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December 2007

Upcoming TurnKey Publishing Series – Concept Titles and Cover Art Teasers

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TurnKey Publishing Book Cover ConceptThis is mostly a teaser post for the folks who are curious as to what is happening “behind the scenes”.

I am currently laying the groundwork for my next major publishing series, “The TurnKey Publishing” Book & Audio Series. It is modeled similarly to “The TurnKey Investor“Series. The TurnKey Publishing titles are slated to start rolling out in 2008, 5 years after my publishing company (Ascend Beyond Publishing) and my first book, The Intrepid Way, was published in 2003.

A lot has happened in the last 5 years and I have certainly learned a lot about the art and craft of creating and building a publishing business. It continues to grow at a steady pace. Although I like real estate, I like the publishing business even more. And so, I am looking forward to producing and releasing the titles.

If you visit TurnKeyPublisher.com, you will see it consists of one announcement page with some teaser information. I don’t typically release the names of the projects I work on until I am well under way. However, because it is an all-new book and audio series, I needed to experience the “look and feel” of the artwork by viewing it on a live website.  I will let it sit there for a few days to see if I want to keep the current design.

My disclaimer to what I am sharing is that EVERYTHING is subject to change. The titles, the projects, the cover art, etc. are all subject to modification or even scrapped if I don’t feel something is appropriate.

Having said all that, enjoy the “behind the scenes” peek and if you have any constructive criticism and feedback, feel free to email me.

The Investors Roundtable of Columbus-GA Returns!

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Tony CallowayFollowing my November announcement that The Investors Roundtable of Columbus, GA would be discontinued, my friend and student Tony Calloway took the initiative to “informally” continue what I had left behind with The Investors Roundtable meetings.

Several weeks passed and I have observed from afar how the group has progressed. I am pleased to say that even without my or Wes Weaver’s guidance or direction, they have maintained the energy and enthusiasm to move forward together.

Clearly the structure and format has changed under Tony’s leadership. He has brought a new tone and energy to the group. Whereas I led with a “strong hand” and singular mandate, Tony brings a consensus-building, democratic sensibility to the group. It allows the members to participate more in the leadership of the group.

Having seen positive results under Tony’s leadership, I agreed to support Tony from afar. I have no desire to actively manage or lead the group but I am interested in seeing the group flourish and grow. To that end, I have formally supported Tony’s efforts to continue and grow the group.

I will assist in bringing awareness and publicity to the group through my websites. I will also assist in bringing credibility and education to the group by making my published materials to the membership at a discounted price.

I firmly believe that the strength of a group comes from the strength of the leadership. There is another group that regularly meets in Columbus, GA. I do not believe in its leadership nor do I believe in its effectiveness. And so, while I respect the membership and their efforts, I cannot endorse them.

I am a person who believes you should be discriminating who you accept as a member into a group. You are judged by your achievements and performance, not simply having money and being interested.

As long as Tony and I continue to be aligned in the mission, I will continue to support the ongoing efforts of The Investors Roundtable of Columbus-GA.

ScanCafe: A Photo Collector’s Best Friend

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In the entire history of this blog, I do not think I have been moved to make a stellar recommendation about any vendor I have no personal relationship with.

Today, I will be doing exactly that. For years, I have had stacks of 35mm negatives sitting in various envelopes stored in a box in my closet. These are photos I have taken since the early 1980’s up until a few years ago when I finally made the move to all-digital photos.

I love photos because they can tell a story about how one lives life. It also allows you to relive those special (and not so special) moments in life. It is also great if you are building a legacy to leave behind. I have photo albums assembled over the years. However, in later years, the photos simply accumulated because I did not put a high priority in organizing them into albums.

I find that while having photo albums are nice for yourself, they are not conducive to sharing with others. Also, physical photos deteriorate and degrade over time.

I am not sure how it came about but I started researching companies that could scan in photos into digital JPEG format. There are many companies that do so but I ran into one that was exceptionally inexpensive compared to its competitors. It was ScanCafe. And for that inexpensive price, they offered a LOT. Normally, I am skeptical so I try to do my homework. After doing so, I took a chance on ScanCafe by sending 100 photos on 35mm negatives.

