A "Stressless”, "Fearless” life - Eliminating all fear and stress from life ain’t gonna happen, BUT it is definitely possible to reduce the amounts of both...to "stress less", and "fear less". This week, I’m giving you the 5 keys to do just that… Purpose What is your overall mission in life? What is the reason you're driven to get out of bed each day? If you don’t know your purpose, that’s okay. It will evolve and change over time, but defining a reason is important. Pick one. I believe our m...
Jan 28, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast As you may know, I am quite the tech nerd. I enjoy checking out the latest AI gizmos, searching for things that are actually useful, productivity boosters (which I really need after wasting so much time playing with said gizmos). One of the more interesting tools I've found is Google's NotebookLM. You feed it a document and it generates a "podcast" about the contents using two artificial hosts. Since Black Friday is coming up, I decided I would test it using a blog post I wrote a couple of ye...
Oct 31, 2024•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast I know not everyone who listens to my podcast is over 50, but God willing, someday you will be, so stick with me. 50 doesn't seem old these days (depending on who you're asking), but for many of us, it's when our bodies begin to show a little wear and tear. In our twenties, we might pull a muscle if we lift something too heavy...In our 50's, that same injury could be caused by a sneeze. My point is, some of the freedom we earn by being entrepreneurs becomes more of a necessity than a luxur...
Oct 18, 2024•7 min•Ep 667•Transcript available on Metacast Even with the often overwhelming amount of skills required to run a successful business, I still maintain that Writing is the one to rule them all...but, why? Before I answer, let me point out the fact that I'm calling this a "skill", not a "talent". Talents are innate, whereas skills can be learned. This is an important distinction to note because it is a common misconception that great writers are born, not made. I do agree that this skill is easier to develop for some, tougher for others, but...
Sep 17, 2024•5 min•Ep 666•Transcript available on Metacast What would you do if you found yourself over $100 Million in debt at the age of 62? Would you just wait to die, and let the living deal with the aftermath...Or would you start digging yourself out of the hole? In this episode, I want to share the story of Karl Eller. It's a quick story with a powerful message about possibilities, and not giving up. It's also a great reminder about the thing we mostly see as a handicap, age, and how it can give us an incredible power - Experience . Key Insights ...
Aug 09, 2024•4 min•Ep 665•Transcript available on Metacast I've known this week's guest for many years...Long enough to have seen her go from financial struggle, to now having a day's revenue that surpasses what used to be her annual income. How did she do it? One of the big "secrets" involves a struggle that I see in nearly every class I teach, or mastermind I participate in: Facing the fear of "high-ticket offers" . Most people seem to have settled on an arbitrary number that defines the value of their product or service as they see it. Any significan...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep 664•Transcript available on Metacast Some businesses seem to be stuck on the Struggle Bus. They putter along as far as they can go until...Poof. The ride is over. The business is no more. Why is this? How can it be so easy for some and seemingly impossible for others? I believe there are 5 things you must recognize and control if you want to ditch the struggle and enjoy success - And that's what I'm sharing with you on this week's episode. 5 Momentum Makers That Move Mountains Mindset - This is not some new-aged hooey. Your ...
Jul 23, 2024•6 min•Ep 663•Transcript available on Metacast I've certified many copywriters who hold degrees in professions not associated with writing – Physicians, attorneys, engineers... In fact, I've had relatively few students with any professional writing experience. If you've ever thought about trading your current career for a writing career, but the transition seemed impossible, my guest this week may inspire you to follow your heart. Camille Pardo abandoned her "draining" teaching career to pursue a profitable passion – Copywriting. Camille has...
Jul 02, 2024•19 min•Ep 662•Transcript available on Metacast Who are you, and why are you here? That’s the question my podcast guest, Graham Cochrane, is helping us answer today. “Most of us,” Says Graham, “are living a life crafted by other people: family, social media, societal expectations, etc. We’ve conformed to the patterns of everyone around us without even meaning to.” Graham shows how to truly create YOUR life of freedom, joy, and meaning—on your terms, not someone else’s. During this conversation, he walks us through his simple five-part framewo...
Jun 18, 2024•40 min•Ep 661•Transcript available on Metacast Many technological advances come with a healthy dose of fear, and that has definitely been the case with AI - especially with writers and artists . "Why would someone pay me when they can just ask an AI to generate something for them at virtually no cost?" This week, I have an answer...one that gives me the right to gloat a bit. Since the beginning of the A.I. craze, I have maintained that A.I. is a tool...An extremely powerful tool that works best when wielded by a skilled artist. On this episo...
