Today, Chris Guillebeau’s new book The Art of Non-Conformity:  Set your own rules, Live the life you want, and Change the world hits real and digital bookshelves across the country!

I’ve stated many times before (and it’s still true) that Chris is one of my favorite online personalities and his blog, The Art of Non-Conformity, is by far my favorite blog.  Simply put, no single source online has had a greater impact on my life and work.  So, as you can imagine, I was extremely excited to get my hands on an early review copy of the book!

I’ve decided to celebrate the launch of the book by giving away 5 free copies here on launch week! That’s right.  I’m purchasing these in order to both support the book and to give back to the audience here!  Win-win-win!  :-)  At the bottom of the post, you’ll find details to enter to win a free copy!

Note: There’s absolutely 0% chance that my thoughts below on this book are unbiased.  I’m a ravenous fan of Chris’ message and I consider him a personal friend.  Not to mention that our (Courtney and I) story is featured in the Personal Finance chapter of the book.  So if you are looking for an unbiased review…  sorry!

The core message…

In his own words, Chris’ core message is this:

“You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to. You can do good things for yourself and make the world a better place at the same time. Here’s how to do it.”

Chris sets up the book to nail home this message from the beginning.  The majority of the book jumps between tidbits of his own personal background and journey, examples and features on other examples of people living intentionally, and advice (with specific tips) on how to execute your own deliberate plan.

I devoured the book in two separate sessions and after I put it down, I came away with the following…

I can really do this.  No, seriously…  *I* can really, freakin’ do this!

You see, this is almost always the affect Chris’ message has on me.  He has the ability to take what seems to the majority of people to be extreme (visiting every country in the world… selling everything you own and moving with a young family across the world…) and making it seem… feasible.

I guess he sort of grants me permission.  His message validates those core feelings and passions that the rest of the world is set up to “keep in check”.

While the majority of the world is saying “You probably shouldn’t”, this book is suggesting “Why the hell not?”.

And, for me, that’s exactly what I need.  That’s why I love the online communities I’m a part of.

Comparison to the Four Hour Workweek…

It’s nearly impossible not to compare The Art of Non-Conformity to Tim Ferriss’ The Four Hour Workweek. It’s not exactly a fair comparison, as even though they are both fruits (life design books) they are drastically different fruits.  Still, I’ve talked to half a dozen people about the book in private and every single time a discussion/comparison of the two has emerged.

In my life, The Four Hour Workweek completely shattered my world view.  It drastically changed my perspective on what was possible and led me down a rabbit hole that eventually turned me onto much of what is a core part of my life now.  It’s because of 4HWW that I started thinking unconventionally.  It’s because of 4HWW that I searched and found blogs, communities, and online businesses.

But, I needed more than the 4HWW to influence me.  Everyone does. The 4HWW’s brash and sometimes confrontational style can chip away at the years of conformity that has covered your brain.  It left my belief structure in pieces, which I’m very thankful for!

But, for me and for many people I’ve talked with, the 4HWW didn’t put Humpty together again.  It shook up how we approached the world, but we weren’t able to piece together a purpose or a mission for ourselves.  For me, a dogged pursuit of hacks, systems, and automation didn’t quite connect.  I just wasn’t able to apply it to my own life.

And this is the one area, above all others, that Chris Guillebeau excels at.  He has a gift for making abstract concepts, seem tangible… seem doable. I can relate to the examples he uses… I can see myself in similar positions.

The Art of Non-Conformity puts Humpty together again…

If you are at a place where you know… you just know that there is more.  That you should be doing more.  That you should be living more intentionally, more… awake… unplugged from the matrix… whatever you want to call it.  This book will help you make the unknown, known.  It will validate, dust you off, point you in the right direction, and show you the steps to make it happen.

My Biggest Takeaways…

Here were my biggest takeaways from the book:

Traditional security isn’t what it’s been built up to be.

In the middle of the books, especially Chapters 5 and 6, Chris spends time reflecting on the notion of security.  For decades, the traditional notion has been that going to college, getting a flexible degree, and obtaining a bi-weekly paycheck was the secure route. And, for decades, it really was.

