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“Take shortcuts anytime you can, and shortcuts often mean learning from others” - Tai Lopez

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A lot of people have negative connotations around money. We hear that money is the root of all evil. And yet, money is absolutely required in order to do good in the world, to not be a burden to others, and to live a fulfilled and happy life in the modern age. Get rid of any preconceived notions you may have about any inherent evil in money. If you want to do good in the world, get rich.

In addition, today I talk about how you can use mentors as shortcuts in life, why family advice is often bad, what it means to be penny-wise and dollar-foolish, and how fear can be a powerful motivator to drive you to success.

“Use fear as a motivator to succeed” -Tai Lopez

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Points to Keep In Mind

• Quality over quantity, in everything you do
• Family will often have perverse incentives for their advice, built around their regrets, what they wish they had done, etc
• Take shortcuts anytime you can, and shortcuts often mean learning from others
• Many people are penny-wise and dollar-foolish, which means they’ll pay for small things that don’t help, but not things that will move the needle in their life
• Seek out mentors, which are one of the most powerful shortcuts in life
• Mentors can take the form of people, books, podcasts, or online courses
• Use fear as a motivator to succeed
• Use money to create experiences, because experiences will improve your quality of life
• Money is 100% necessary to having a good life. It might not be everything, but it is necessary
• Money is also necessary to do great good in the world

“Use money to create experiences, because experiences will improve your quality of life” - Tai Lopez

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“When it comes to marketing, always be critical of yourself and ask if you would actually click/buy it” - Tai Lopez

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Today I’m going through my top mentor tips for how to get more out of life through business, health, and relationships. Everyone wants a different mix of all three, and I’m giving you the strategies and ways of behaving that will get you ahead in any one of these.

If you’re an entrepreneur, don’t discount the value of your social life. Make sure you’re hanging out with people, getting to know them, and developing deeper and better relationships all the time. But also take good care of your personal financial situation. Those who don’t make finances a priority become a burden to other people, so it’s actually selfish not to look out for your own financial well-being.

Learn how to get an edge in finance, health, and relationships on this episode of The Tai Lopez Show.

“Life is all about reacting to stress, and if you can be cool under pressure, you will do well” -Tai Lopez

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Points to Keep In Mind

• Social life is extremely important to your happiness. It’s more essential to most people’s happiness than wealth
• It takes about 10 years to build a true, deep friendship
• Go back to your school or old friends, and make friends with them again, so that you don’t have to start over
• When it comes to marketing, always be critical of yourself and ask if you would actually click/buy it
• Most people talk too much when they’re around mentors
• With mentors, talk ⅓ as much as you listen
• Most people are bad investors because they listen to the media, but if the media knows, it’s probably already too late
• Life is all about reacting to stress, and if you can be cool under pressure, you will do well
• The first person you should hire is a personal assistant, because it magnifies you, which is the most important part of your business
• The second person should be either a bookkeeper/accountant, or a sales person
• Time your sleep in 90 minute cycles. You need about 35 90-minute sleep cycles per week
• Never sleep with your phone next to your bed
• Look at people’s actions more than their words
• Get life insurance as early as you can while you’re healthy. Get 10X your annual income

“Look at people’s actions more than their words” - Tai Lopez

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“Be nice to people, but don’t be a pushover” - Tai Lopez

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Sometimes, you just need to stand up for yourself. But we’re all raised in such a way that we tend to think that it’s always wrong to stand up for ourselves, to push back, or to be confrontational in any way. The truth is that, throughout history and today, being non-confrontational has been the cause of a lot of extra suffering. So stand up for yourself to avoid additional frustration and suffering in your own life!

A good rule to keep in mind is, in every interaction with anyone, start out nice, and then reciprocate whatever they give you. So if they continue to be friendly and nice, that should be your response. But if they get aggressive, you just might have to as well.

Learn more about how to confront someone, how to stand up to bullies, and why you shouldn’t be a pushover, on this episode of the Tai Lopez Show.

“Always start nice with people, and then reciprocate whatever they give you” -Tai Lopez

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Points to Keep In Mind

• Sometimes, when you help people out and they start to do well, they’re going to start to pretend they did it all by themselves
• Always start nice with people, and then reciprocate whatever they give you
• If you ignore being taken advantage of, people will continue to take advantage of you. It’s better to be straightforward and give them what they gave you
• Appeal to people’s sense of justice to be more persuasive
• Going high when other people go low does not always work
• Be nice, but don’t be a pushover
• Don’t get in other people’s business to break up fights, unless it’s an egregious case of bullying
• People are always quick to forgive themselves, but will nitpick everything about you
• Over and over throughout history, people had to stand up for themselves, and sometimes you have to today as well

“Appeal to people’s sense of justice to be more persuasive” - Tai Lopez

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“Often when it comes to education, you get what you pay for.” - Tai Lopez

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Work until what once seemed expensive now seems cheap. This is the name of the game, and the process of continuously leveling up your life through self-improvement. That process never ends, and no matter how much you learn, there will always be more to discover, to learn, and to improve.

