I wrote this email to my list and I decided it needed to also be on the blog.
I hope you have a cup of coffee or tea and a comfy chair, because this is going to be a novel email – aka – WAY longer than an email should be.
I feel bad writing such long emails and then I think “Julie – Just grow up. IF you want to write 10,000 word emails, you DO IT.”
Consider yourself warned.
DRAMA. def. an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances.
This week was FILLED with drama. It started with a shocking revelation that some Internet Marketers use shady and maybe illegal tactics to get ahead of the competition. *Insert sarcasm.* OF COURSE people do this! I really am disappointed in myself that I was surprised. There were all kinds of jokes about Cookie Stuffing and Cookie Monster and well…let’s say this:
If you followed the Expert Secrets Affiliate Contest – here is the truth – if they kicked out the cheaters (AS THEY SHOULD LOL), I would have been #2 under John Lee Dumas?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? That is the power of community right there. And it is so incredible and inspiring and if you are aspiring to build a tribe it means you don’t need to worry about numbers…you need to worry about M-E-A-N-I-N-G.
If that wasn’t enough theatrics for you, the drama continued (and this stuff wasn’t as funny) – when ANOTHER bad-boy Marketer thought it would be cool to make derogatory sexist remarks to me.
I don’t really want to focus on the fact that he said he was going to destroy and embarrass my out of shape a*s (direct quote)….
I want to focus on what ALL this drama MEANS for you, for me, for us.
Let me give you an analogy. Let’s say you have a super nice basement in your house and you live in the 1000% humidity climate of lovely Connecticut. And unbeknownst to you, after a rainy few days, mold starts growing – in the walls, carpets, and ceiling.
I’ve been told that mold is its MOST deadly when it gets stirred up. So if you don’t touch the basement, rip that stuff up, or mess with renovations, the mold can sit unbothered for a long time and cause a LOT less drama and damage than if you said, “You know what?! We need a new rec room and bar area!” and then proceed to demo the entire basement for your big dream.
The Internet Marketing space has been filled with TONS of awesome people, and TONS of incredible bullshitters. Scammers. Criminals. And when good, honest, no fluff, authentic people show up with hammers and screwdrivers and say, “You know what? F*ck this. This is not right and we’re going to fix it!!!” DRAMA. Because the bees nest is POKED.
And in a culture where females are still seen as needy, emotional, and weak, if it’s a SHE who pokes the nest, the blame comes whirling around right on her. “NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID!” As if her recognition of the mold and the problems WAS the problem. #canyousaygaslighting
So if it feels like there is drama every other day in the Internet Marketing world, you’re 1000% right. Because I REFUSE to be ignored or silenced or told I’m needy because I show emotion in my marketing.
- Because I REFUSE to say the end justifies the means when you’re trying to sell.
- Because I REFUSE to let Alpha Males who think savage marketing means cruelty to others go unchecked or relegated to “Well they can’t help it”.
If I (not not I….WE)….if we can claw our way to the #2 spot in a competition with HUGE names like Tony Robbins and Jeff Walker in the game, then it means that WE HAVE A VOICE.
You do NOT have to be subject to salesy gross marketing. You do not have to say, “Well that’s the industry…I guess that’s what you do.” NO. No you don’t.
And there are lots of business owners being authentically 1000% themselves in marketing and it’s WORKING.
One of those women is Jessie Gardner. She just finished coaching with me and built out a BEAUTIFUL funnel for her HeySoul gifts. She sells experiences in self-care for women and it starts with a box of meaningful gifts. Not only is her funnel converting unbelievably well, but the skills she learned in the coaching relationship allowed her to make $5500 in freelance work within 30 days of finishing. If you want to see her funnel and incredible testimonial, you can check it out here.
Another woman who’s bringing her amazing expertise to the market? Cathy Olson. She just finished her funnel with us (OMG – So super Gorgeous) and I decided that I would do a 2hr. LIVE and FREE Bootcamp as Cathy and I set up her three ad campaigns. We’re going to set up a messenger campaign, video campaign, and traditional conversion campaign. I cannot wait to turn her stuff loose on the market because it’s so unbelievably beautiful and gorgeous. If you want to be the FIRST to see her custom funnel, the products she’s selling, and watch as I deliver thousands of dollars of value of teaching in 2 hours, you can register here.
I have another client – his name is Jamie Davidson. And he’s about to show up on the Amazon FBA scene and teach aspiring ecomm owners how to leverage the largest ecomm opportunity EVA through Amazon FBA. And let me tell you — Jamie is in an industry where scammers ABOUND, but he is the REAL deal. He’s got the goods, and the know-how, and the Amazon connections to show you what a 60 million dollar a year Amazon business looks like. I’ll have a guest post up on him soon if you’re interested in this type of thing!
So all these clients…what are they doing with me? Well for one – they’re joining and learning the power of building strategic business relationships in the CYLL Network. Two, their getting hooked into a coaching program with me and my team – either an intense 2 month sales funnel mastermind program or a longer Digital Marketing coaching program. Either way, the same thing is happening to all of them.
