“Laura’s unwavering support of Perry has touched even more lives than she knows, including my youngest Charlie (now 10).

Although I had a 25 year career in IT before becoming a PPC Consultant, he’s only known me working from home doing this “advertising thang.”

My wife has a full time career as a teacher, so I became the house-husband after the catastrophe of 2001 and 9/11.

I’ve raised Charlie, and I do all the school runs, kids clubs and activities, music lesson taxi rides, weekly cooking, drying washing, some ironing and constant dish washer cycles!
In return I get to set my hours, charge my own rates, pick or fire my own clients, work when and from where I want including my car, my hotel, my study or anywhere with an internet connection.

I’ve now become “permanently employable”.

With the technology now available to us, and our ability to create value for people needing it and prepared (happily) to pay, there have never been more opportunities.”

~~

Because David has created autonomy in his life, he has a different relationship to his kids than he ever would have before. They’ll enjoy the benefits of this for the rest of their life.

He has a different relationship to the world at large: It doesn’t control him anymore. That changes everyone he deals with.

He has a different relationship to work: He enjoys it. He has the upper hand.

But the REAL reason he has autonomy is not so obvious. It’s not simply because he’s a consultant.

It’s because he’s a consultant who *knows how to make the customers show up* and he can prove it.

The guy who knows how to make the customers show up is always the guy in charge.

Now… there are different ways to make customers show up. Wildly different skill sets that can get the job done.

-David does it with analytical skill.

-Some people do it with deep empathy and emotion.

-Some people do it by speaking.

-Some people do it by writing.

-Some do it with their tremendous grasp of systems and processes.

-Some do it with the power of their personality to move the masses.

Each of these skills is different and must be sold differently.

This is why, between now and September, the Consulting Accelerator course and Chicago Rainmaker Alchemist seminar on September 21-22, are customized to your unique marketing signature.

I know of no one who has ever done this. 21st century businesses are built on strategic teamwork – especially now. (I just got an email the other day from a guy who landed a $25,000 contract one week into the course and I’ll tell you more later.)

Largely because of my wife’s undying support, I got free. Which helped David get free. Who’s next? Somebody’s next.

If you want to get free, you’re going to do it with YOUR fingerprints, your eccentricities and your unique brand of mojo:

http://www.perrymarshall.com/alchemist/

Perry Marshall

A few months ago I sent a CD to Renaissance Club members, where Jack and Matt interviewed my wife Laura. Got more feedback from that than any other interview I’ve put out in years. Peoples’ favorite part was when she said,

“Every time Perry would have yet another a massive failure I’d go in some other room and cry, and when I got done, I’d compose myself, go out and support him.”

Ah, the joys of being an entrepreneur’s wife.

For years we rented a basement apartment for $150/month to a guy who worked at a nearby rail yard. He was ending his lease and he owed me money and he talked me into waiving the last month’s rent.

When I admitted this to Laura she grew very sad and said, “That was the money I was going to use to buy some new clothes, and now I’m not going to get them.” She hadn’t had any new clothes in years, and I suddenly realized, she’s right: I just lost her clothes money and I have no way to get it back.

Year 1 of our marriage: We did, I think, a decent job of adjusting to each other and building into a relationship that had already gotten some bumps and bruises.

Year 2 of our marriage: I started drinking the MLM pink koolaid and threw myself into it 125%. That, plus finishing my engineering degree, managing an apartment complex, editing a university magazine and me generally discovering “You can hurl yourself into LOTS of things, seemingly without limit” meant she had a very lonely life. This went on for a LONG time.

She stuck it out.

I remember one time, listening to the radio – I am quite sure we’d been married less than a year then, long before we had kids – someone was talking about foster care. Laura said, “I want to do that.”

“You want to do WHAT???”

(The thought of taking a kid for awhile and them ‘giving them back’ horrified me. S-C-A-R-Y.)

“I’d like to do foster care someday.”

Sure enough, between Bambino #1 and Bambino #2, we took in a drug exposed infant for three months, her name was Drea.

Of course Laura did 90% of the work, cuz she was at home while I was out slaying dragons and trying to sell technology. The state of Illinois paid us something like $200 per month for doing the foster care and she saved up all that money so I could buy our first computer with Windows that could get on the Internet.

When we were in debt to the tune of 18 months income and paying 20% interest on our credit cards – entering the death spiral – guess who went to her dad and asked him to co-sign for a loan so we could refinance our house and actually have a shot at paying it all off?

When I escaped from the Dilbert Cube one month and one day after 9/11, Laura’s the one that said to me, “THIS is your chance, Perry, TAKE IT.” She was the one who was choosing yet again to plunge into the turbulent waters of entrepreneurship.

Five years ago, Laura decided to ‘graduate’ from foster care to adoption. She plunged into the abyss of paperwork and bureaucracy, beleaguered by dead-ends and constant runarounds. (For example, our agency went out of business right after we finished our Home Study, so we had to start that all over again. Set us back at least six months.)

Five months ago we flew to China, and even though we’re otherwise ‘done’ having kids (Laura’s last pregnancy had complications, it was rather scary) we came home with Bambino #5. Laura’s got kids who are 16, 13, 11 and 8, and now a 2 year old tugging on her skirt all day long.

That, plus being assistant to the costume manager in a children’s theater production of “Tom Sawyer” that’s going onstage next weekend. 88 costumes, every one catalogued and organized by Laura. Running the financial side of our business, playing hostess when we have clients at the house, holding the fort down when I’m gone.

Laura has no interest in the spotlight, most of my customers don’t even know her name, all kinds of things magically get done without word or recognition.

But today I want to recognize my lovely and industrious wife. Solomon’s words come to mind:

She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”

Laura, Thanks for putting up with me. I love you and I’m so very proud of you.