At the end of the day, with most things in life, you simply get what you pay for. So be careful about cutting corners and trying to do things the cheap way. Often when you get something for free, free is the value you put on it, and so you don’t put in the effort that you would have if you had paid for it, and therefore you get minimal results.

Learn how to continually level up your life through investing in yourself through education and training, so that eventually what seemed expensive or difficult becomes cheap and easy.

“Formal education will make you a living, self education will make you a fortune” -Jim Rohn

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Points to Keep In Mind

• Work until what used to seem expensive now seems cheap
• Sometimes, when it comes to education, you get what you pay for
• Know when to save and go inexpensive, and when you should pay more for better value
• Someday, the things that seem hard now will seem easy, if you stick with it
• Formal education will make you a living, self education will make you a fortune
• Traditional education is the biggest scam, because you come out of it with very few practical skills
• Google is free, and sometimes the value you get from google is worth what you pay for it

“Work until what used to seem expensive now seems cheap” - Tai Lopez

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“If your life is full of people taking advantage of you, at some point it becomes your own fault.” - Tai Lopez

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In our society, being humble and quiet is something we’re often told be should do. We’re brought up this way as children, and it carries into our lives as adults. Today’s episode is all about when that advice is wrong, and how it might be holding you back.

Just remember, pacifism doesn’t always work, and has historically been the wrong approach at times. Often, the correct response is to stand up for yourself and fight back. You don’t want to start fights, but sometimes you need to finish them, and that’s what this episode is all about.

“Happiness is primarily an outgrowth of having the right social circle.” - Tai Lopez

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Points to Keep In Mind

• People tend to think you need to be humble and quiet, but sometimes that will lead to you being taken advantage of
• Pacifism does not always work, and history shows it
• Happiness is primarily an outgrowth of having the right social circle
• You don’t want to start fights, but you might have to finish them
• Find mentors and role models to give you a map for what you should be doing

“You don’t want to start fights, but you might have to finish them.” - Tai Lopez

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“When you’re creative, there’s always a way to thrive.” - Tai Lopez

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Today’s episode is a mashup of several topics that all work together. I’m talking about Trump’s upcoming inauguration, the process of creating more jobs in an economy, why small businesses are responsible for the majority of both job creation as well as job destruction, how to respond to haters, as well as how Trump has responded to Alec Baldwin and SNL’s skits about him.

The circus company, Ringling Bros., just went out of business, and looking at their strategy it’s not difficult to see why: They simply didn’t innovate or stay cutting edge. Have you ever seen a viral video or social media post from them? They have the ability to create incredible content, yet they didn’t stay cutting edge enough to use it effectively.

So listen to this episode to get my roundup of thoughts on Trump’s inauguration, where jobs come from, Ringling Bros., how to respond to haters, and Alec Baldwin’s Trump impersonation on SNL.

“Entrepreneurs and businesses must stay on the cutting edge to stay in business.” - Tai Lopez

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Points to Keep In Mind

• Entrepreneurs are responsible for over 60% of jobs created. An environment that favors small business is an environment that creates jobs
• But, on the other hand, entrepreneurs also destroy jobs, by going out of business
• Entrepreneurs and businesses must stay on the cutting edge to stay in business
• You can never rest on your laurels, or get cocky, or you will lose
• The answer to more jobs is thriving companies
• When you’re creative, there’s always a way to thrive
• Change-up the various ways you respond to haters
• Start out nice with every stranger you meet, and then reciprocate what they give you
• There is power in some unpredictability
• You shouldn’t have any opinion unless you can argue the other side as well or better than your own side

“The answer to more jobs is thriving companies.” - Tai Lopez

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“Be a hero by seeing what others choose not to see.” - Tai Lopez

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a good day to reflect on what the definition of a hero is, and who is or can be a hero.

To me, the definition of a hero is somebody who can see ahead of the curve; somebody who can see things that other people either cannot, or choose not, to see.

When the status quo is strong in culture, such as segregation was during the days of Martin Luther King Jr., it can be extremely difficult to see past preconceived notions of how things should be.

