From the desk of Victor Pride
Subj: Building your brand and making your mark
——————
I get asked a lot of questions about marketing.
The assumption is that since I've built a hugely popular blog and two highly successful ebooks I must have studied and applied the marketing strategies of the top marketing pros to accomplish such a feat.
The reality?
I've never studied marketing and I've never advertised or done any outside marketing of Bold and Determined until recently. In fact, for 44 months I never once did any advertising of Bold and Determined.
So how did I build such a popular blog?
Here's how….
The only way I built Bold and Determined was to write articles that men wanted and needed, what they were ready, waiting and salivating to hear.
I walked the walk before I talked the talk and I've used myself as the billboard.
Bold and Determined isn't a blog, it isn't a product, it's my life. When you buy one of my books you're buying me.
My “marketing strategy” has always been just to write the best articles. I always want the reader to:
- be wowed
- get fired up
- open his eyes and mouth wide in an “aha!” moment
- cry
I don't care which one happens but I always want one of those things to happen.
My “marketing strategy” never involved advertisements, social media, or any complicated sales funnels and pitches. That's all been unnecessary.
I don't beg anyone to buy my books, you don't see B&D; ads all over other websites, you don't get constant sales emails, and you don't get upsold.
I let the product speak for itself. And you know what happened? It all just grew and grew and grew.
The Most Effective marketing Strategy on Earth:
Having the best product on earth is the most effective marketing strategy on earth.
Why?
Because people will like it and tell other people about it. You're more apt to listen to your friend than you are to listen to a commercial.
Word of mouth + great product = profit.
My Bold and Determined Marketing strategy?
Write great content and just let the fire spread.
Johnny tells Timmy tells Joey and they all rush out to read Bold and Determined.
Eventually word reaches you and you come here to Bold and Determined.
If you like it, you stay and maybe you buy the books. If you don't like it you go away. I don't “reach out” or send those “we want you back!” emails.
Always and forever I only want people here who are ready, able, motivated and willing to better themselves. It's here if you want it.
I didn’t do any marketing other than to put out a product I know for a fact helps men take charge of their lives because great products sell themselves.
If you’re thinking about the marketing strategy more than you’re thinking about creating the best product on earth you are thinking backwards.
Being the best in the world is the best marketing strategy in the world.
Does that only work for a blog or does it work for products that you sell?
I have two ebooks, 30 Days of Discipline and Body of a Spartan. They have both done very well.
How did I market them?
Easy….
How I marketed 30 Days of Discipline:
I had an established blog that gave out free information for one year.
I then built a product that changed my life, 30 Days of Discipline, and I knew it would be hugely beneficial to other men.
I then released that product for free for the first 500 people and relied on the reviews and feedback from them to sell copies.
If the book was poop, readers would say so and no one would buy it.
But that's not what happened.
What happened is that it really does change lives and it became a huge success.
I have two years of archived comments from readers of the book detailing how much they like the book. You can't buy that kind of advertising.
I still get emails daily about how it changes lives of men all around the world. It's the best product on earth for developing discipline in men.
Here's an example email from just the other day:
Subject: Thanks where thanks due
Message Body:
Victor,
Am going to be as brief as I can.
Applied your principles for 30 days; not only has my ‘bricks and mortar' business broke even, and posted a strong profit…but from starting an online career from literally NOTHING…am now at the Oceans 4 mastermind in Miami, with some of the worlds best online business people - AND I have worked for two of them already.
The discipline the 30 days infilled allowed me to chase my dream, and all being well within a year, my copywriting and marketing skills will be able to take care of every one of my, and my families needs.
Sincere thanks
Dan
(If I can ever do anything for you, online marketing wise - just ask - FOC - am keen to pay it back to those who helped me)
I sent a quick response to Dan:
Excellent work Dan. Glad you followed through.
-Victor
Dan wrote back:
Was a pleasure.
Honestly, made a big impact in my life.
I know you make a living from your online efforts - ever anything I can do for you (improve conversions, traffic, copy - anything)
Just ask - no charge - it really was that big of a deal!
Remember when I said 30 Days of Discipline is the best product on earth for developing discipline?
That's how I “marketed” it. The best has no competition.
How I marketed Body of a Spartan:
I am my own billboard for Body of a Spartan.
The routine itself is something I did in secret for over a year. When I would take my shirt off I would always hear “wow!”.
When I had the routine exactly how I wanted it I put pen to paper and got it written, pictures of exercises included.
Then I released it to my existing Bold and Determined audience and let them decide for themselves if it was good or not.
According to the numbers, it's good.
And you know what? It was easy. I just built a product that works.
Can you do the same?
Sure you can. All you do is…
Turn yourself into a Greek statue.
Be how others wish to be.
Be the authority and provide absolute proof.
Be genuine. Be the real deal. Show real results.
It's the easiest thing in the world.
The other day some kid asked me how to build a profitable bodybuilding website when there are already millions of bodybuilding websites.
I said “well kid, all those other websites are poop so who cares how many there are“.
Then I gave him the holy grail answer that 99% of broke internet marketers can't figure out:
DO THE WORK, MAKE THE BEST PRODUCT IN THE WORLD, WALK THE WALK BEFORE YOU TALK THE TALK.
(Pictured: Victor Pride - building the body and the brand)
Marketing strategy for a bodybuilding book or website? Here it is…
Do the work, build the body, show the proof.
Be your own billboard. It couldn't possibly be any easier.
When people see you they should say “I want to be like that guy. How can I be like him?“.
Be cool, baby.
It's free marketing and it's worth more than all the paid advertising in the world.
They keep asking me how to get out, how to get money, how to get freedom and I keep telling them….