Perry

Very recently I got another Sozo session (I think this was my fifth one in 2 years) and something really interesting came up:

Private Jets.

I don’t know about you, but when somebody says “Private Jet” to me, my knee-jerk reaction is: “WAAAY too much money, too ostentatious, a total waste.”

Now, what’s the truth about a private jet?

The truth is, if your time is valuable enough – like $10,000 an hour – then a private jet is money very well spent.

So why did I have that “ick” reaction to a private jet?

The answer went something like this:

Perry, you don’t trust yourself to be responsible with private jet-type money. You think you’d blow it on something stupid.

Is that true?

No, if I had a private jet I would not do silly stuff with it. Uh, my daughter would not go to prom in my private jet.

Please understand, this isn’t really about private jets per se at all. It’s about how long a leash I think I can have.

But I got to the bottom of that belief, and solved it.

The take-away I want you to get from this is, you’ll only give yourself as much freedom as you trust yourself with. Many people have deep trust issues within themselves and that’s one reason why they rise to a certain level and then stop progressing.

Anyone who’s done what I do as long as I’ve done it has figured this out:

How far people go has a lot more to do with how clear their head is, than how much knowledge they’ve jammed inside of it.

I’ve been searching for years, for a way to get to the bottom of these roots and once I found one, I knew I needed to organize an event that would help people rise above.

That event happens in 3 weeks. 6 seats left. Special price today. Get yours before we sell out:

http://www.perrymarshall.com/financial/

Perry Marshall

P.S. You can read parts 1-7 on my blog

Matt: “How much do you need to make a month to live, really live. Not eat Alpo, not stress out about buying gas. Have peace of mind. How much each month?”

Guy: I charge $200 an hour…

Matt: No, what do you need/want a month.

Guy: Ummmm……. long pause….. maybe $5,000 a month?

Matt: Maybe? why don’t you tell me what you really want..

Guy: Okay… $8,000 a month

Matt: So do you think you can get it from dry cleaners?

Guy: no…

Matt: They why are you focusing on the local market?

Guy: Cuz no one is out there helping these guys.

Matt: Ever think no one is in the market cause there’s no money in it?

{long pause…}

Matt: I have one client that pays me $3,000 a month and they’re in industrial businesses… they gross about $50 million a year… is that a market?”

Sidestep the local dry cleaner merry-go-round & get to the real money fast:

http://www.perrymarshall.com/consulting/

Disqualifier Numero Uno for *any* business deal you ever get into is this:

DO THEY HAVE THE MONEY?

How much money does the local plumber or flower shop have? How much do they spend on marketing and advertising – right now?

If you have this idea that you’re going to hopefully someday get them to $15,000/month and giving you $5,000… but right now they’re spending $1500 a month….

You’re safer betting the Chicago Cubs will win the World Series.

Why do people entertain fantasies like this?

I call it Rainmaker Head Trash. It’s the mental garbage that people who CAN be rainmakers, and who aspire to kick royal ass out there in the marketplace, sabotage themselves with.

I did this all the time when I was in Amway. Here’s a for-instance:

I sponsor this guy Jose who works at the Post Office. He sponsors his sister who also works at the Post Office. She sponsors this couple named Pamela and Gonzalo who live up the street. Gonzalo is a college student and they live in a ghetto in this tiny apartment that smells like urine. She’s “looking for work” and I think they’re living on a thousand bucks a month.

Guess what kind of people they’re putting on their names list?

Meanwhile I’m thinking, “Man, I’m going to HELP Pamela and Gonzalo escape this grinding poverty and someday it’s gonna be so great…”

Here Pamela, let me buy those tickets so you can go to the next seminar and learn how to get rich.

One chance in a million, baby. Might as well play the lottery.

Who SHOULD I be talking to?

A cardiologist.

Was I comfortable talking to a cardiologist?

Of course not.

Did I feel like I could help him?

Of course not.

But if Amway actually worked (it didn’t, but that’s beside the point) I would get the farthest the fastest by not trying to steer a parked car.

Lesson Numero Uno about your life as an entrepreneur is this:

If you’re thinking big, then you’re always tackling things that are bigger than you, and you’re taking on clients with BIG businesses not little ones. You’re ALWAYS feeling that queasy feeling in your stomach. You’re always stretching your brain.

If you’re a copywriter, there’s 100,000 BIG websites and 90,000 of them have lousy copy.

If you’re a PPC manager, there’s 100,000 BIG Google accounts and 90,000 of them are a complete mess.

If you’re a business strategist, there’s a 100,000 decent sized companies and 90% have a crappy strategy.

You can make the flower shop $1,000 per month or you can make a medical device manufacturer $50,000 per month. With the same amount of work.

Which way do you want it?

The irony is, you are exponentially MORE valuable to a big business than a little one. Even though you question your own value.

As my own business has grown, I have ALWAYS had to set my own head straight on how much value I deliver. Is $25,000 a lot of money to charge for Private Client Group? It’s one half of one percent of annual revenue for a $5 million company. One guy, whose business is much smaller than that, earned back his dinero in our first 30 minute phone call.

When tiny hinges swing big doors, $25,000 ain’t much at all.

There is a place where your skills are worth five figures a month. It’s just a question of where.

What a really great sensation when you stop driving parked cars and finally head down the expressway, full speed. Eventually you come to love that queasy, “Think Big” feeling. You embrace it ‘cuz it keeps paying off.

Perry Marshall

P.S.: We have a new 6 payment option for Consulting Accelerator and you’ve only missed the first week. If you want to earn a 5-figure monthly income as a rainmaker, we can show you how:

http://www.perrymarshall.com/consulting/