But that’s exactly what makes a hero, and that is what we should be striving for in every individual area of our lives. So take a careful look at the status quo, and where it might be wrong. Examine your life, and work to take it to the next level in every area. Work towards becoming a hero.

“Life is like a videogame: Always be working to go to the next level.” - Tai Lopez

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Points to Keep In Mind

• Heroes die too early, compared with all the idiots in the world whose years combined equal far more
• If it doesn’t exist and it’s needed, that means you should be the one to create it - if you have that skill set
• The status quo, regardless of how bad it is, is very hard to recognize as wrong at the moment it is the status quo
• The definition of a hero to me is somebody who sees ahead of the curve. Who sees the things that conventional people can’t see
• Look for ways that you can be a visionary in any specific area of your life
• Be a hero by seeing what others choose not to see
• Learn to love and embrace innovation and change. Love the fact that what you’re comfortable with now should evolve
• Life’s a videogame: Always be working to go to the next level
• As an entrepreneur, you have to look for contradictory and non-supporting evidence

“The definition of a hero to me is somebody who sees ahead of the curve, and sees the things that conventional people can’t see.” - Tai Lopez

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“Congruency and ease of use is the most important thing in email marketing” - Tai Lopez

Email marketing is far from dead. In fact, it’s still one of the most powerful ways to connect and communicate with a consumer. But too many people don’t know how to do it right. Or sometimes they get part of it right, but they create friction for the reader in understanding the content and taking the action that they need to take.

Today I’m walking through a very common mistake: The lack of congruence in email marketing. I’m showing you examples of the problem, so that you can avoid the same mistake yourself, and see better results in your email campaigns.

Points to Keep In Mind

• Email marketing is still one of the most powerful forms of communication. But it’s easy to make mistakes
• You can use templates, but they often give the email a more formal, less personal feel, which can be harmful
• Create a user experience that flows for the user, and always takes them exactly where they would expect
• If your user flow is confusing, you will experience a lot of traction
• Congruency and ease of use is the most important thing in email marketing
• Put the link in the email three times
• Create a streamlined process where the customer gets exactly what they expect each time they click a link
• In the digital age, it’s easier to acquire customers, but it’s also easier to lose them

“In the digital age, it’s easier to acquire customers, but it’s also easier to lose them” - Tai Lopez

“Common sense is not common. It’s a skill acquired by practice.” - Tai Lopez

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We throw the term “common sense” around a lot, and most people think, since it’s common, they must have it. The truth is very few people do, and those who do have acquired it through focused study and practice.

In this episode, I’m showing you the 3 character traits that will help you succeed in life. These are the three traits that will allow you to always be able to make money, always be able to find a job, and always be in high demand. Because, contrary to common perception, common sense is not very common.

“There’s a time to zone in on the details, and a time to zone out on the big picture.” - Tai Lopez

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The 3-Points:

1. Common sense is acquired, so study and practice it. You need it, so work for it
2. But also understand how to zone out on your entire life, to understand everything that is going on around you and take stock of your situation
3. Have the ability to zone in on very specific problems and tasks to accomplish them

More Points to Keep In Mind

• If all you know how to do is follow directions, your options for work and earning potential are minimal
• Good earning potential requires creativity and initiative
• Common sense is not common. It’s a skill acquired by practice
• Take initiative to solve problems tenaciously, to work your way upwards in your career and life
• When you have the 3 points above, you will always be able to make money

“There is not much of a future for people who only know how to take orders. You have to acquire more skills and creativity.” - Tai Lopez

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Most people in the world have the wrong mindset toward what is holding them back. In the majority of cases, you’re not being held back by the government, the system, or any of the things that people most commonly like to blame. You’re being held back by you.

While there are certainly instances where this is not the case, they are rare, and the idea that you are responsible for your own destiny should be freeing, and exciting to you! While it’s easier to blame all of your problems on other people and other things outside of your control, the better, more freeing and more practical route is to take responsibility for your life, identify the things that you can change in your life, and then get to work changing them!

Points to Keep In Mind

• It’s rarely the government that is holding you back
• 9 times out of 10 its people who hold themselves back
• It’s easier to take the victim route rather than taking responsibility, which is why most people do it
• Government isn’t the primary reason you will fail or succeed. You are the primary reason
• Even in repressive governments, some rise up more than others
• What made great figures in society so great is the way they handled themselves. It was not the circumstances around them

Quotables:

Click to tweet what you agree with:

“Did you do everything possible you could do to maximize your success?” - Tai Lopez

“Nobody cares about you as much as you, so you’re the best person to help you out.” - Tai Lopez

“If you play the victim, you ARE the victim.” - Tai Lopez