Do the work, become the best, deposit the checks.
It really is that easy. Just be the best in the world and don't compromise.
If you don't have the guts and the balls to do it then you deserve to take orders for the rest of your life.
But if you have the guts and the balls, well, welcome home.
Until next time.
Your man,
-Victor Pride
You’re right - I’ve told all my friends who are interesting in becoming winners
*interested (whoops)
That is an interesting thing I’ve noticed about you, Vic. While I see tons of others advertising their fitness ebooks across every site imaginable, I’ve only seen yours on your website. Your sales would probably skyrocket if you marketed more aggressively, but I get why you don’t and I respect that.
Wishing you continued success.
You know what I observed about other internet guru that use strong marketing campaign … I don’t believe in them!
Heavy marketing = Manipulation = Lie = Insulting my intelligence = No trust = No money
Marketing is great is you target idiot! But if you target smart people you better be smarter than that! To use Anti-marketing!
That why Victor succeed! His product and strategy is tailor made for his audience and customer!
No need to bullshit anyone with marketing if your product is good!
Good point…but if you don’t have a content product, like a blog/book/website, then you’re targeting idiots in all likelihood. For example, I may have developed the shit as far as toothpaste is concerned, but I can’t just let word of mouth spread about that sort of thing…gotta go the traditional route.
Not so.
You can win in other businesses too. Amancio Ortega (founder of Zara) called advertising etc. a pointless distraction. He became one of the richest people on earth with that company.
Zara spread like wildfire among shoppers. Marketing should ideally comprise a small percentage of your time and money.
Same with Sara Blakely’s Spanx. Advertising was only recently introduced in the company’s history. For the most part marketing was a small part of her brand’s billion dollar success.
Same with Jay-Z and his Rocawear label. Barely any advertising, except for name dropping in his raps. Sold the ‘700 million a year revenue’ company for 204 million later.
All fashion examples, but just to show that Victor’s philosophy can apply outside of content products.
You’re one of the main reasons for me to take life by the balls and start my own business. Keep it up, bro.
“The best has no competition.”
Truth.
I’m very impressed by your shoulders width, I think the shoulders are the most impressive part of the body. What do you do to be so wide? are you doing extra work on lateral raises?
I’m naturally broad, to heighten that I do DB lateral raises. Lateral raises work the side head of the deltoid and puts the mass where it needs to go. I do a lot or rear delt work as well. I never directly work front delts, they get a good workout from benching.
For naturally narrow guys it is advised to build up your lat width to get the appearance of being broad. Check out Oskaar’s article: https://boldanddeterminedarchive.com/2014/01/23/how-to-build-big-broad-shoulders/
This is another great post Victor! I can honestly say your updates always make me feel better!
My father loved model airplanes. The old balsa wood/paper kind you glue the pieces together. He personally designed, developed, manufactured, and distributed a real niche market of 12 different planes, all to scale of WW1 biplanes and triplanes.
He put everything of his passion for quality and attention to detail into those kits. He wanted to make a profit, but he was driven by quality. He only sold to one hobby center.
This was 1970. Before the Internet. He never spent a $ on advertising. His was a product literally spread word of mouth.
10 years later he was getting orders from England, Germany, France, Israel. Israel? Yea, and a few more. I was really impressed. When he sold the business it had grown to 14 countries. Never spent a $ on advertising. The quality sold itself.
There is no substitute for quality.
My reputation is solid, but my brand is weak. I surprise people when I speak, because the contents of this book are not what the cover implies.
I can’t replace my brand, but I can change it. I can tighten it up, make it stronger, literally.
As I read this post I thought, “What if my brand were as strong as my reputation?”
It’s past time to find out.
Great post Vic.
Fantastic story GreyWolf, appreciate you sharing.
B&D has been the benchmark that up and coming blogs should model themselves. I remember in your podcast with Chris from GLL you mentioned that you have a bunch if unpublished articles that you did not feel were up to par quality-wise for your site. That was a big takeaway for me - don’t write just to have something published - make sure it is always top notch quality.
Hey Victor - Just curious, where did your initial momentum and traffic come from? Did you eventually start seeing search engine traffic, or direct traffic via referrals or word of mouth?
I’ve started off making money from niche sites primarily with SEO and Google traffic, but I’m pretty sick of the SEO roller coaster and playing in big Google’s sandbox. For my latest site I’m just focusing on pumping out quality content on a topic that I’m passionate about and don’t see much information on anywhere else — it’s great to see others already achieving success doing the same!
I probably got my first momentum being featured in a weekly link up post on a now defunct website.
In other words an internet friend told his internet friends “I like this article” and they all went to go read it.
Was that website inmalafide by chance?
That’s correct.
Great article!, love the quote “Being the best in the world is the best marketing strategy in the world”.
Stunning post on derailing the marketing myth. I wish more people could understand this. I don’t know what was in my head when I went in for an MBA. It’s the most useless piece of trash out there.
Whenever I read that con man Philip Kotler’s book on Marketing, I never understood why people considered him God. The man is as big a con man as there ever has been. He has literally become a millionaire by twisting the basics of advertising, using some fancy terms and writing books.
As you say, it’s all about the product. If it’s great, it will spread like fire.
I’ve never been able to finish a book about marketing or advertising. Never.
The only ones I have ever been able to read all the way through are the NO BS Guide series by Dan Kennedy. I did find them very useful and some of his ideas when implemented worked.
I actually own a couple of his but they’ve been collecting dust for 2 years now. I might try and pull one off the shelf here soon.
Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins, short enough for me and not as full of BS as the others.
That picture of you there, is that pre-steroids and during BOS? or is it your current body?