May 21, 2024•6 min•Ep 660•Transcript available on Metacast Economic "Tough Times" are here, but not yet fully here. What can you do to protect yourself and your business? I've got some wisdom to share from someone who's been through tough economic times before...Me. This week, I'll give you the 7 moves you should make right now to not just survive, but thrive in this economy. I make no claims to be a financial expert, and I'm not handing out any investment advice or the like. What I'm sharing today are 7 things that I'm doing to prepare for a toughe...
May 15, 2024•12 min•Ep 659•Transcript available on Metacast I want to talk to you about the incredible power of writing. The power of storytelling . And how it can help you connect with your divine purpose. Yes, even if the writing you do is marketing or sales copy. That’s the subject of this week’s podcast episode. In the podcast, I propose the idea that we writers are, in a sense, prophets. And as prophets, we are tasked with spreading a message of love, hope, and purpose to the world … through our work. I know it’s a little “out there” - but it’s shor...
May 08, 2024•5 min•Ep 658•Transcript available on Metacast Let me preface this by acknowledging that most people (myself included) cannot instantly, and completely "disconnect" for two weeks. In my case, I had a full two years of notice, and it still wasn't easy. Back in 2022, my wife and I decided to actually take the trip we'd been talking about taking for decades: A trip to the Netherlands. We purchased a non-refundable, non-transferable, two-week package for the two of us. I was committed. No turning back . Like any driven entrepreneur, I had ...
Apr 22, 2024•15 min•Ep 657•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode is Part 3 of my Writer's Rewind Series, and it's all about why your copy isn't performing the way you think it should. There's a reason it isn't converting, and most likely, it's one (or more) of the 5 reasons I'm about to give you. Listen to learn what they are, and how to fix them. 5 Reasons Your Copy Is Failing Failure to understand the "P" in the P.A.S.T.O.R. Framework Not doing enough research Not dealing with competing solutions Your not getting the offer right Not en...
Apr 15, 2024•6 min•Ep 656•Transcript available on Metacast This is part 2 of the "Writer's Rewind" series. I'm devoting this month to covering some of the fundamentals of great copy, and in the case of this week's episode, why copy itself is so fundamentally important to the success of your business, regardless of what that business is . This episode was originally released almost a decade ago (the day I celebrated my 50th birthday). I must admit, I was pleased that none of this content is "outdated". All the reasons I gave to support my claim are no...
Apr 08, 2024•10 min•Ep 655•Transcript available on Metacast This week’s podcast is a refresher on the core basics of writing persuasive copy (and everything is copy — it’s not ONLY sales pages and emails). If you can write effective sales copy, you can literally write your own paycheck. There really should be no such thing as a “broke copywriter” . And there should be no such thing as a business owner or entrepreneur who is NOT a copywriter. By definition, good copywriters can create money out of thin air . So this leads to a very important question: why...
Apr 01, 2024•31 min•Ep 654•Transcript available on Metacast Who else wants to reduce your financial stress and create a stable source of income from your business? This is the way : shift to a membership-based business model. I know what you might be thinking: “Geez, Uncle Ray… that sounds complicated, and anyways… ain’t everybody sick of all the subscriptions?” My answers are : it doesn't have to be complicated, and I can prove it to you. And yes, we are all tired of subscriptions… except for the ones we love . The ones you will only cancel when someone...
Mar 27, 2024•24 min•Ep 653•Transcript available on Metacast On last week's episode, I boldly declared, "Writing gets you everything you want." This week, I'm giving you some proof of how that has been true in my life. You may already be thinking, "But Ray, you're a writer...of course writing has been important in your career." The thing is, the proof I'm offering today has nothing to do with writing jobs . I wasn't hired to be a writer, but my writing is what got me hired, kept me working, got me promotions, and many other opportunities I would not have...
Mar 21, 2024•17 min•Ep 652•Transcript available on Metacast This week, I'm answering some of the most common questions I'm receiving from listeners, viewers, and readers. Since they keep coming up (some for many years), I feel that my answers will be helpful to more than just those who took the time to ask. If I missed anything (or Heaven forbid, you disagree), feel free to leave a comment, or reach out to support@rayedwards.com . Key Insights What do I do in this economy? This question doesn't always end with "economy"...It could be any number of t...
Mar 13, 2024•13 min•Ep 651•Transcript available on Metacast You create content to build an audience...not the other way around! This week, I'm proposing that you create your content for an audience of one, and my guest, Jody Maberry, is living proof that this strategy works. There are only two ingredients to this recipe: Do content that you're passionate about. Show Up . It's as simple as that. And, if you have any doubts about your abilities or my advice, perhaps Jody's story will boost your confidence in both. Key Insights You don't need a big...