But the times they are a-changing.  No longer is there much security in any traditional job.  In fact, if you want true security you have to develop the skills, the network, and the ability to go out and conquer it yourself.  You’ve got to make your own security.  This part of Chris’ message that resonates deeply with me!

Chris also spend time driving home a comparison of how his college experience compared to his launching a blog experience.  He calls it “Traditional Experience” vs. “Alternative Experience” and makes the case that there are much cheaper, faster, and more powerful avenues for many to gain experience and education.

Note that I said for many to gain, not for everyone.  Chris is quick to point out that for some, college is a necessary or even a preferred track.  He simply encourages people not to assume it’s the best path.  Not to default to it for default’s sake.  As he points out, far too many of us college, especially graduate school, as a method of life avoidance.

This leads me into my next takeaway…

No path is holier than another…

Blogging isn’t better than becoming a lawyer.  Going to college isn’t automatically a lesser option to real world experience.  Working a day job isn’t the devil.  You don’t have to travel to feel alive.

Chris makes it clear that he loves to travel.  He also bluntly states that he gained more expertise and experience blogging than he did in college and he’d probably never really feel like himself in a traditional day job.  But he doesn’t force his life model down anyone’s throat.  Frankly, that’s pretty rare these days.

The Art of Non-Conformity simply sets out to empower you to live intentionally.  To not go with the flow, just because others tell you to.  Not to follow a certain path, because society laid it out before you.

For some, this means creating or finding the perfect day job.  One where they feel alive and filled with purpose.  For others it may be traveling the world working from their laptops.  Some may need to go to 8 years of college and others won’t need to finish High School.

Chris’ well-rounded approach in this aspect makes his message insanely approachable.  He’s not afraid to share his choices, nor is he afraid to provide his opinions or even his preferences.  But the core message is only exclusive of those with a closed mind.  And I dig that.

Your Legacy Starts Now

The most powerful concept in the entire book for me was one of the last.

The concept is simple, so many of us wait until later in life to think about our legacy.  The older we get, the more our focus shifts to the people, ideas, and impact we’ll leave behind.

But why do we have to wait until we get older? We don’t. It’s so simple… yet, so powerful.

Chris urges us to not only start thinking about our legacy in big terms, but to actually focus our daily work on those activities which contribute to our legacy.  It’s a powerful tool for time management!  Ensure you are spending the majority of your time on those actions, activities, or items that will impact your legacy the greatest.

I love it.  I’m not a huge time management person.  I’m actually terrible at it.  But whenever I think about my day in terms of legacy, it becomes much more clear just how much of the routine crap doesn’t matter.  I spend more time with my family (my most important legacy) and more of my working time on creating and sharing.

How to win a FREE – FREE – FREE copy!  :-)

One of Chris’ final points in the book is a call to action:

Wake up in the middle of the night with good ideas.  Share them with the world.

Well, this book isn’t my idea… but that’s not going to stop me from sharing it with the world.  I believe in it’s message deeply and as a result, I’m buying and giving away 5 Free copies via this post.

• Leave a comment on this post!

In the comments section below, leave me a brief message on why you should win the book and how you will use it’s power for good!  :-)  I’ll pick my favorite 10 or so (some funny, some serious) and then randomize 3 winners from among those ten.

• Comment on Man Vs. Debt Facebook Page!

Visit the Man Vs. Debt Facebook Page and leave a comment on the main thread I started for this giveaway.  Not the post thread… it’s a separate wall post… you’ll see it.  I want to know what you’ll do with the book after you are done with it!

• Tweet out the launch or giveaway on Twitter!

Simply tweet out (copy and paste into Twitter) the following message:

The Art of Non-Conformity Book launches today!  Win a free copy via @ManVsDebt’s review –> http://bit.ly/c1a74k – #MvDAoNC

You can edit the tweet to your preference.  Make sure to include a proclamation of the book launch and the hashtag #MvDAoNC – so I can track the entries!

You Should Buy This Book…

Seriously, it’s well worth it.  Did I mention it’s only $9 right now on Amazon?