That’s from about 3 days ago.
” I don’t “reach out” or send those “we want you back!” emails.”
This is exactly why I keep coming back here. Because you don’t use bullshit tactics like the one you described.
I thank you for that one.
Hey, Victor, great article, your posts always make me think about things from a different perspective. I’ve always thought that marketing was more important than having a great product but having the best product can be a good strategy to if you’re marketing method is word of mouth!
Vic, cant open “The 3 part solution for Building Impressive arms” https://boldanddeterminedarchive.com/2014/07/03/victor-pride-qa-part-1/The%203%20Part%20Solution%20for%20Building%20Impressive%20Arms . Page not found (i followed the link in the pridecast 1 of 2 page)
Fixed the link, and you can check out the article here: https://boldanddeterminedarchive.com/2013/05/16/the-3-part-solution-for-building-impressive-arms/
Great post Vic!
This post reminded me how much 30 DoD changed my life. I still practice the principles today, without even thinking about them.
Vic,
What is your opinion of companies that handle the ecommerce, security and digital rights management of an ebook for a 10% royalty? Author still markets his book, but the concern against someone stealing your payments, piracy is mitigated.
That’s not a bad idea. You’re saying you go after copyright violators and you go after people who have stolen your material? Do you get the books removed from torrent sites? If you do, that could be a great company.
There are already companies that do this. The idea is to put digital locks on books to prevent them from being shared on torrent sites or from someone else to buy your book and then surreptitiously sell it on their own website. They charge about 10% royalty.
I am just wondering your opinion as to whether this is worth it, is it that big of a problem?
Torrent sites are a problem. Your company can fix it? That’s a solution. It IS a problem.
There are Ebooks that have a random password generated for them. but they are not that popular. You can get a piece of the pie. If you’re good enough and work smart you can be able to take over that market.
If you can figure out how to lock files from becoming torrents (movies, music, ebooks, software, etc) you’re going to own a VERY big piece of pie
Finished your 30 Days of Discipline and what I’m about to say is no exaggeration.
Succeeded 26 days. Failed four. It’s pretty fucking hard. But the results are there. Lost a belt loop size, sex life with my wife has improved dramatically. My wife finds me as attractive now as she did twenty years ago. Get noticed by women who never even looked twice at me before. Not that I’d ever cheat but it is a nice feeling. And I get called “Sir” a lot now. This was all due to succeeding 26 of 30 days. That’s how good it is.
And one last thing, I have had over a dozen guys ask me what I did, including the former light-heavyweight Thai boxing champion of the Southwest.
People notice the results. I probably added a year or two or five to my life. And no, nothing I just said is an exaggeration. That book worked. A life changing book for $10. It’s worth thousands. Thank you Vic!!!
No, thank you Paul. Like I said, I can’t buy better advertising than that.
I bought this very recently but haven’t started implementing yet. Is it the 23 page one? I thought it was 30 originally so was worried if I was missing something out.
Solid advice Vic. Let the product speak for itself and, if it’s worth it, the money will come flowing in via word of mouth.
In regards to the bodybuilding stuff, I’ve always heard “Your body is your business card”. If you have a solid physique, it’ll be like a flashing neon sign with loud speakers attached.
Very true. No one would take a flabby personal trainer seriously. Same would go for bodybuilders.
Love your work Vic. I actually found your blog through an ill feminist who bagged one of your posts on Twitter. Saw / read the blog, loved it, and I have never looked back since. Thank you.
Damn, you’re really good at firing people up with these articles Victor! This seems like a good time to tell you that you’re, right, being the real deal does work as a business model. I’ve bought both your books and look forward to more of your stuff in the future.
Out of the park as always. Your a mind reader for sure, this post covers exactly what my feverish brain has been chewing on the last few days. You inspired my wife and I to start our own blog. We are 6 weeks out from our launch date.
We put in 60 hours each in our own business per week, complain about not having time to work on our blog? Not on our lives..keep the kick ass take no prisoners stuff coming!
Are the best products handmade or from wholesalers and distributors?
Specifically which product?
Physical products like clothing, sports equipment, accessories, etc. So, is it better to sell your own products or buy from wholesalers and sell?
There is a small (the owner and 1 employee) custom made hiking boot company in the mountains of NH named Limmer boots. It is a fourth generation family owned business - for nearly 100 years. They are world renowned in the backpacking community. They literally have a cult like following .The price for a pair is nearly 600.00 and the waiting list is 2 years. Why? - Quality. Hands down they are the best hiking boot in the world. I own two pairs and have hiked hundreds of miles and every step of the way they not only hold up but they become more comfortable. They are truly a company that staked their claim on being the best and have more than lived up to it.
Interesting, I know in the long run you end up saving money. High quality over quantity
You don’t even need to promote/advertise your products, people are begging for a new product.
Am seventeen, two more months and am on my way home.
Victor, what business would you recommend for a 17 year old?
Tell me your interests, your skills and your talents.
I send the answer on the contact form.
Post it here. You’ll be able to get advice and tips from me as well as all the other readers.
I’m into bodybuilding, I have a ripped physique, not top notch but I’m working on it. I get rapid results from a routine I designed. Traveling is an interest. I want a location independent business. I tried blogging and I don’t like it. I have an eBook with no way of marketing it.
Start a website, show pics, do diet/training consulting. Work up some client reviews, add them to your site, when you have an audience and some clients you release the ebook.
What is diet/training consulting? How do I get traffic on my site?
I mean be a personal trainer online. Train them online. Do their diet and oversee their training. Get on bb’ing and fitness forums and get your name and face out there, especially to the over 30 crowd who has money and is out of shape.