Feb 12, 2024•18 min•Ep 650•Transcript available on Metacast I very often get some form of this question: "Is 58 too late to ____?" The number is arbitrary, and this line of questioning can go on and on... Am I too old? Am I too fat? Am I too thin? Am I too shy? Am I too... whatever . This week, I'm giving you my best answer to all of those questions. Key Insights Many people are asking if it's "too late" What is your purpose? Purpose drives persistence Raving fans beat satisfied customers Build your personal brand based on who you really are Not bei...
Feb 05, 2024•11 min•Ep 649•Transcript available on Metacast Many Christians are culturally programmed to feel guilty about wealth, but is poverty God's plan for us? No! Today I propose that God wants you to prosper in all things that are good, including business (and I have the verses to prove it). We are engaged in a spiritual battle Poverty is spiritual warfare Read I Thessalonian's chapter 4, beginning with verse 9 "Brotherly Love" is a core concept of our faith Relationships based on love and unity create an environment where poverty dissipates We c...
Jan 25, 2024•5 min•Ep 648•Transcript available on Metacast Uh oh...January 1 has come and gone. Is it too late to make plans for a better New Year ? Of course not. Regardless of how far along Earth may be in its journey around the sun, you are free to implement these 7 P's that will make for a more prosperous future. Prepare - physically, mentally, emotionally for the things you know are coming up in your life and in your business. You know what needs to be prepared, just do it. Propose - The more offers you make, the more money you make Promot...
Jan 11, 2024•5 min•Ep 647•Transcript available on Metacast This week I'm giving you a simple, 5-step process to help make 2024 the best year your business has ever had. Of course, I said "simple"...not easy. The toughest pill for most business owners to swallow is this: You probably need to stop doing 20-50% of what you're doing right now . In other words, take a look at 2023 and figure out what things gave you the least ROI. What things took the most of your resources and returned anything less than "worth it". That's the prep work...Listen to get my 5...
Dec 31, 2023•5 min•Ep 646•Transcript available on Metacast In this week's episode, I'm talking about a single, magic word that has the power to reduce your stress and give you more time to do the things that matter to you. What is this "Magic Word" ? "No" People seem to have no issue asking for our time, our attention, our money, etc. But for some reason, we often feel bad about saying no. It makes us feel like we're not doing our part, or being negative, or a bad person. "No" is just a response. It's neither good nor bad, but learning to use it can hav...
Dec 21, 2023•4 min•Ep 645•Transcript available on Metacast It's almost that time of year... Time to declare big changes for 2024! And then abandon those declarations in a few short weeks. I'm not trying to be negative, but the reality is: It's hard to make significant changes in ourselves. Only 3% of people stick to their big resolutions. But why ? That's what we'll take a look at in this week's episode. Change is possible...and it can be much easier than you think. Key Insights Change happens when the pain of not changing is greater than the difficul...
Dec 14, 2023•7 min•Ep 644•Transcript available on Metacast The P.A.S.T.O.R. Framework® is the formula I use to craft every piece of sales copy I write. It is also the most "borrowed" piece of knowledge that I've ever taught. I've seen it shared in countless blog posts, videos, and forums around the net (often without proper attribution, but that's okay...I guess). The thing is, to really use this formula effectively, you need to learn a little more than just what each letter of the acronym stands for. This week, I'm diving deeper into each step of the p...
Dec 10, 2023•15 min•Ep 643•Transcript available on Metacast I have previously claimed that Writer's Block does not exist. That was true for me at least...until recently. What happened? How could my seemingly endless well of ideas and words suddenly run dry? This week I'm sharing the cause, and the cure. Key Insights Expressing my gratitude for you in this season of thanks Suddenly self-conscious Age is NOT a handicap in this arena. There is value in your wisdom Accept who you are and embrace your imperfections Be a source of positivity online and in...
Nov 22, 2023•8 min•Ep 642•Transcript available on Metacast Building your business and your brand requires a particular set of skills. I want to talk about those skills (one in particular), but also issue a reminder about your other brand...the one built by others. Your shadow brand . What is it, and how do you manage it? Key Insights What's the best, must-have skill for creating cash flow and building wealth? AI has made it easier to build a business with less human help, but at a certain level you must start hiring people. The harder you work, the ...
Nov 17, 2023•15 min•Ep 641•Transcript available on Metacast "People Pleasing" is NOT the way to build a brand. You might build a BIG list that way, but you won't build a QUALITY one. Your list, your followers, your subscribers... They need to know the real you if you want to build a meaningful connection. (You know, the kind that brings in revenue for your business.) Your message must align with your brand. My guest this week is known as "the People Displeaser" (a.k.a. Nick Pollard), and he has done exactly that. Nick and I will discuss his journey, and ...
Nov 06, 2023•40 min•Ep 640•Transcript available on Metacast