$9 freakin’ dollars!  Are you kidding me?

I still can’t believe the price point, but I’m incredibly happy.  So happy I’ve ordered several to give to close family and friends and 5 extra to giveaway here.

Buy this:  The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau

Since launching my Unautomate Your Finances back in March, I’ve been providing monthly income/expense reports in order to help promote financial transparency.

Last month, I missed posting any report for July, so as August wraps up here’s the “business” side of things around here.  I’m not going to lie and tell you that I’m o.k. with the last two months.  They are much, much lower than I wanted to be at this point!  Part of transparency is showing both good and bad month… both the set-up and the launches.  Here are the numbers:

July’s income/expenses:

Net from UYF Sales:  $330.99

• Total Guides Sold (June):  26
• Income (less Paypal fees):  $420.82
• Affiliate Payments:  -$89.83

Additional Income:  $1161.11

• Freelance Writing:  $200.00
• Thesis/ScribeSEO:  $234
• Unconventional Guides:  $612.51
• How to Live Anywhere:  $114.60
• Amazon:  $0

Direct Expenses:  -$364.74

• Hosting:  -$14.95
• Aweber:  -$29.00
• E-junkie:  -$5.00
• VodBurner:  -$9.95
• Domain Names: -$26.41
• iStock Photos: -$73.00
• Design Royalties: -$6.43
• Website Tech work: -$200

Net (Income – Expenses):  $1127.36

August’s income/expenses:

Net from UYF Sales:  $328.57

• Total Guides Sold (June):  27
• Income (less Paypal fees):  $436.52
• Affiliate Payments:  -$107.95

Additional Income:  $494.00

• Freelance Writing:  $200.00
• Thesis/ScribeSEO:  $0
• Unconventional Guides:  $238.68
• Language Hacking Guide:  $29.41
• Amazon:  $25.91

Direct Expenses:  -$154.19

• Hosting:  -$14.95
• Aweber:  -$29.00
• E-junkie:  -$5.00
• VodBurner:  -$9.95
• Domain Names: -$11.62
• Shipping: -$20.22
• Skype: -$10.00
• Techsmith Software: -$53.45

Net (Income – Expenses):  $660.67

Counting these two months, the average over the last 6 months of monetization: ~$1650/month

Keep in mind that by the nature of this business, most of the numbers above are from work (or lack of work) in the two months prior.  For example, I’ve done thousands in freelance work during August, which I will not see until October.  Also, the Sell Your Crap launch will create a spike of income, but will be from work put in over the last 4-5 months.  :-)

September Business Plans…

September will finally see the launch of the Sell Your Crap guide.  I know I’ve been saying that for months, but that is part of the transparency game.  I’d love for everything to line up perfectly… that’s not how it works!  :-)

The launch date is September 14th.  Ready or not, here it comes.  I have my own goals for launch it terms of business, traffic, and income.  While I won’t share my goals, I’ll be sure to continue the transparency at the end of next month!  :-)

Thanks for hanging with me as we get things back to normal.  The new Militia newsletter has been fired out over the last 3-4 weeks.  Blog posting has picked up and SYC is finally going to go live.

September is going to be a big month around here.  One that will define the direction of the site and business.  Thanks for all your support!

Xoxoxo,

-Baker

photo by restlessglobetrotter

This is a guest post by best-selling author and blogger Ramit Sethi.

For years, the most requested topic on my site, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, has been earning more money. Yet I intentionally stayed away because it’s almost always sleazy, attracting a ton of losers who simply want a silver bullet instead of actually working hard to earn money.

But if you’ve read my stuff, you know that I don’t spend much time on frugality, which I mostly consider a waste of time. Instead, I encourage people to focus on the Big Wins — automation, investing, negotiating, and understanding the psychology of money.

I’ve always said that you can’t out-frugal your way to being rich. So after nonstop requests for posts addressing earning more, I decided to make 2010 the Year of Earning More. The past 7 months have been dedicated to helping people earn more money by earning more on the side, and the response so far has been massive. Hundreds of thousands of people read, commented, and Tweeted and otherwise chimed in on earning more. Everyone wants to make more money.