I want to attain a top notch physique before I do that. What business to do in the meantime?
What do you do in the meantime? You join BB, start posting your knowledge, helping others out, work on your physique, learn about new techniques, learn how to write, build a different wordpress site (or whoever, website building is a learning process), save money, get your ideas on paper, save your work in multiple places including clouds… could go on forever.
Really: find a need, become the best in that niche, keep offering solutions to those in that niche.
It’s funny, Vic. I found your site, by chance, through some searching of Google. I read everything you had to offer. And then I told my best friend about it. What you speak, it’s the truth.
And everything you say is very rereadable. I almost wish you made one of those one - two dollar books of all of your bests posts so I could read them whenever.
Keep inspiring.
Not a bad idea, Matt. Something to think about at the end of the year.
Victor, you are a master craftsman in every sense of the term. From some of your other posts I think you said your father was a master craftsman stone mason? Do you think some of the virtues he practised rubbed off on you? > Seamus from Ireland.
He is a master carpenter, he’s a master with wood. No, I don’t think it had anything to do with my practice.
how do u buy products in alibaba and resell it on ebay and other sites?
any tips and tricks? or maybe an article for this topic.
Go to alibaba, find 10-12 suppliers, whittle down to 5 that you like, get samples from each of them, pick your favorite, place a small order, open a store on ebay, sell your product. Put your money back into the business and buy more product. Even better, find a supplier who will dropship for you and save you some hassle. Like people have been doing since the dawn of the dollar, buying and re-selling. Easy as 1,2,3.
So, Alibaba is a supplier list? Is Doba the same way because I am going to use them as a drop shipping aggregator with access to hundreds of suppliers?
What Victor says is all true. That is basically what I do for on a larger scale for the company I work for. The main thing is staying organized and on top of everything.
The biggest mistake would be over-diversifying. Like Vic said, keep it to a few good suppliers. Your criteria should be in this order:
1) Quality of the product
2).Supplier’s customer service and reliability
3) Price
Personally, I wouldn’t do a business like this UNLESS you can get suppliers that will dropship for you, but that’s just a personal preference because I’d hate to be stuck with material. Dropshipping also means less work for you since all you have to do is place the order with your supplier and give them the mailing address. No packaging or shipping on your end.
“If you’re thinking about the marketing strategy more than you’re thinking about creating the best product on earth you are thinking backwards”
Thank you Victor, this was to the point.
I am starting my own medical mobile consultation practice, and this sentence let me know how I have been more thinking about how to market myself than how to do the best.
It’s better to do something one would do even for free and reap the $ from spontaneous apreciation of your work.
This will let me straighten my business ideas.
Thank you
I just found out recently my cholesterol levels are much above the norm. I need to change my eating habits. So far, It used to be 2 meals. First, 10 large eggs + bread. Second, Beef (in different forms) + pasta/rice + greens.
Any advices? What to if I need to limit my egg and red meat intake? At least temporarily. Any helpful ideas people?
First of all, do you feel good and are functioning OK? Or are you reacting to what a couple of numbers on paper say? The history of cholesterol numbers shows a REDUCTION in the allowable level since the ’50s or so. Why? So the drug manufacturers can push more toxins into your system, courtesy of your doctor. Ask him if the drug reps are monitoring his prescriptions and if he is getting any perks from them (dinners, bonus checks, whatever). If your doc gets arrogant about you even asking the question, that is a bright, flaming red flag and you need to find another doc who understands your natural body and its needs, a “naturopath”. Food is your medicine. (Except for temporary emergencies like broken bones and such.)
Your body manufactures cholesterol. It is necessary to function.
Two tests that will be of immense help are Alletess and Spectracell. The first tests food sensitivities and allergies, and the second tests for nutritional levels (vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids etc.) Both with only a blood sample. Then you can see what may be missing in your diet and/or what you need to cut back on.
Best wishes to you. Don’t let the drug pushers ruin your life with scare tactics. It’s their job to suck money out of the insurance company’s or your pocket by any means necessary. If you have any questions about any prescription drug you can go to “Askapatient.com” and type in the drug name. Real answers from real patients about their experience will open your eyes.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. I don’t work for any of the companies mentioned. I do, however, have experience with this situation.
Thanks man. It’s possible what you say. However, my family has a history of high cholesterol problems. It’s genetics for me partially. That’s why I need to keep it under control. My blood pressure got up a lot due to this recently so I need to keep everything within the limits.
OK, but start with natural, pure, chemical-free foods and quality nutritional supplements that will help with your goals, rather than popping Big Pharma pills advertised on TV. Perhaps get a touch of bio-identical hormones to balance your system. Do your research or have someone help you. Use the internet to the max and always go to the root of the problem rather than attempting to cover it up. There are many people with similar conditions, the answers are already available.
I won’t hijack the thread because i could go on and on about this. Knowledge is power, you are the master of everything that goes into or on your body. Make sure those things are healthy.
Vic, I just went through Badnet. Great work and an amazing theme. I have a question for you.
In the ‘Do you wanna be a professional blogger’ series, you were promoting Hostgator. But on Badnet, it’s Web host or something.
Any reason for the change? I’m asking because I promote Hostgator on my website too, and want to know if you changes because of some affiliate payment problems from their side. Cause I’ve heard that sometimes they don’t pay the valid commission
Thanks..
We’ve been doing hostgator for 5 months now. As a host they always been terrific, but they suck as an affiliate so we found some better guys who gave us a better deal and gave a better deal for the end user (free domain name, cheaper hosting). Everybody wins on this one.