After a very uncomplicated process of selecting which photos I wanted to discard from scanning, I was left with a selection of photos that were going to be sent to me on DVD-ROM in high-resolution format. I have to say that photos from the DVD are amazing! It is like traveling back in time looking at these 15-20 year photos that look so clear and colorful. I have definitely changed in appearance from 15 years ago! (Look at the photo and you will see what I mean!) I was definitely moved by the experience of looking at these photos which are 15-20 years old.

I was so impressed, I assembled another batch of 800 photos on 35mm negatives to send to ScanCafe. That is 8 times the number of photos I sent during the initial trial run.

If you are 30 years old and over with older photos, chances are you will love and appreciate what ScanCafe has to offer. People under 30 most likely jumped directly into digital photos. They have limited experience in 35mm photos.

I don’t personally know anyone at ScanCafe, get no referral fee, and simply a happy customer. But I am so absolutely hooked that I am scrounging around for more photos to send to them. Having high-resolution photos of old photos at my disposal is amazing. I can print and email any of them at will. I am no longer constrained by envelopes and photos albums.

Go check out ScanCafe. I think you will want to dig out old photos and negatives once you do. They are an awesome vendor with a great service.

Those Charming Mac vs. PC Commercials

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Mac vs. PCI am not sure when the commercials took hold in my brain but after nearly 2 years of seeing Apple put on different “Mac vs. PC” commercials, I decided to go to YouTube.com to find more of those “Mac vs. PC” commercials to view.

Can you imagine that? I actually went out of my way to go view MORE commercials! I guess the ads appeal to two sides of me: the techno-geek and the entrepreneurial marketing sides.

I have long listened to both the PC and Mac sides fight for their side. I personally use the PC and Windows XP simply because there are so many more hardware and software options to choose from. Yes, I admit I have had my share of of PC and Windows problems over the years. But, at the end of the day, it is very much in the majority and well supported.

In any case, I don’t have a lot of emotion either way. However, I found it interesting that there were some very negative comments regarding the same commercials I found quite funny and charming. I know the commercials are supposed to be in favor of Macs. Duh, it was made by Apple. And yet, some of the PC-mongers are bent out of shape because they think the commercials are “malicious” and “hateful”. Are you kidding me?

Yes, there are friendly jabs at the PC but I found them to be honest and truthful. What I like about the commercials…. it is consistent, simple, and humorous. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. As a student of marketing, I thought it was genius.

According to Wikipedia, there are 3 dozen versions of the “Mac vs. PC” commercials. Yikes, that is a long series of commercials. I think through YouTube.com, I saw at least 20 of them.

Anyhow, here is a batch of 15 short commercials from YouTube.com. (The videos were deleted from YouTube. You can do a search on “mac vs. pc commercials” to find samples to watch)

Do you agree with me that they are funny and charming commercials? Or do you really think, they are truly “hateful, malicious, and offensive”?

Like Attracts Like, Unlike Repels Unlike

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In my two recent trips in Colorado Springs, I can say it has not been dull. I have come into contact and interacted with a variety of people. Most of the interactions have been by choice, not a requirement.

Unlike my interactions in Columbus, GA where I am known within some circles, I start with a clean slate in Colorado Springs. I am a complete unknown and basically just an out-of-town guy trying to establish some kind of new home and community for himself.

Like anyone else, I would like to be liked and respected. But if that does not happen, then so be it. My world does not necessarily go into a tizzy if I am not absolutely liked or respected. I have matured to the point that my self-worth is not necessarily measured by my ability to win a popularity contest.

What has been interesting to observe is the to-and-fro of the relationships encountered thus far. I have been drawn to some people and some people have been drawn to me. I have repelled some people and some people have repelled me. However it happens, I tend to think it happens for the best. Everyone sorts themselves out on who they want to associate with and spend time with by how they prioritize their time.

