Welcome to another issue of the no-BS newsletter dedicated to demystifying the world of passive income, where we share practical, reliable strategies to build and sustain income streams that work for you.

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In today's issue:

• The Magic Isn't in the Bucket

• Never Assume, Always Test

• Are You Ready To Get Obsessed?

• Suicidal Dentists, Toxic Masculinity And Starting Your Own Affiliate Program With Sven Platte

• The Cheat Code for Marketing Success

FROM MY WORLD

The Magic Isn't in the Bucket

I get a lot of questions from people who are stuck in their business. They’ve got the tools, they’ve got the traffic, and they’ve signed up for every hot program that promises riches. 

And yet… nothing happens. It’s like they’re sitting around waiting for some magic spark, hoping that pouring money into the bucket will somehow turn into gold.

That reminds me of a quote I came across while re-reading one of Dan Kennedy’s books (and yeah, I’m a shameless fanboy). He says, “A business is a bucket in which alchemy is to occur. Into the bucket, we pour ideas, energy, work, ad dollars, marketing dollars, costs of attracting customers, costs of pursuing sales in the hope of stirring profits, maybe wealth.”

The problem? Most business owners are obsessed with pouring into the bucket. They’re throwing in all these ingredients—tools, traffic, systems—thinking that’s where the magic happens. 

But they never stop to think about what’s actually happening inside the bucket. What’s going on with those tools and investments they’re so excited about? Not much.

What’s missing is the real work, the magic that comes from YOU—the business owner. People get so focused on buying the next shiny thing that they forget the most important tool they have: themselves.

I mean, think about it. I know a lot of marketers who jump from one traffic source to another, constantly chasing the next “goldmine. 

But here’s the truth: great traffic isn’t going to save you if you don’t know how to turn those clicks into conversions. It’s like hoping a hammer will build a house for you while you sit back and sip a cocktail. 

It’s not the hammer’s job—it’s yours.

The tools don’t make you. You make the tools work.

People love to say, “You can’t be a great carpenter with lousy tools.” But I say, if you’re a great carpenter, you can work with any damn tools and still create magic. Sure, better tools make the job easier, but the real value comes from the person using them.

And here’s where it gets interesting. Some people come into the online business world with a decent chunk of capital, thinking they can throw money at traffic and tools and see immediate results. But in reality, that often makes it harder for them. 

They don’t need to get scrappy or figure out how to make the most of a tiny budget. They have the luxury of spending without strategy—and it ends up biting them in the ass.

When I started, I didn’t have much. I was paying for my auto-responder, hosting, and my domain name. That’s it. I couldn’t afford to blow $1,000 on traffic. Hell, even $100 was a stretch.

But I made it work because I had to. 

I got so damn good at copywriting that every dollar I spent on traffic came back to me in sales. I knew that even with the best traffic, I still had work to do. That’s the part so many people miss. 

They think traffic is the answer, but they don’t realize the magic happens after the traffic hits.

You see, this business isn’t about pouring stuff into the bucket and hoping for alchemy. It’s about taking those ingredients and doing the work to turn them into something valuable. 

You have to make the magic happen. No tool, no traffic source, no program is going to save you. It’s all on you.

So, before you go looking for the next shiny object or the magic tool that will “finally” make your business work, ask yourself: are you using what you’ve already got to its fullest potential? Or are you just sitting there, waiting for the magic to happen? 

Because here’s the deal—tools don’t make the business. You do.

MY GIFT FOR YOU

I Want To Ship You a Copy of My Book

As our way of saying thanks for subscribing to the newsletter, we’d like to ship you a free copy of the Amazon best-seller List Building Lifestyle: Confessions of an Email Millionaire. This book shows how to build a scalable passive income online even if you’ve got no previous experience.

Claim your no cost copy by texting the word BOOK to +1 833-259-7282

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LESSONS FROM LEGENDS

Never Assume, Always Test

David Ogilvy was one of the sharpest minds in advertising, a man who built his career on deep insights and precise execution. 

But here’s the kicker—even with all his success, Ogilvy never assumed he knew best. His most powerful lesson? Assume nothing. Test everything.

Think about that for a second. If a legend like Ogilvy, who crafted some of the most iconic ads in history, was constantly testing every element of his campaigns, why aren’t more of us doing the same? 

We get lazy. We get comfortable. We fall in love with our ideas and start assuming that just because something feels right to us, it’ll work.

Ogilvy didn’t leave things up to chance. He knew that the only opinion that truly mattered was the market’s. It’s easy to believe that the headline you’re so proud of will crush it. 

It’s tempting to assume that because you think you understand your audience, your offer will hit the mark. But the truth is, you don’t know until you test.

Take one of Ogilvy’s famous examples: he was advertising a cooking stove and tested a headline that read, “The Miracle Stove.” 

Sounds powerful, right? Except his customers didn’t respond well to it. 

The word miracle felt like an overpromise, so he switched it to “The Amazing Stove.” 

That one small change—a single word—led to significantly better results. Had he stuck with his original assumption, he would have lost a ton of sales.

This is a golden lesson for anyone in marketing: you might think you know what works, but the market always has the final say. 

You can sit in front of your computer and craft what you believe is the perfect email, the best headline, or the slickest offer—but until you test it with real people, it’s just theory.

Let’s be real here. How often have you written something, sent it out, and hoped for the best? I’ve been guilty of it. We all have. 

