Chris Brogan

Lead a life of adventure, meaning and purpose—and earn a good living. “Thoughtful, funny, and compulsively readable, this guide shows how ordinary people can build solid livings, with independence and purpose, on their own terms.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project Still in his early thirties, Chris Guillebeau completed a tour of every country on earth and yet he’s never held a “real job” or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back. Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and focused on the 50 most intriguing case studies. In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment. Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment. It’s all about finding the intersection between your “expertise”—even if you don’t consider it such—and what other people will pay for.  You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid. Not content to talk in generalities, Chris tells you exactly how many dollars his group of unexpected entrepreneurs required to get their projects up and running; what these individuals did in the first weeks and months to generate significant cash; some of the key mistakes they made along the way, and the crucial insights that made the business stick. Among Chris’s key principles: If you’re good at one thing, you’re probably good at something else; never teach a man to fish—sell him the fish instead; and in the battle between planning and action, action wins. In ancient times, people who were dissatisfied with their lives dreamed of finding magic lamps, buried treasure, or streets paved with gold. Today, we know that it’s up to us to change our lives. And the best part is, if we change our own life, we can help others change theirs. This remarkable book will start you on your way.

The small business guru behind Duct Tape Marketing shares his most valuable lesson: how to get your customers to do your best marketing for you. The power of glitzy advertising and elaborate marketing campaigns is on the wane; word- of-mouth referrals are what drive business today. People trust the recommendation of a friend, family member, colleague, or even stranger with similar tastes over anything thrust at them by a faceless company. Most business owners believe that whether customers refer them is entirely out of their hands. But science shows that people can't help recommending products and services to their friends-it's an instinct wired deep in the brain. And smart businesses can tap into that hardwired desire. Marketing expert John Jantsch offers practical techniques for harnessing the power of referrals to ensure a steady flow of new customers. Keep those customers happy, and they will refer your business to even more customers. Some of Jantsch's strategies include: -Talk with your customers, not at them. Thanks to social networking sites, companies of any size have the opportunity to engage with their customers on their home turf as never before-but the key is listening. -The sales team is the most important part of your marketing team. Salespeople are the company's main link to customers, who are the main source of referrals. Getting them on board with your referral strategy is critical. -Educate your customers. Referrals are only helpful if they're given to the right people. Educate your customers about whom they should be talking to. The secret to generating referrals lies in understanding the "Customer Referral Cycle"-the way customers refer others to your company who, in turn, generate even more referrals. Businesses can ensure a healthy referral cycle by moving customers and prospects along the path of Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, and Refer. If everyone in an organization keeps this sequence in mind, Jantsch argues, your business will generate referrals like a well-oiled machine. This practical, smart, and original guide is essential reading for any company looking to grow without a fat marketing budget.

UPDATED AND REVISED + SPECIAL BONUS: Includes Free Access to 25+ LinkedIn Training Videos! Discover How To Use LinkedIn For Sales, Business and Marketing, including how to: - Find New Sales Leads and Prospective Clients on LinkedIn FAST - Turn Your Existing LinkedIn Connections into Paying Clients - Make Your LinkedIn Profile a Magnet for New Business and Inbound Leads - Small Business Case Study: 6 Figures in Just 90 Days using LinkedIn WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR:- Small Business Owners- Entrepreneurs- Business Coaches- Consultants- Trainers- Sales Executives- Business Development Executives- Anyone else looking to generate more sales, clients and revenue using LinkedIn! WHAT OTHERS SAY: "When it comes to LinkedIn, there are pretty much three people I listen to, but only one has ever dropped new business right in my lap the way John Nemo did. You know me. I don't recommend people lightly. John Nemo is worth your time. Jump on this book!" - Chris Brogan, New York Times Bestselling Author & Speaker "John Nemo took my LinkedIn profile page and ignited it in a way I hadn't seen done before. After witnessing John's expertise up close and personal, it's easy to see why he's been crushing it on LinkedIn the past few years. Simply put, when it comes to LinkedIn, John Nemo is the real deal. Can't wait to share more of his LinkedIn knowledge bombs with the rest of Fire Nation soon!" - John Lee Dumas, Host, Award-Winning "Entrepreneur on Fire" Podcast, Bestselling Author WHAT READERS SAY: "5 of the 13 sales I've made so far this year came from LinkedIn using John's methods! NO KIDDING, this REALLY works!" - Charles (Chaz) Broersma, Internet & Digital Marketing Executive "I can attribute just over $20,000 in revenue the last 4-5 months to my LinkedIn activity using John's insights. I have another $10,000 in outstanding proposals that I feel confident will land in the next few weeks. There is not a week that goes past when I do not have new leads generated from my continuing to follow this program's advice!" - Paul Copcutt, Personal Branding Consultant & Speaker "In a very short amount of time, I've added 90 new connections, landed 3 solid leads had more than 30 phone and in person meetings with prospects. I've turned my LinkedIn network into a lead generation machine thanks to you John! Your expertise and insight is second to none. You don't try to pass off BS to your followers. Your system is so simple even for the average Joe. Thank you!" - John Barton, Director of Sales "John - I should tell you that I just sold my largest consulting gig ever. It came from LinkedIn, and it came from being proactive on LinkedIn and following your tips!" - Dave DeVelder, FasTrac Revenue "I have invested over $10,000 in various LinkedIn tools & training and John Nemo's is the top! His training had strategies and techniques that are NOT COVERED BY ANYONE else. All I can say is ... Wow!" - Dr. Murray Beaulieu, JV Broker, Health & Safety Products ABOUT THE AUTHOR The author of 7 books, John Nemo is a former Associated Press Reporter, Talk Radio Producer, Award-Winning PR Director and Social Media Consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.John has personally rewritten LinkedIn profiles for A-List Entrepreneurs and Bestselling Authors including Chris Brogan, Mari Smith, John Lee Dumas, Bob Burg, Tom Ziglar, Jairek Robbins, Dan Miller, Ray Edwards and many others.