I am not into forcing people together. I have the good fortune of mostly not having to deal or interact with people I do not want to or prefer to.

I think many people take it personally when relationships and friendships do not work out. I think that if it doesn’t work out, it is ok. For a relationship or friendship to work, both parties have to want it and show it.

Today, I had lunch with a student who was older than me by 10 years. He invited me to lunch earlier this week. I was flattered and happy for the opportunity to interact with a local. We talked about real estate investing and he asked for my views and insights. I happily gave them. In that interaction, I got a much better sense of him as a person and he did of me.

Although we were different in many ways, I saw that we had many similar values despite our exterior appearances. Despite him being 10 years my senior, he was very respectful which only made me respect him more. He wanted to know more my views but in the process I also learned more about him.

The lunch lasted two hours. It was a long lunch. The lesson I took out of it what made it work is that I was willing to let my guard down and open up and reveal some personal information. So was he. In the opening, some degree of trust was created.

This also happened with the couple I am renting my cabin from. Although there are certainly differences, we also share some core values. I have grown to like my “landlords” a great deal. They are great people. It is funny that they are creating this relationship with me as a “tenant”. But it required a mutual sense of trust to open up and share some personal information.

In this creation of trust, we may end up investing together. It is too early too tell if it will actually happen but at least the sentiment is there. I am not overly concerned with the outcome. I am simply happy we can kick back, connect, and create a mutually beneficial friendship.

A couple of other relationships have not progressed quite as well. I am a little disappointed. Despite my efforts to open up first, I certainly do not feel the reverse. I do not think they are bad people but clearly their guard was up or what they were willing to share was filtered. Everything feels a bit “polite”.

What I want to leave you with is, why do you like some people more than others? Why are you attracted to them? More importantly, what kinds of people are attracted to you? Why are they attracted to you? I think you will find a pattern in there that will be eye-opening.

I look at my team in Columbus and the people who I have great, professional relationships with. I can articulate exactly why I like each member of my team and I have a good idea why they like me on their team. At some level, I have a friendship with each of these individuals. It starts as a professional relationship but we are drawn together because we like and trust each other. We share goals, values, and interests together.

And so I say, Like Attracts Like, Unlike Repels Unlike.

Giving Edgy, Hard-Hitting, & Unconventional Presentations

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This my 1st Insight Article based on my recent Colorado Springs Seminar…

It seems the mantra of choice for any presentation I give to a group nowadays is “edgy, hard-hitting, and unconventional”. For me, speaking in front of a group is a delicate balance of showmanship, authenticity, truth, and impactfulness.

Essentially, I believe if I speak to a group of people, I should make an impact and make a difference, not just burn up time. I know there are a lot of ways of doing so but the trick is to do it in a way that resonates with my own personality and style.

I have attended too many seminars and presentations where the “bullshit factor” and “sleaze factor” is high. I tend to believe I can get at least a nugget of wisdom from almost any speaker but jeez, why do I have to put up with a high “bullshit factor” and “sleaze factor” to do so?

And while there are credible and informative speakers, some are basically so boring, monotone, and “sanitized” for political correctness, the truth and impact gets lost.

My attitude is that I am an imperfect human being but always seeking to improve my performance. However, I also believe that life is too short to continually “filter and sanitize” my communications especially in areas which I consider important and personal. My business, my work, and my team are areas that are both important and personal to me. I tell it like it is, good or bad.

I understand there is professional etiquette and social graces but it can be taken to the extreme. If an occasional 4-letter word slips out of my mouth, then so be it. If I happen to make a negative broad generalization over a certain occupation or industry such as real estate agents and the brokerage industry, then so be it. However, keep in mind that it is only a generalization and it is context sensitive, not an attack on any individual. As a general rule, I do not judge the life worth of people or whether they are fundamentally “good or bad” people. I tend to make judgments and negative statements in context-sensitive manner. If my audience reads more into it and start taking things badly and personally, I would say that is their issue.