But Ogilvy’s method of testing forces you to get uncomfortable. It forces you to face the fact that what you think will work might completely flop. And that’s a good thing. Because the data you gather from those tests is what turns you from an okay marketer into a great one.

The best part? Testing doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s as simple as running two different headlines against each other or tweaking a call-to-action and seeing what sticks. 

You’ll be surprised how small changes can lead to massive shifts in performance. But if you’re not testing, you’ll never know.

Ogilvy understood this decades ago, and it’s still true today: marketing isn’t about making assumptions. It’s about gathering data, learning from it, and constantly refining your approach. 

If someone as brilliant as Ogilvy wasn’t too proud to put his ideas to the test, what’s our excuse?

MINDSET MAKEOVER

Are You Ready To Get Obsessed?

Let’s get real for a second. You can have the same business, the same tools, even the same traffic as someone else, and still fail while they skyrocket to success. And the crazy part? It’s not because they’re smarter, more talented, or luckier than you. 

The difference lies in one thing: mindset.

Now, before you roll your eyes, let me tell you a story.

I’ve seen this firsthand. I had two clients—both guys in their 50s, running the exact same business. Same funnel, same traffic, even the same offer. 

On paper, they should’ve had the same results. But one was making sales hand over fist, reinvesting like crazy, while the other one? Crickets.

At first, I thought, “What the hell is going on here?” 

They had the same tools, the same opportunities, but completely different outcomes. I couldn’t make sense of it. Then it hit me. 

The only real difference between these two guys was how they viewed the world. Their mindset. One saw every lead as an opportunity, and the other saw every challenge as an obstacle.

It reminded me of that famous optical illusion—you know, the one where some people see an old lady and others see a young woman? 

Same picture, different interpretations. Your mindset is exactly like that. Two people can look at the same situation and come away with completely different conclusions. 

One sees potential, the other sees problems. And those conclusions shape everything—their actions, their results, and ultimately, their success or failure.

Here’s another example, this time from my own life. A few years back, I hurt my back so badly I was stuck in bed for two weeks. 

Doctors told me I might never be able to lift anything heavy again. I could’ve just accepted that and moved on, but instead, I got pissed off. I used that frustration as fuel. I committed to getting stronger, worked out like a maniac, and now I’m in the best shape of my life. 

I even installed a pull-up bar in my house so I can stay on top of it.

The point is, I could’ve let that injury defeat me, but my mindset wouldn’t allow it. I turned that negative into a positive because I refused to let a setback define me.

That’s the power of mindset. It’s not about always being positive or optimistic—it’s about seeing every challenge as an opportunity to grow.

I see so many people still searching for balance. They want to build a business but also keep everything else perfectly in line. 

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: balance is for later. When you’re building the foundation of your success, there is no balance. There’s only obsession.

When I first started, nothing else mattered. I shut out distractions, ignored everything that didn’t serve my goal, and even stopped answering the phone. My mom didn’t talk to me for six months because I wouldn’t pick up. 

But that single-minded focus is what got me here. I didn’t care about distractions. I didn’t care about anything that wasn’t helping me move toward my goal.

If you’re still looking for shortcuts, still trying to avoid the grind, you’re going to stay stuck. 

You can’t buy your way out of doing the hard work. You can’t outsource your mindset. Success comes to those who are willing to push through the pain, sacrifice their comfort, and stay locked in when everyone else is looking for a break.

So, are you willing to commit to your goal so deeply that everything else seems like a distraction?

If you’re not, stop telling yourself you want to succeed. Because the truth is, if you want to hit those big numbers, you’ve got to be all in. 

Every day. Every hour. You need to ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing right now getting me closer to my goal or pulling me away from it?”

Because until you make your goal the center of your universe, you’ll always find reasons to delay, to put things off, to take the weekend off. 

But the people who really make it? They check in with themselves constantly. They know that success doesn’t come from balance—it comes from obsession.

FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Suicidal Dentists, Toxic Masculinity And Starting Your Own Affiliate Program With Sven Platte

Ditch the cubicle, and join the affiliate revolution. Say goodbye to your miserable job and hello to a life of financial freedom and unlimited possibilities. Tune in now and start your journey toward a happier, more fulfilling career with Sven Platte!

CURATED READS

The Cheat Code for Marketing Success

If your marketing feels like it's falling flat, or if you’re struggling to connect with your audience, "Building a StoryBrand" by Donald Miller is the book you need right now. Miller breaks down the art of storytelling in a way that’s incredibly simple but insanely effective. He teaches you how to clarify your message so customers understand exactly why they need you—without the fluff.

He gives you a framework that positions your customer as the hero, and you—the business owner—as the guide. 

It’s not about you; it’s about how you can help them win. When you start crafting your marketing like this, your message resonates deeper, and your sales copy does the heavy lifting for you.

If you’re serious about increasing conversions and building stronger relationships with your customers, "Building a StoryBrand" is a must-read. It’s like learning the secret formula that the most successful companies in the world use to keep their audience engaged and loyal.

RIDDLE ME THIS

Can You Crack The Code?

I am often unseen, yet always present, 

I bring news and secrets, distant or adjacent. 

I can be a friend or a foe,

Depending on the words that I show.

What am I?

Think you've cracked the code? Reply to this email with your guess and see if you're right!