Great enthusiasm — but there’s just one thing wrong with this…

Most people who say they WANT to earn more… never will.

Many of the same people who say they want to earn more also say they want to lose weight…only they focus on the “I wish I could lose weight” part instead of the “I’m going to go the gym 3x/week and eat 25% fewer calories.” They’re delusionally goal-oriented, focusing on the end result instead of how to actually get there.

As much as everyone says they want to earn more — and sure, they’d try it if only they could — most people will never earn a single dollar beyond their regular 9-to-5 paycheck. Fewer still will ramp that one dollar up to $1,000, or more, in side income. The pattern is always the same:

• ‘Earning more’ is sexy, so they get motivated, “$1,000 extra dollars on the side? I want that!”
• They get started with the actual work of generating an idea, and figuring out their target market, but quickly realize things aren’t as easy as they thought, “How come nobody wants to pay me $500 a month to manage their Twitter account??” (The worst is: ‘I’m good at writing grants. Maybe non-profits will pay me to write grants for them!’ No, they won’t.)
• They alternate between chasing a million things, and taking no action at all.
• They eventually give up, putting off earning more until they have “the right idea” (i.e. never).

Enthusiasm and motivation are VERY powerful ways to get started, but they don’t carry you through to your first $1,000.

What does? A system that helps you identify ideas, test them for profitability, and then scale up your marketing. Compare this to most people, who think that earning more is about finding a magical idea that will somehow urinate money on them from heaven.

Why so much emphasis on that first $1,000? In my experience helping people to earn their first rounds of side income, I’ve noticed that $1,000 is the key earning threshold. Earning $100 is good, but it could be a fluke. Earning $500 is a better signal that you’re on the right track. After you hit $1,000, you know that you’re doing something right. After that, you can implement something I call The Tuner Strategy to “tune” your revenue up as much as you want — from $1,000 to $3,000 to $5,000/month, and more.

Interestingly, for many people who do reach the key-earning threshold, going from $0 on the side to $1,000 is harder than going from $1,000 to $5,000. But the biggest hurdle to get past is that first $1,000.

3 reasons why MOST people never get past the $1,000 hurdle

…and how you CAN earn more money.

Excuse #1. “But my situation is different.” Maybe their skillset (“But I’m not a programmer!”) or their background (“But I didn’t go to STANFORD!”) or the other demands in their lives (“But I have a full time job and a partner/kids!”) or ANYTHING (“But I have special motivation problems because my parents didn’t push me hard enough,” “But I get sick easily,” “I’m too young, too old, not smart enough, etc.”) It goes on and on, and it always starts with a “But…” and ends with the person doing nothing.

It’s natural to make excuses about our circumstances because it’s usually far easier than actually doing something about them.

The truth is, our problems are almost never unique. There are a litany of excuses we use to justify not earning more, but every day, someone is out there solving the same problems you’re facing now. So the next time you’re tempted to make an excuse, try an exercise I call Be the Adviser. ALL of the most successful CEOs and leaders around the world have key advisers helping them to problem-solve their way out of the toughest situations. Today, you are your own adviser. What is the first thing you say? What are the specific takeaways that you want your client (in this case, yourself) to walk away with? What are the results that would mean you did your job well as an adviser?

Excuses are us looking at our barriers from one standpoint — ours. Being your own adviser is a way of looking at — and tearing down — our barriers from an alternate standpoint.

This is like when you listen to a radio show and you hear a girl call in, saying her boyfriend has no job, is a slob, and drinks with his friends all day. “LEAVE HIM!!” we all scream. But when it happens to us, we’re not sure what to do.

We’re not unique.

Be The Adviser to yourself and see what concrete steps you could take today to change your situation, or simply ignore it long enough to earn more.

Excuse #2. “I’m still working on the perfect idea.” Are you really ‘working’ on it? Or are you waiting around with no plan, simply hoping that you’ll stumble across a magical idea?

Here’s an easy way to tell: In the last week, what have you done to find and refine your idea? If the answer is nothing, you’re not “working” on an idea, you’re being lazy and doing nothing.

