Psych Insights for Modern Marketers - The 3G Edition

The guys reveal the genesis of their transformations and journeys to becoming who they are today...

... and it's riveting stuff. John's story goes back to his grandfather, who was an entrepreneur who got crushed by the Great Depression... yet somehow instilled the core sense of working for yourself into his grandkids (without even meeting them). Kevin's adventures leading to Copy Chief (and then abruptly l...

Very fun episode here – Kevin received a large, mysterious and very lumpy envelope in the mail... and wanted to open it live on the podcast to see what wonders were inside. 

Very interesting insights from the three professionals, with John's long history in direct mail marketing, Kevin learning about copy from old school guys raised on mail, and Daniel having no idea that direct mail still existed (just ki...

The guys explore the roles of controversy in swaying public opinion, how deepfakes will
demolish trust in society, and how data collection will affect things in the near future.

Yet not all is dystopian doom: Yes, astroturf movements, strategic manipulation, and
the perceived lack of privacy online threaten society's core...

... but by looking ahead – particularly how forward-thinking people are raising their kids
– we see visions ...

John wants you to know how his teen years spent in rock bands transformed his shy
ass into an adventure-seeking gonzo writer... and why this kind of experience is so critical for long successful careers in business.

What's more, the guys go deep on:

• Defining "success" with personal goals, and skipping the nonsense of external
  standards
• Why it's important to understand how much conversational fluency differs from
  native fluency...

Deep dive here into the unregulated (and still ill-defined) world of mentors and students,and how that fits into your career and business growth. 

Including:

• All the different models of mentorship (paid vs free, formal vs informal, offered vs stalking)
• Why top mentors know they're training future competition, and don't care
  The hazy but crucial difference between teaching and mentoring (and why one is so much better)
• The "Papa...

The guys go deep on trust, the main factor behind any longevity in a brand's lifespan. And boy, has the landscape for that kind of trust changed. Old school brands still rely on consistency in quality and message... and also offer stark (and gruesome) examples of how to blow up even decades-old reliability with a single blunder.

Yet, modern influencers on social media seem to thrive on "influence economics" that leave OG advertisin...

It's a show about writing killer bullets, using the show as an example. The guys go over nearly every submission in detail, giving brilliant insight to technique, structure and Effectiveness.

You will discover: The critical difference between blind and revelatory bullets... how to make a short, punchy, and riveting bullet sing like a lyric from a rock song... the dangerous trap of allowing zombie bullets to ruin your entire pitch....

Never shy about trying new things, the guys invited hundreds of fans to tune into the Zoom call and ask questions (a vast mob showed up, loaded for bear)...

... covering topics like how to get good enough for a legendary reputation, why practice sucks so much, how to deal with lawyers whose job is to just say "no" to everything, and the best sneaky ways to beat dangerously evil competition.

Plus: The truth about John's notorious ...

Do you have "dream clients" you'd like to work with? Every top writer and consultant has
that list, though they may keep it secret. The guys spill their client bucket lists here, and
there are surprises.

Then they tackle a familiar subject to every creative who ever lived: How to balance
your gut instincts against data-driven decisions. (It will haunt your entire career, and
there actually is a well-thought-out process to do it rig...

First off, no, John isn't dead, despite what some authoritative voices online are saying.

We'd know if he was, cuz he wouldn't be appearing on the podcast, now, would he.

(Still, we're looking into creating "Deep Fake JC" just in case.)

The show dives into the emotional states of both writers and prospects that coats every

great ad (from murderous rage and peak love g...

So, how do you get show notes written – with the deadline hovering like a gore soaked banshee (cuz there's now 18 shows in the can and the launch is happening, like, tomorrow) – with three top copywriters in the mix?

Answer: You procrastinate, think up wild notions about tricking other writers to do the work, try AI, toss the AI notes cuz it's half hallucination… procrastinate some more… endlessly discuss ...

The guys define some of the more misunderstood rumors and memes in the business and copywriting worlds... starting with "momentum", and what veterans mean when they talk about movement being the main step in ANY process or project.

You'll never again wonder why you didn't get something important done... cuz you'll now be forever cursed with the knowledge of exactly what is required to charge from Idea to F...

The guys explore the counter-intuitive power of keeping your biz small, but more intensely engaged. 

John shares stories of entrepreneurs who got seduced by scaling their lists, and lost their souls. Kevin goes into the pain of over-hiring while chasing bigger audiences, and the relief of purposely shrinking it all back down to a comfortable, more engaged size. And Daniel nails it down, explaining his deli...

Wherein we lay bare the actual writing process we used to write up notes and blurbs for the podcast, almost in real time. Three top writers, baffled by what to write to bring people into the shows...

... ultimately solved with a quick couple of decisions: A little AI to grease the skids with transcripts of what we talked about earlier, and then John rolling up his sleeves and slamming out some riveting ori...

You know, not everyone likes you. You're always going to have detractors and enemies in various stages of rage (from mild to dangerous). Just a fact of life in the biz world.

How you deal with these people – who obviously are under some mental health crisis, or just don't understand who you really are (cuz who could hate such a lovable goof as yourself?) – will define much of your life as a successful writ...

Even veteran biz owners and experience-hardened writers have a weird relationship with money. Especially when you come across a lot of it, suddenly.

It's critical for your career to have a good foundation of values, an ethical philosophy of life, and lots of support from friends, family and network. Yet it's even MORE important for you to understand how money can completely obliterate everything good in yo...

Dialogue isn't just writing out what someone said. Nope, too important to be trusted to stark transcriptions, especially when money's at stake in a sales message.

Every writer has trouble with dialogue, at first. It requires some real epiphanies to start writing like Elmore Leonard or Stephen King or even an advice columnist.

Yet it's so very crucial to setting up scenes that move the action f...

What kind of copywriting gig appeals most to you, anyway?

Cuz there's a LOT of different gigs where writing copy is big on the menu.

Here, the guys drill deep to lay bare the good vs. bad of every decision you make in your career. 

Kevin nails the three paths: The pioneer (that's when you're a true entrepreneur, not working "for" anybody)... the producer (maybe working for someone...

Do you understand how the human body and mind work to either open doors of opportunity for you... or sabotage everything you've ever worked for? Can you influence a prospect by sucker-punching their most vulnerable spots, and then pounce with a solid pitch and close the deal?

No, seriously – is this part of your skill set?

Cuz that's how top writers sway and capture entire markets. While their...