student. I’ll be studying some things. Investing in some things. I’ll tell you what I’m doing and why. I won’t promise you that I’m going to get it right. Shoot, I don’t even know if I’ll be approaching it correctly, but I’ll share with you anyway.

The project is quite simple:

to launch a successful website in a targeted niche and have that site serve as a lead generator for a client

My overall plan is to launch a WordPress site consisting of a blog, podcast and videos.

The content will be aimed squarely at people and companies who need a particular problem solved. It’s a targeted niche.

Many niches have a decent retention rate. That is, people are interested in something and their interest remains or grows over time. Every niche has folks who fall away, but hopefully we pick niches that grow.

For instance, people who are interested in classic pickup trucks enter that niche and continue to remain interested in classic pickup trucks.

The niche I’m going to dive into isn’t like that.

One, it’s a business to business niche. Specifically, it’s a high-end software solution whose target market are companies with annual revenues of $3M and up.

Two, it’s a niche that addresses a specific problem.

Three, when the proper solution is found and the problem is solved, the prospect has no further need for information about this niche.

So I strongly suspect the people who visit the site or listen to the podcast will consume the content as they’re trying to figure out a solution to their problem…but they’ll leave once they find that solution. That’s fine. Expected.

I could be wrong about that, but given the nature of the niche it just seems logical. The plan is to create as much useful content as possible for FREE. Along the way I want to attract as much traffic as I can, but I need that traffic to have high interest in the niche. It will be especially useful if the traffic needs a solution. It will be even more helpful if my client’s solution fills that need. But no matter, greater exposure for my client will benefit their business.

In conjunction with this, I’m going to launch another website with another blog, podcast and videos talking all about this niche project (we’ll call it the Bula Network Niche Project for now). This will be my behind-the-scenes, VIP project where I share with you what I’m doing to make this niche project successful.

What do YOU think? Send me a Tweet.

P.S. Insert your name and email address in the upper right hand corner. I’d like to send you exclusive stuff from Inside The Yellow Studio. Thanks!

 

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How A Health Scare Can Produce Immediate Focus (And Other Little Lessons Learned)

This is a follow-up to the last show. Good news!

We appreciate all the kindness, the thoughts and prayers. Thank you!

Fear will help you prioritize on the fly faster than anything I know. Fear of loss. Fear of suffering. Fear of watching a person you love endure hardship.

Fear can create instant focus. If you’re like me, Fear has his hand on a switch not available to most emotions. The switch that controls distraction and obsession. BAM! In a flash, Fear flips that switch and my life has a clarity that no amount of money could have provided mere seconds earlier.

I’m going to try to learn more from this experience.

The challenges are simple to list, but figuring them out, well…that’s gonna take a lot of work.

1. How can I better manage my own ability to focus? Can I gain greater command of it?

2. How can I be more appreciative, thankful and compassionate?

3. How can I better serve others who are suffering? What actions can I take, what words can I say, what steps can I take to soothe the suffering of others?

4. How can I be more mindful, more aware, of what other people may need – in that moment? What cues should I look for?

As with most challenges and trials, I suspect this one has the capacity to make me better. It’s up to me to use it wisely.

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Trouble, You Can’t Fool Me. I See You Behind That Tree. You Want To Jump On Me.

No podcasts, no videos, no posts, no Twitter, no Facebook, no Skype.

I’m going to be quiet for awhile. This post and this video explain why.

Ry Cooder is among my all-time favorite musicians. On a record called Bop Til You Drop he recorded this song.

Trouble you can't fool me I see you behind that tree
Trouble you can't fool me trying to get the ups on me
Trouble you can't fool me I see you behind that tree
You want to jump on me

We can all sing that song.

Life knocks us down, drags us out into the back alley and kicks our butt. Regularly.

Joys are offset with sorrow and sadness. Thankfully, sadness is then overcome with joy, laughter and good times.

Life is not a tranquil lake…always. Sometimes waves beat on us and fear grips us.

Who can deny that troubles make us better? Watch the Biography channel sometime and you’ll see a story of tough times, challenges and adversity. And you’ll be reminded that you’re watching the story of a famous name! Fame, wealth and prosperity often emerge from tragedy.