Yes, your idea is important — to an extent. It enables you to get started, but the most successful people — the ones earning incomes to dwarf even fat corporate paychecks — NEVER stop at their first idea. Instead, that first idea is just a tiny launch-point for an ongoing process of refining and improving their service offerings, understanding and marketing to their audience, and scaling up their business. This is how you turn your skills into income.

Your goal is to make it to that initial $1,000 — NOT start the next Google.

Here’s a quick exercise that should get you going in about 10 minutes: Brainstorm a list of ideas, pick your favorite and start with that. If it doesn’t work, either improve it, or cross it off the list and move on to the next one.

If you don’t have any ideas at all, look around at the marketplace. You don’t need to be unique to make money, and you don’t even need to be the best (another HUGE misconception about freelancing and earning more). You do, however, need to be consistent and persistent, and laser-focused on just one goal…

Your only goal with freelancing and earning more is to get 3 paying clients. With freelancing, 3 is the magic number — you’ll know it’s not a fluke, and you’ll have a client base that’s significant enough to show you what you need to do to improve your offering for maximum impact. Even if the rates aren’t high (don’t worry about that just yet), you’ll learn invaluable insights that you’d never otherwise have gained.

It’s not sexy to say, but it only takes an average idea with above-average execution to win.

Excuse #3. “Should I set up a Facebook page??” and other worthless tasks that replace making money. People tend to treat starting a business like they’re packing for a vacation — you pick out all the fun (or unchallenging) stuff first. “Social media profiles, check. Business cards with fancy logo, check. SEO-optimized blog, check.” What ends up happening is they spend all their energy STARTING a business and never actually DOING business.

YOU DO NOT NEED SOCIAL MEDIA TO EARN MONEY ON THE SIDE. Let me say that again. I recently paid someone over $50,000 for a few months of work. He has no website. He has no significant social-media profile. What he IS good at is understanding my problems and solving them. He makes over $10k/month from me now.

Please listen closely because this is one of the most pernicious myths around right now. Virtually every “expert” is telling you you MUST have a full complement of social media profiles, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blog, etc. That’s complete BS.

How will Twitter get you paying clients? This is when people start hedging and coming up with ridiculous answers like “It will help me engage…and be a brand.” Your goal isn’t to build a brand. It’s to get 3 paying clients. Anything else is a waste of time.

There’s absolutely nothing inherently wrong with business cards or starting a blog or managing a Facebook profile, but be honest with yourself. Is that task mission-critical, or are you using it as a stand-in for talking to a real, potentially paying, client?

Key Takeaway: When you’re starting to earn money on the side, you only have one goal — get 3 paying clients. If you can do that, then you’ve proven not only your idea, but your execution, and you’ll be thousands of dollars ahead of today.

* * *

* * *

Ramit Sethi is the author of the best-selling personal finance book I Will Teach You To Be Rich. His new program is designed to help you earn more money on the side.

Today, Chris Guillebeau opens up another 24-hour window to his blockbuster “Empire Building Kit” guide.

The Empire Building Kit, Chris’ most ambitious and value-packed guide to date, focuses on building a “lifestyle business”, which Chris defines as “a business oriented around something you love, with less than three employees and net income of $50,000+ a year.”

Now that’s what I’m talking about!  :-)

Last time Chris opened up a 24 hour window (his launch last month), his payment processor freaked out at the sudden surge of traffic and sales.  Buzz dominated the interwebs for a day and it quickly became Chris’ most successful launch (that’s saying a lot).  But after the 24 hours, as promised, Chris removed the product from the market.

This time around, Chris is opening the product up again for affiliates of his Unconventional Guides.  As most of you know, Chris is one of the few people/products I proudly support on the “Products I Love” page here.  His previous guides have changed my life, enhanced my travel, and revolutionized my business, so I knew Empire Building Kit would be great…  I just didn’t realize how insanely deep Chris was going to take it!

In honor of the impact Empire Building Kit is having (with myself and several other people I know), I wanted to share 3 of the countless business lessons I’ve learned from Chris.  These are the areas where he’s influence me the most, either through his writing or in our chats.  Whenever I talk to someone who asks me for advice, these are almost always the first few concepts I share.