They think they know what they need and then they begin working with me and realize that — between my courses, community, and coaching — their entire life and vision is being transformed.
Just yesterday I woke up to this in our group….
Hello Friends… Greetings from the beautiful African continent. I haven’t interacted with this group in ages because well… Africa. Backstory- I am a member of CYLL because I have a serious girl crush/admiration for Julie who spoke encouragement into my life at a dark time, just by being herself. An email from her is actually one of the many reasons I am currently back in Africa following my passion. I’m working at a Children’s Home and will be here through November- I’ve been raising the cutest orphans you’ve ever seen and volunteering admin skills as I can.
And that moves me to TEARS and I will not apologize for being an emotional and empathic marketer because it’s MASSIVELY changing lives all over the globe.
Jami is working to help raise money to get them MORE visible so they can continue the work. She asked if there were web designers willing to help to build them a new site, and the thread exploded with offers.
And it reminds me of something Jim Edwards said during an impromptu webinar the other day.…he said, “Julie the best marketers and copywriters are those who don’t JUST understand how to describe features and benefits, they also take a step further – to MEANING.”
Meaning. I realize in some ways I’ve done a piss poor job of this. I explain the features and benefits of my programs and the Create Your Laptop Life brand, but I forget to show everyone the MEANING. The transformation that’s happening everyday with the people I serve, and frankly – I’m so busy serving, I forget to sell it.
Create Your Laptop Life is about using Digital Marketing to create a life of MEANING. For some that might be fancy cars and vacations. That’s okay. For others it means making money to support aging parents or growing kids. For others, it’s to serve 3rd world children in a country wracked with poverty.
And I sit here writing this email, I have tears streaming down my face. Big apologetic tears because I recognize that I’ve let the subtle messages of weakness and neediness hide what it is really me…and I’m sorry.
I didn’t share the letters from the organizations I donated to – ON BEHALF of all of us who participated in the Expert Secrets contest because I was afraid. I was afraid someone would twist my intentions and pit me as some slimy marketer.
Because I’m in a space of marketing where it’s not cool to be a big beating heart. Where you’re supposed to flash your bank account and your fancy clothes in order to keep up.
Where you’re supposed to shut up and not talk about politics or religion because it will affect your bottom line. And yet – what is I’ve created in Create Your Laptop Life is a life-changing brand that works BECAUSE I am myself.
The more visible I get the harder it is to remain true to who I am, but if I can do it, then YOU can too.
So bring the drama, stir the bees nest, cry big ugly tears, don’t let bullies make you feel bad when they criticize your weight, and don’t STOP looking for meaning in your laptop life. Because it’s not enough to share the features of what you offer. It’s not enough to share the benefits. You must also show the MEANING.
I’ll leave you with this. I love Contemporary Christian Music. Always have, always will, no matter how uncool it is. And there’s a song – that whenever it comes on my playlist – makes me cry. It’s called Giants Fall and one verse says…
We could really live like this
Can’t you imagine it
So bold, so brave
With childlike faith
Miracles could happen
Mountains would start moving
So whatever you may face
Don’t you be afraid
Of giants in your way
With God you know that anything’s possible
So this email will either go down in history as the world’s most ridiculous example of oversharing or the stories I’ve shared will MOVE you to change, to action, to pursuing the dreams locked down inside your soul to Create a Laptop Life of Meaning.
xx Julie
Chelsea says
Yesssssss, lady. I felt every single bit of this and am 100% with you on pretty much everything you said.
We’re in a time of *needing* to feel the feels and needing to ACT on those feels to make our world a better place. And screw those alpha male assholes always trying to mansplain you because you don’t know what you’re doing and they do. (Even though you’re the one with the actual success.)
**fist bump**
Kate says
Yes! I’ve been scared to make a business that is BASED on religion and children. Because, well, religion… But that is my area of expertise, that’s why I got my masters, it’s what I read about and talk about for fun. I read your post and realise I need to be authentically me. And not try to be a profitable “version” of me that hides what people might disagree with. I’m not mainstream, but maybe that will be more powerful in itself – there aren’t many resources for progressive yet evangelical/charismatic children’s ministry. It’s suuuuper niche. 😁😁
Britney says
Because I’ve been delaying whether I should actually share my walk with God in my business and how it has actually inspired me in sooooo many ways. So today my email to my list wasn’t fully transparent but I’m getting there and I was human enough. And that is a BIIIIIG step. And that was actually how I wanted my brand to feel. HUMAN RELATABLE REAL & I’m going back to that. But sometimes like you, I’m so real I forget to sell or say “hop on my email list” or I feel like I know too little…
But fistpumping “Go Julie, you got this.” You could be at #25 in the Clickfunnels affiliates run, just know that you were flipping honest along the way and never ever ever shut up because we’ve got you and when a tribe of women come together, there’s nothing as unstoppable as they are, so go out and conquer the world so other women *me* can be inspired to move too.