Alright man, thanks!
whts ur website kush
Hey I’m new to this site. Been reading through it for a couple days. Some great content in here. Like the straight to the point no bull shit advice Victor. I know this is the wrong post I’m about to talk about, however I thought more people would gain from what I’m about to say with it being a more up to date post.
I’ve been doing the steak and eggs diet. As owning a butchers shop in England I can understand people finding this diet quite costly, buying steak 5 times a week. This is a cheaper version. Buy 5LB of mince steak or ground beef put in a bowl, add salt and pepper to your taste. Then crack one egg in there. This helps the meat to bind onece you have mixed it all together. Then shape into 5 individuals pates / burgers. This is a lot cheaper than buying steak with all the same goodness. Hope this helps you guys. Keep up the great work mate.
Daaaaaaaamn V, those Asian girlies must be drooling whenever you walk around with your shirt off.
Don’t even need to take my shirt off. They faint for me when they look down at the crotch and see the huge bulge of 100 baht bills I always keep in my left pocket.
hahaha
I heard 50 000 baht per month in thailand can give you a pretty luxurious life. If you make 10 000 usd per month like you said in an older post, its like 320 000 baht, damn, I cant imagine how many business opportunities you can have there with that kind of financial power.
50,000 baht isn’t enough for luxury. It’s enough to have fun and not be hungry, not not luxury.
Suggestion: you should create an instagram for the website and yourself maybe.
You’ll reach more people (mostly the young ones ) and you’ll make more money.
I’ll start a website soon. You have to let me make a guest post after. Good day
You’ve told me the what and the why but not the how. How will I make more money by putting free pictures on instagram?
Free advertisement; Shitty fitness people have gained a following into instant fame. You find all those “fitness gurus” advertising crap and the funny thing is, they all make money! If you have a page that leads to your site, you might make a little more money. And I don’t think a dollar more can make a guy mad. Besides, the younger people need to read your content. It’s one of the only sites that speaks to the audience in a different tone.
Instagram is very ‘shareable’ and there are many fitness gurus without an ounce of the authenticity vic has making bux from their showmanship on various social networking sites. Having something real on there would increase eyeballs on B & D, and bills in your pocket. But only if its done in a way that’s different to the rest.
All the fitness people on there load their posts up with stupid hashtags. However, it seems like these days Instagram>Facebook and Twitter these days. Especially for fitness guys.
You’re never gonna see #HashtagNonsense here. It looks so fucking stupid. I don’t believe those fitness people are making any money, they’re doing it for ego.
It’s cool to have a fan base if you can capitalize from it. My mom told me I have only 5 years left to use my image ha! ha! I better hurry the fuck up!
Thinking about a movie/documental for Youtube. With a strong fan base maybe 20% will buy it
You have to do it because you have a vision for it, not because the money calls for it - that’s an illusion
Hello Vic,
Great post (again). I appreciate there are still people who get successful by producing high-quality content, without using an awful lot of advertisement. Did you really ignore SEO completely and just rely on your posts?
Keep up the great work!
Rob
I write for people, not for algorihtms that change frequently. No SEO work, ever, beyond the obvious: write the words so people can google it.
I know that you already told that you blast and cruise on gym/business, but can you give more insight on it?
I mean, when my focus is on business i barely go to the gym, like 2 times a week max, but when my focus is on the gym, iam too lazy or tired and i cant do much on business.
It’s not like i stop any of them but, i just cant put 100% on the two at the same time.
Any tips?
Any tips?
No. What you’ve just described is exactly what I was talking about when I talked about blast and cruise. Focus on one, and just maintain the other.
Hey Vic,
I’m looking forward to reading your book 30 days of disipline probably better to read than the Spartan Workout as I lack the disipline part at the moment. Let’s see if we can change that!!! Keep up the great work it’s refreshing to read some straight up No BS on a Blog it’s quite rare.
Peace
Simon (Vancouver, BC)
I just finished day 1 of 30 DoD. Definitely worth it. I’d say start with it first.
Thanks Jacob will do
Vic, your website is looking better and better. I like the little adjustments you’ve made. And thank you for these powerful posts.
Good shape Victor. How much did you weight on the day this picture was taken? Did you use Steak & Egg diet to cut down?
181 lbs, no steak and eggs. But plenty of beef and egg whites.
Yo Vic,
Can you recommend a good web developer? I have the shittiest luck finding good ones, the industry seems rife with incompetence. I already bought the hosting/blog offer thing, but I need the whole website built I think not just installation of basics.
Email me with specifics of what you need and I’ll tell you how to find someone.
Chris, with Vic’s permissión: check us out.
http://www.abanico.net is our corporate website
blog.abanico.net is our portfolio
We’re based in Canary Islands (politically Spain, geographically off the coast of Western Africa) and despite being inside European Union, we are kind of a tax haven (no VAT for example) because of our location not in mainland Europe.
As you could find out in the websites, besides local spanish companies, we work for international brands as Tabasco, Kia Motors or Kikkoman.
Tuning a wordpress based blog is not a big deal at all.
Pages are both in spanish, cause we’re still building up english and french versions. We can understand each other all the same :D
I don’t know if Victor allows to display e-mails, so I’d rather wait to your answer here in case you’re interested on what you see.
Best regards.
Victor u have mentioned previously on other posts about keeping money in several bank accounts. What are some other good places to put your money to make it grow, work for u and protect it from inflation? Money parked in a bank account will keep losing its purchasing power and banks pay u low interest on it while making billions of it. Any tips?…
Other than investing in “sure deals” I really don’t know. I’m getting screwed in America, I’m getting screwed in Hong Kong, Thailand doesn’t pay interest to foreigners. I like buy and hold, but I just got screwed by godaddy - they stole a 10k domain from me. So I’m in the same boat as you, where do I put this damn money….