1.  You can do it yourself.

In other words, stop worrying about specialty systems, outsourcing, and hiring a virtual assistant.  Also, stop complaining about e-mail, productivity, scheduling, and how busy you are.

You see, around the 6-month point, Man Vs. Debt was experiencing a huge growth spurt.  I was connecting with readers, growing my audience with targeted guest posts, and looking to shift to more of a “business” mode.  Unfortunately, I also started to shift responsibility for success onto external factors.

I started to feel overwhelmed at keeping up with e-mails, comments, and communications.  I started to believe I needed help scheduling (especially since we were traveling).  I felt I need to hire a VA (even though I wasn’t making any money) to do all the stuff that I didn’t want to do anymore.  That’s what “business mode” looked like in my head.

None of these things are terribly bad in themselves, but the problem was when I started to view them as my necessary steps in my business.  The simple fact was I was generating excuses.  I was placing hurdles, based on what I saw many other “successful” people doing in the online space.

If I woke up the next day with 10 employees, ready to work, my business wouldn’t have been any better off. Once I realized this, the beauty of Chris’ model really sunk in.  Chris processes and answers at least 10x the e-mail I do.  He’s created 6x the products, traveled to 20x the locations, and has much more demands on his time (large audience, upcoming book, speaking, etc…)

And Chris is just one example.  J.D. Roth is another.  There are dozens and dozens of example in my own life.  The only barriers to my success were internal.  Like Chris, I had built up a website, a blog, and business that would be based on caring. I did this both unintentionally and intentionally, because I love interacting with people.  It’s a source of empowerment.

Chris Guillebeau taught me that you can’t scale caring by outsourcing it.

Instead, he recently told me in Chicago, “Baker, my advice is that you have to pick which communication channels you are going to use and then do those extremely well.”

For example, Chris doesn’t respond to comments on his blog (he gets hundreds a week), but he’s nearly perfected e-mail.  He’s generated stock replies to handle many different e-mail situations (this is a big part of e-mail processing for me), but takes the time to genuinely answer authentic readers and fans.

In the outgoing realm, Chris reserves most of his writing for his own site, products, and book.  He rarely guest posts, saving his exposure for high-leverage industry leading sites (like Anderson Cooper’s blog).  He also doesn’t accept guest posts.  He’s active, but selective on Twitter and has built an amazingly passionate following on Facebook.  Heck, Seth Godin doesn’t even use Twitter!

Pick your channels carefully… and do them extremely well.

I still struggle with being selective about which communication channels I’ll utilize (for both outgoing and incoming), but I’ve learned a lot from Chris’ example.  Most importantly, I now fully recognize that I can build a business capable of 6-figure income, without “selling out” (staying true to me), without hiring a single employee, and without discovering some top-secret system.

The only thing standing in my way is…  me. I either do it or I don’t.

2.  Focus on “Benefits”…  not “Features”.

About a week before the launch of Unautomate Your Finances, Chris took time out to jump on the phone with me.  I barraged him with dozens of questions, but honestly I don’t remember any of them.  I do, however, remember how stressed I was about writing my first landing page.

For the first time on Man Vs. Debt, I was writing a page that was designed to sell.  I wanted to be able to convert a new visitor, but more importantly I wanted to stay true to the people who had supported me (a.k.a. I didn’t want to sound like an internet marketer).  I was stressed about writing it, what to say, and what people would think.

Talking to Chris, I whined “This landing page is going to kill me!  I just don’t know where to start or how to approach it.”

To which Chris replied, “By biggest advice is to focus on the benefits… not just the features, which is your first instinct.”

He was right. In my mind, I was thinking…  25,000 word eBook… video interviews with Leo and J.D….  cool bonuses… give me money and I’ll give you this list of things.  These were the features of my guide, not the benefits.

Chris continued, “The product is amazing, Baker.  You’ve worked your butt off and you know it’s way more valuable than what you’re charging.  Anyone who buys it is going to be impressed, so focus on the benefits you will give people… the problems you will help solve.”