Our own success – measured however you choose to measure it – is often the result of muscles we strengthened during tough times.

If you’re suffering right now, press on! If you’re not, press on, but be prepared. Trouble is right behind that tree waiting to jump on you.

As another favorite musician sings, “We’re all just one phone call from our knees.” *

For a little more than a week I’ve been (more frequently and fervently) on my knees praying for the health of my wife of 34-1/2 years, Rhonda. I recorded this on Thursday, June 7th. As this post publishes on Tuesday, June 12th, we’re in a hospital where she’s having surgery at the hands of a doctor she’s worked for – for 15 years. That’s a whole ‘nother story.

As always, I owe you a big THANK YOU for giving me your time and attention. I know how valuable they both are.

Hold a good thought for Rhonda this week — please.

* When trouble comes I think we belong on our knees. And yes, I do have a man-crush on Mat Kearney. And he knows it. Even if he doesn’t acknowledge me.

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My Current Reading Habits (And Some Changes I’m Going To Make)

My love affair with books didn’t fully engage until late in high school. Well, that’s when it began. During my first semester of college it was full-blown. It’s been relentless ever since.

Before that reading was a favorite thing, but not books. Magazines. I loved Popular Science. Audio. Stereo Review. High Fidelity. Rolling Stone. Melody Maker.

Peppered in there somewhere were a few sports biographies, historical biographies and Mad Magazine’s Snappy Answers To Stupid Questions, Vol. I and Vol. II.

It dawned on me – don’t ask me what took me so long – that my reading habits are terrible.

One, I juggle too many books at one time.

Two, I suffer too much book envy.

So I’m going to attempt to change a few things. What about you? What do your reading habits look like?

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Escaping What Could Have Been: Love Works Wonders In Our Livelihood

In 1973 the Texas Rangers drafted a left-handed high school pitcher from Houston, David Clyde. Due to many circumstances beyond his control, his career was derailed by abusive ownership and management. Not yet ready for the major leagues, he was thrust into the spotlight in hopes of driving up fan attendance to a struggling baseball franchise that had just moved from Washington, DC to Arlington, Texas. He burned out. Physically. When a pitcher’s arm goes, he’s useless to his employer.

David Clyde is the poster child of “what could have been” in baseball circles. Just another sad story of a person put into a bad circumstance.

Andy Stanley has a leadership podcast that I listen to. Last week Andy talked with Joel Manby, CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment, about his new book, Love Works. In the interview, Joel talks about having been the North American CEO of Saab. One Easter Sunday he got a call from the Global CEO of Saab, calling him on the carpet for poor financial results. His boss demanded he get on a plane and fly to Sweden immediately. Upon arrival he was berated in front of all his peers.

I’ve not read Joel’s book yet, but I plan on it. Today, Michael Hyatt blogged a review about it.

From major league sports to corporate boardrooms to family living rooms – there are countless people stuck in situations that are holding them back. Preventing them from what’s possible. Catapulting them toward the land of What-Could-Have-Been.

I hope you’re not among them, but if you are — there’s hope. You can do something about it. You must do something about it, starting today!

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The Fear Of Failure Has No ON/OFF Switch

What’s does it mean to fail anyway?

Does failure have a time zone…or a time component? That is, if you’re unable to accomplish something in a predefined period of time…does that make you a failure? Or does it just mean you’re a slower learner?

Beware of the person who says they have no fear.

Remember when the NO FEAR brand was a big deal (well, maybe it still is, but I don’t see it much these days). I admit I had a few baseball caps from that company. I embraced the notion of moving forward in spite of fear, but I’ve never believed we could just make up our mind that we would no longer be afraid.

Sure, fear can be overcome, but isn’t there something about fear that makes us alive? Don’t we get our juices going when we’re afraid? How else can you explain the wild attraction people have to horror movies like SAW? Some of us enjoy being afraid.

Have you ever been scared enough to run? Scared enough to do something other than what you were doing? Me, too.

There are times when fear drives us to take actions we wouldn’t otherwise take. And there are also times when we have to face our fear – and do the thing we’re afraid of any way!

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