I may soon have a website that will help out that…
As for marketing, if anyone does want to learn, below are a couple of good and free resources. Neither one are the fly-by-night, super flashy video sale letter type stuff.
http://ilovemarketing.com/ (160 or so podcasts and growing. I’d recommend starting from the beginning)
http://www.abraham.com/gifts/ (Jay Abraham - a legend who really does have some great insights IMO. Now that he’s older, rich and almost retired, he gives away some things that he used to charge for).
Jay Abraham is the shit. Highly recommended.
Buy and sell silver or gold is one thing you can do. Imagine you have 20k and silver is 22 bucks an ounce, you buy and hold till it goes to 25, and u just made 2700 which is more than 10 percent just for doing a transaction. That type of price change happens quite regularly too. You also dont need to actually own the physical commodity.
Precious metal market has its ups and downs. If you want to have metals as insurance for your savings, you have to buy actual ounces. Remember; you don’t hold them, you don’t have them.
If you want to trade with certificates (a ponzi-like scheme with its days ticking down to zero, that will happen eventually cause there is much more certificates than actual gold/silver)…well, things get complicated and you should study a bit technical and fundamental analysis. Tricky thing.
The ups and downs are the whole point…thats how you profit. Also, you can trade ETF’s…..they’re legit and operate like stocks in a company holding x amount of silver or gold. I agree that holding the metal is best where practical.
I regard trading as, at least, a part timejob. The ETFs thing, if you’re not a trader, is like that game with one less chair than children spinning around until the music stops.
I have profited with PMs, and I’ll keep doing it…it’s just I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody.
The thing having the real deal of heavy precious metals at hand, is, because IMHO, FIAT money is chasing its days down to zero. Many countries are walking the way of moving off the dollar and starting to use their own currencies when trading with each other instead of using da americangreens. That’s the first step. The next, and we already seen a few movements yet, is to put back gold (and silver by extension) on its historical place; the standard for money. Again, Russia is working on that issue.
Yesterday came up something from Mexico too…they have silver and they want to bind the “peso” to it.
I agree with Da Grappla. I’ve been trading for years, and more importantly I’ve systematically tested many trading systems. It’s possible to beat the market (buy-n-hold), but it’s not as easy as “gurus” make it sound. You may get lucky for awhile, but if you think you can make 5-10% a month consistently, you’ll have an ugly reality check at some point.
If it were that easy, we’d all compound our wealth into the billions after a few years. My goal is to beat the S&P 500 over the long-term and take less risk. I refuse to hold on to stocks during disasters like 2000-2002 or 2008. I don’t beat the market every year, though. If you want to truly build your wealth without risking your principal, start a business.
Luxembourg and Switzerland.
Vic, once again thank you for the great content you put out, this article couldn’t have come at a better time in my life.
Here’s the thing: I’m trying to start a translation business. I’m proficient in both English and Portuguese and would like to focus specifically on these two languages.
However, I’m having trouble marketing these services. I know that there is a demand for them, but I just never seem to attract the right people. Clients may vary from importer / exporters, multinational corporations, bloggers, app developers, website owners, internet marketers, college students (cientific articles) and much more.
The things is… it’s a very broad field. I don’t know how to attract people for such a service. What strikes me the most is that I feel that it isn’t an doesn’t “everyday thing” that people look for, however I know there is a need for it.
According to what you’ve written, I’ve already failed. However, I’m determined to get this thing up and running, and I know,that once I obtain a couple of clients, things will start running smoothly and business will spread through word of mouth.
I would hate to take up your time, and forgive me if I am coming off as a person who is “asking for too much”. However, you are an expert and I am reaching out to you for help.
I would like to know your opinion on promoting a service like this.
*Keep up the good work Vic.
James.
Hey Victor,
I enjoyed reading this article. It’s interesting to hear your perspective on a new topic.
“Because people will like it and tell other people about it. You’re more apt to listen to your friend than you are to listen to a commercial.”
-Very true.
“then released that product for free for the first 500 people and relied on the reviews and feedback from them to sell copies.”
— Cool. Didn’t know this. Did you send out an email with Mailchimp regarding this? Did you put up some specific text on the landing page?
Final question… Will you ever write a book for Amazon?
———————————
All in all. Good advice.
Just don’t forget PATIENCE. It takes time, practice, and life experience to create something great.
A 16-year old kid is hardly going to be able to revolutionize an industry that’s existed for a long time. But that kid COULD revolutionize a new industry — Viperchill is a solid example of that. He did it with SEO when it was new.
PS:
Elegant new designs for your eBooks. Way to go!
Victor, that is the best marketing I ever came across and that makes the most sense to me.
I have just joined an MBA course and I think that MBA course wont be able to put the truth as beautifully as you have.
You are the man and you deserve all the success that you are getting and more.
You inspire me to become the person that everyone wants to be. Maybe there are challenges, but I am game.
You have a big fan in India.
This advice is very true. A few years ago, I couldn’t play guitar. I became so fired up that I stopped at nothing to be in a band.
“I’m a guitar player now” I would say, no one believed me. “My band writes some great songs,” people didn’t give a shit.
Slowly they would come to see my band play - they saw FIRST HAND how good we were. They saw the product in action. They loved it.
Put your words into action, and people will trust you.
Great comment and this shows that if you stick with something long enough, you can be successful!