Ding… ding… ding…  He was right, again. I had the advantage of deeply believing in what I was selling, because I had put the work, time, and value into it.  There was nothing to be nervous about actually, I just needed to really unearth what benefits my hard work could offer someone.

If you look at the landing page now (still the one I had on launch), nearly 75% of the page is dedicated to benefits.  It’s far from perfect and there are plenty of ways it can be approved, however I’m comfortable with it.  I’m scared to think of what it would look like, without this simple, but game-changing advice Chris gave me.

For another example, here’s my own breakdown of the features/benefits of Chris’ “Empire Building Kit“:

Features:

Literally what you get…  a.k.a. not as important as the Benefits.

• 7 Video interviews with entrepreneurs who have actually created passion-based businesses, which generate $50,000+ per year, with less than 3 employees.
• Each interview is downloadable and comes as an additional transcribed PDF
• 18 in-depth case studies of everything from murder-mystery theater, to person finance website (no not me), to photographer, to dog trainer.  Real life examples, some online, some offline, some mixed.
• 9 Tactical Videos on tools, principles such as Aweber, Upselling, Minimizing Refunds, Continuity Programs, Markets, and Affiliates.
• A Product Launch section containing a 43-item checklist (for launching a product) and a specific interview with Dave Navarro, “The Launch Coach”.
• A full breakdown of Chris’ business, income, product successes/failures, full numbers… gory details…
• 365 daily e-mails. Yes, 365… e-mails.  One a day, for a whole year.
• A “no question left behind” webinar with the original batch of customers from the first launch.

Now, that’s a lot of features.  But it still only conveys a tiny percentage of the value.

Benefits:

These are the benefits of the guide that I’ve personally received in my business…

• The video interviews inspire me, by showcasing real, tangible people who have created life-changing businesses around a passion.  Specifically, they dig deep down into how their business works and the specifics of how much they earn. I be lying if I didn’t admit this is a big benefit for me.  I’m always amazed and inspired about how much money is out there (and how much money genuine people are earning).  You don’t need a ton of subscribers, you don’t have to have a popular blog, or a new product/invention.  These interviews prove that through their transparency.  I love watching them.  I feel like I’m there inside the conversation.

• The 15+ PDF case studies showcase the wide variety of concepts that people are turning into businesses.  I love that Chris really searched wide for entertaining examples.  They aren’t all lifestyle design or personal finance bloggers, who built an audience and now sell information products.  Some are online and others are offline businesses.  The real benefit of these studies is in their ability to expand your brainstorming on what is possible. How about a person who makes doll clothes?  Stages homes?  Translator?  Web Designer?  This has really opened my eyes (and even Courtney’s eyes) to “outside the box” business opportunities.  There are tangible segments that are applicable to any business concept.  Any. I truly believe that after reading them.

• The tactical videos speak for themselves.  While I believe that the “how to” part of building a business is far easier to nail down than the why behind it, I admit that many of my questions early on were of a tactical nature. How to set-up and foster an e-mail list (I should have done this way early than I did).  The specifics of different business models… continuity programs, information products, affiliate marketing, and which is most applicable for your business moving forward.  Most importantly for me, there is tons of information on making the transition to selling: upselling, cross-selling different products, demonstrating value, and increasing repeat customers.  The real tactics on how to avoid mistakes early if you’re getting started or take your business up a notch if you’re already rolling.

• The 43-step Product Launch and interview with Dave Navarro is worth the price of the product alone.  I sincerely estimate that Chris’ advice on my first launch netted my at least $1500-$2000 extra dollars. This is a combination of tactics (step-by-step) and strategy (branding/marketing approach, etc…).  Once you get to the point of launch, 1 or 2 small tips can generate you tons of extra sales/revenue.