One of the reasons I have made little effort to promote myself to speak more is that I like to have a great deal of control who my audience is. Going forward, I intend to keep my “edgy and unconventional” approach and people will be forewarned. It is like going to see an “R-rated” movie. If someone wants a “G” or “PG” presentation, go elsewhere. But if an audience wants something more gritty, real, and can deal with a “PG-13” or “R-rating” presentation, come to me.

Insight Articles from Colorado Springs Seminar

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COS SeminarOn Wed, Dec 5, I completed what I considered to be the inaugural meeting of “The Investors Roundtable” of Colorado Springs. It was an all-new endeavor working with new acquaintances. But everyone was willing to “give it a shot” and I certainly did my best to “deliver the goods”.

The main purpose was to kick off The Investors Roundtable group with an enticing but relevant seminar which was entitled “Building a Real Estate Investment Portfolio in a Down Market” that was focused on Colorado Springs.

The “promise”that was going to be delivered was the following:

  • The Art & Science of Portfolio-Building
  • 5 Strategies for building a real estate portfolio if you have limited time, expertise, cash, or credit
  • Why the best time to build a real estate portfolio is in a slower market and economic cycle
  • What happens to assets, wealth, and equity created and lost during up-markets and up-cycles
  • The types of people who should absolutely avoid and should never invest in real estate
  • The types of people who can never stop doing real estate deals and the types of people who can stop within 5 years.
  • The single crucial x-factor every investor must decide BEFORE they buy their first investment
  • The 5 Deadly Sins of Real Estate Investing that destroy portfolios and investment careers
  • The 3 Investment Criteria professional investors use that amateurs do not
  • The “true returns on investment” professional investors rarely reveal to the general public
  • The 4 Rules on the Mindset of Money amateur investors never learn until it’s too late
  • The 3 Unavoidable Events that will occur in the real estate market between now and 2010
  • The 6 opportunities and differences between 1st-tier and 2nd-tier cities
  • The Current Market Velocity of Colorado Springs
  • 5 Reasons Why Colorado Springs is a better market to invest in than Denver
  • The 4 Factors “outside investors” see in Colorado Springs that “native investors” routinely ignore
  • The pros and cons of investing with Investment Teams vs. investing alone

As you can see, it was quite ambitious for a 3-hour evening seminar on a cold December night. Not only that, it was only $25 per ticket. What a steal.

Typically, my small seminars are fairly organic. In other words, I have a loose outline of what I will cover, but I rely on flip-charts and have the students take notes. After all, what could one expect for $25?

However, I changed my mind and prepared a PowerPoint presentation instead. The room I was presenting in had a ceiling projector to a projection screen. I figured I would simply take advantage of it by connecting my PC Notebook to the system and present off of a pre-prepared PowerPoint Presentation.

What I thought would be an easy task turned out to be incredibly time-consuming one. It has been a few years since I have prepared a PowerPoint presentation. And it was my first time to create one that would require 3+ hours to cover.

Constructing, writing, and organizing that PowerPoint presentation was a multi-day project with several hours per day. Holy smokes, I thought it would not come to an end with the endless ideas, revisions, and reorganizations. It felt as challenging as writing a booklet.

In any case, I did finish writing the presentation and I did present it in my typically unconventional and hard-hitting style. Being in a new environment, I did exercise a bit more restraint than I normally do in Columbus. 🙂 However, I did not want to “sanitize” it to the point I felt robotic or that my audience did not know where I stood on issues.

I am setting all of you up because what came out AFTER the seminar was very enlightening to me as a speaker and presenter. Bottom line, my “core audience” liked the presentation and there were other parts that left a less than desirable impression.

I will be writing a few “insight articles” to clarify my positions on certain subjects. It might make for some juicy reading. Stay tuned.

World Map of Places I Have Visited

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This is a fun post for entertainment purposes.

On TravBuddy.com, I created a map of all the places in the world I have visited to date. It is kind of fun to see the map in graphic format.

My goal is to one try to make it to every state in the U.S. and perhaps every province in Canada in the near future. I would also like to visit some European countries in the years to come.