WELL…. WTF? RIZ…. Could you post a link so we can hear you jam? :)
Sure - here’s a couple Youtube videos from my biggest gig so far. I’m stage right:
Playing the Game of Thrones theme into our original song “Storming the Castle” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Oqa1Un4jU
Another original from the same gig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=salZPOoEeoo
Just finished my ebook on how I did it. Head on over to my blog for a free copy :)
u r d guy who said come on vic sell us some drugs man
ha ha ha
i hav screenshot of tht cmmnt
I check your site for a new post every other day. Every single one is a freaking inspiration.
My personal business is just starting to take off and I probably would have just remained in a “someday” mindset if I hadn’t found B&D.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Victor,
Thank you for helping me set up WordPress on my new tech news & reviews website/blog. If you’re curious to see how I’m doing so far, go to http://www.BFYBtech.com. If you’re pleased, a link would be greatly appreciated!
Digging this post man. Thanks for keeping it real. Sometimes, integrity and a solid product is greater than all the time and money you spend on mindless BS ads. Once word gets out that your product is bunk, all that initial investment is gone, other than the chump change you made milking the guinea pigs.
“I had an established blog that gave out free information for one year.”
The only blog I’ve seen that lays the groundwork as just that….groundwork. No pitch, no magic bullet, just good old work. And as a musician, following your workouts & getting jacked has led to a huge increase in stage appeal, which has led to more gigs.
A good body making good music is better than a bad body making good music. At least, that’s what my wallet has to say. Thanks Vic!
Hi vic,I was training calisthenics since november 2013 until may.I began beginner spartan routine(4 days to week)and today I doing typical spartan routine,I want do wide grip press to the neck on the smith machine,Should I change this exercise or should I do both?for chest-titis Should I add weight each set or the same weight? Thanks spartan
HA HA HA! I just re-read one of your articles… Its called 32 things every man should do I think… Victor states: 27) Not spend all day on social networking sites - These sites are for girls. Liberated women who are so independent that they have all the time in the world to whine about how there are no real men. Stay the fuck off of these places, there are better uses of your time. (Don’t forget to like this post so your facebook friends can show up and get the kick in the ass they need).
Liberated women who are so independent that they have all the time in the world to whine about how there are no real men”. HILARIOUS… I started laughing out loud. FUNNY SHIT!!!
This has zero relevance to the new article, however its funny as [email protected]!!! That is all gentleman. carry on.
Victor, is B&D still hosted by HostGator or did you move it to Web Hosting Hub? Thanks.
The hosting seems to be by Wild West Domains.
B&D is still hosted on HG servers.
These Web Host Lookup websites suck. One says it’s Bluehost, the other Wild West Domains. It seems they just make shit up.
Hey vic, your posts have inspired me for such a long time. I’m not big into the body building or such, but I’m obsessed with the perfect diet and entrepreneurial activities.
I have always been naturally been into fashion and clothing etc. After procrastinating for many years, I finally decided to start building my own brand. I have been obsessed with it for months now. I used alibaba to contact some manufacturers and get some samples made ( am still waiting on them). I have even come to Indonesia to get in touch with more manufacturers (where i received my first sample). I am a perfectionist so i will not settle until my samples and everything are perfect and then i will begin production.
Could you offer some tips, should i go for a broader cheaper approach ? or is being a perfectionist in the product being exact, even if it costs more a good thing? My market is 17 - 28 yr old mens and female.
hope your are doing well,
Anthony Randello-Jahn
Victor – great blog. I am glad I found it… by chance.
Direct question. Do you think that a 34yo man, always employed, can switch to a writing career? My personal interests: literature, science, pulp fiction, sci-fi, movies, art, technology in general. I would read all day and night long. Do you think that a writing career is as any other entrepreneurship? I think that Kevin J. Anderson once said that he works (that is, writes) as a horse: 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. Always. It doesn’t matter if he is on vacation, or if he is traveling, or if the Superbowl is on.
Now, here’s the catch. Although I live in the US, I am ESL so writing is more difficult, less natural (duh). Do you honestly think that hard work can balance the fact that I am ESL?
Again, great blog. Keep up.
-EA
Can you be a writer? Why not. I am. You’re ESL? Two words: Vladimir Nabokov
Nabokov… perfect answer. You’re right. Thanks.
I think I remember how I found your blog. Just FYI and to underline the importance of (virtual) word of mouth. I was looking on some ideas on how to get rid of books. I am a bookworm, but I probably keep way more titles than I should keep just collecting dust. So I decided to create space in my little house by getting rid of 90% of my books* and by putting all the DVDs I have in a DVD binder, alphabetically ordered. I have done the DVD part already and let me tell you that getting rid of the useless cases saved a good chunk of space. I have yet to work on the gargantuan task of reselling my books. So I was browsing for some minimalist ideas and I found a blog that had a few interesting ideas, Penelope’s Trunk . Now, I used to be an avid reader of Zen Habits and somehow Penelope’s Trunk made me realize that Leo Babauta’s minimalist empire was not so minimalist after all. In addition, that day I was already fed up with all the “live your inner peace by loving everything and accept whatever you are” crap (and Babauta even published an article against educating kids using strong ways even whenever necessary). So I started googling around for ways to minimalize but with strength. In one of the comments in one of the various blogs (mostly imitating Zen Habits) I found a link to your blog; I remember it had a warning like “it’s not for the faint of heart”.
Then, the rest is history and even my wife agrees with most of the stuff you say. First post I read was the one about the 21 habits of successful people.
What is your opinion on Zen Habits?
Honestly, I am fed up. Years working at a company, including Saturdays, just to be laid off with hundreds of other good and experienced people so that management could renew their offices (they didn’t even deny that). Worse, the manager that laid me off didn’t have a clue on how important I was on the program I was working on (result: 3 months delay, at a cost higher than 2 years of my salary). That’s the recognition I got. Am I complaining? No. I accepted the job, I worked, and I enjoyed the salary. I am not going to spit on the plate I accepted to eat from for years. But let’s face it, there is a difference between “accepting” and “wanting”. Now, I want what is mine. So I don’t want to hear anymore the usual BSs like “be grateful, it could be worse”. Yes it could and I thank God that it isn’t. Yet, it’s my duty to strive for more. God didn’t put me here for without a good reason. And if you are an atheist, then just consider that you are the result of millions of years of evolution, so you can’t just let it go, evolution itself deserves more than human mollusks.
To be back to the original topic, I like the stark contrast between you and Babauta. Minimalism makes you happy only if you re-use the resources to get what you really want. Not (as LB suggests) just to live an empty life. I want it full, but of the right stuff.
“What is your opinion on Zen Habits?”
I’d bet a thousand dollars you can guess what my opinion of Leo Blahblahblah is.
Great post.
What is your body fat % in that picture?
No idea.
Do you recommend keeping identity private when first begining a blog?
Only if there is a reason to stay private.
Great article bro! B&D makes me wiser and gets me fired up
I’m 22 year old a year ago I was 138 pound, sometimes I’ll give fitness advice to friends but I could feel they did’t take my word for it, now I’m 165 and they ask me for validation and advice
I’m Trying to achieve a physique like yours Victor, so I can say: ‘Don’t I look like I know what I’m talking about!’ without opening my damn mouth
Hi Victor.
What to do with customers too passives?
I’m using Facebook to sell my product. I have many people in it, but nobody is asking for my product.
Any idea?.
Thnx
What’s your product?
It’s a video training about Customer Service . It’s for people who work in spas and beauty centers.
Specific people, with an specific need.
One quick EZ answer: Target the owners of the spas, not the employees. The employees don’t care about watching a customer service video.
Maybe it´s more complex than that. In some cases, owners and employees are the same people.
I’ve seen that It’s difficult to communicate a theoric product to people that don’t use nothing but the hands. Not enough mental activity in those people’s brains.
Also, in Facebook all is vertigo. You write, they don´t stop a while to read.
I’ll keep the guard up.
Thanks, man.
Its a pleasure watching your business grow victor! Remember people a looser is someone who quits. A winner is someone who never stops trying. Even if you live in a box eating top ramen and tuna as long as you keep trying you have that winner mindset.
Always respect people who are more successful than you ! Jealousy and being envious are for looser. Be inspired to achieve.
Keep up the good work !
A Quote directly from Cal Newport:
“American culture is obsessed with the idea that we need to find our “passion” in order to be happy and successful. But there’s a problem: “It’s an astonishingly bad piece of advice,” says best-selling author Cal Newport. We have no pre-existing passion. Instead, passion is found by first building a rare and valuable talent and using it to take control of your career path. In other words, be so good and work so hard that no one can ignore you.”
Very interesting post, always wanted to hear about your take on marketing.
I do agree with you on “great products sell themselves” and your initial approach but have you ever thought about expanding your marketing? You know you have two great products that sell but I’m sure you also know there are a lot more people out there who just don’t know about boldanddetermined or your ebooks.
Victor ( or anyone else who wants and can answer, for that matter ) did you build up the part of the chest below the clavicles by doing something in particular, other than heavy bench pressing ? It is my least developed point.
Try decline benching.
incline*
Victor, what do you think about zyzz?
He use to follow your blog. Did you were friends?
Best way to market your brand is to always play to its strengths and use the internet as the fountain of knowledge that it is. It is easy to look up other success stories and get ideas
Hi Victor,
Though I know your site is geared toward men, I stumbled upon it this evening and was really impressed and inspired. As a lady who runs a niche-based business, I too have never seen the value in marketing. I prefer to believe that since I built it, they will come. Thank you for the reminder! ;-)
Keep up the great work!
XOXO,
Sassha. <3
P.S. I will be referring my husband to your site, I believe that he can benefit greatly from your in-your-face style of motivation.
Vic, I have been reading your blog religiously for the past month, and I must say that your thoughts and ideas have really resonated with me. I have given very serious thought towards writing a book about my fitness journey. My goal is to drop 200 pounds by the time I turn 30. I would like to use that as a stepping stone to blogging. I have similar opinions regarding the smoke and mirrors of the fitness and diet industry, and my vision is to build a brand that scoffs convention and creates solutions. Anyway, what is your opinion? Keep in mind, this is just a few broad strokes. Your books and blogs are similar to what I want to do.
This post has made me rethink what product I want to release in the future.
I started brain storming the other day, jotting down different ideas. Now after reading this, I’ve changed my focus point onto creating a product based for myself. Finding the best method of training and dieting for me.
Self-experiment. Find out what works best for me. Shift that self-experiment into a Product ready for Customers. Be the billboard for that product. I know what I want, and I will get it.
Thanks Victor.
Recently, especially on forums like The Red Pill on Reddit, there has been a flood of pure shit. People read about what they should be doing online, and they read and they read, and then they write about it. People seem to forget that the whole damn point of reading about self-improvement is to actually get out there, do the work, and improve yourself. As men, we must walk the walk. We must be better than society has programmed us to be. We must be MEN.
http://www.practicallyalpha.wordpress.com
Check my blog out if you’d like to read more. I focus much more on the cultivation of a strong mindset than we’re used to around here, but I touch on many of the same topics as the wise Mr. Pride.
That was an awesome read Victor. I feel the same way about people who are not willing to put in the work, yet they want results. Your blog is amazing and I learn something new that I can apply immediately after reading every article. Just Put In The Work!