• At first, I was skeptical about the daily e-mails.  In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to get them (I get enough e-mail).  Man, would I have been sorry.  You see, Chris understands that delivering access to so many features at once is a double-edged sword.  It allows people to dig in and get started right away, but often there is so much information that we may not process it all or even get to it all.  So Chris settled on giving the best of both worlds.  The content is available for anyone to go through at their own pace, however each day Chris highlights a business concept, theory, or tactic from the kit. Some e-mails may just be short reminders to think about a specific segment, while other may introduce a step-by-step walk through on evaluating opportunities to increase revenue.  Some point out specific concepts within the video interviews, while another may breakdown a item on the Product Launch checklist even further.  Something I wasn’t even sure I wanted, has quickly become my favorite part of the guide. Each e-mail tends to send me down a small rabbit hole… sometimes it causes just a 2 minute reflection, but other times it may lead to a complete overhaul of a project I’m working on.  It’s almost like a daily accountability to prioritize my business… perfect for me right now!  :-)

So if I were creating Chris’ landing page (which I’m not, he’s far better) or I was giving an interview about the Empire Building Kit (again, probably not needed), I would look back through the way the product has benefited me and extract the key problems it can solve for others.

This is now the same advice I pass onto anyone who asks and what I’ll be doing for any future project, guide, or business I’m involved in.  :-)

3.  Show Up and Ship It

This is one area where Chris’ actions speak louder than his words.  I’m sure he’s written about it several times, but I don’t remember his writing.  What sticks with me is what he does.

Simply, Chris just shows up. He writes.  Every Monday and Thursday for the last 2+ years like clockwork.  He answers e-mail.  He creates products.  He sets clear boundaries, communicates those to his fans, and then shows up.

Looking back, I’ve had foggy boundaries, done a poor job of passing those along, and been extremely inconsistent.  I’ve had periods of a month where I didn’t provide free value to readers through the blog (that’s just silly).  I’ve juggled the issue of which product to create, in which order, and exactly how it will look, and exactly how it will go.

Chris deals with this, too.  He procrastinates just like everyone else I know, but at the end of the day he “ships it”, as Seth Godin calls it.  He gets the product to a point where he can be proud and he delivers.  He doesn’t let the perfect, become the enemy of the good.

Last week, I talked to 3 different people who were working on their first product launch.  Different niches, even different mediums, but all with the exact same problem.  They were doing the same thing I do and did.  They were letting their quest for perfection delay and even destroy their ability to just freakin’ launch it.

So I told them the same thing, everyone with experience told me…  just freakin’ ship it.  Get it to 80% and let it fly. Screw market research, the best feedback you’ll ever get is once you try to sell it to someone.

The ability to adapt in business is much more desirable than the ability to plan.

Some may disagree with that advice, but every time I’ve followed it I’ve been glad I did.  As soon as it fails, I’ll let you know… but for now I’ll continually push myself to stick to Chris’ example on how to consistently show up and consistently ship it!

Final Thoughts

Don’t get me wrong, this post is a 100% endorsement of Chris’ Empire Building Kit.  It is the best investment you can make for your business that I’ve ever come across.  If someone is doing this better, I’ve not met them or seen the product.

At the same time, even Chris admits that 95% of his audience won’t ever purchase a premium product.  So for those of you that aren’t in a position to benefit from the guide, I wanted to share how I’ve been influenced.  I’m fairly confident there is value hidden somewhere above.  :-)

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  If you are interested in the “do what you love” part of this site.  If you are interested in creating a business based around a passion, that generates at least $50,000 per year, with less than 3 employees… the Empire Building Kit is the best of the best.  You should not only buy it, but you should seek out Chris Guillebeau as a mentor.

Bonus:  One-Hour Business Chat with me…

As an affiliate with Chris, if you decide to take your business to the next level with Empire Building Kit, I’ll jump on the phone with you for 1 full hour and talk about the specific details of your business, my experience online, building traffic, branding, launching a product…  whatever you need.

We can talk strategy (my favorite part) or I can answer specific questions about tactics, software, programs, and getting started.  You can pitch and idea and I’ll be completely honest about what I think, what I love, and the holes I can see.

I’m in no way a “business” coach (although I’m strongly considering launching coaching), but I’ve had the opportunity to receive a lot of advice from amazing people that I can pass along and apply to your particular situation.  This will not be about me (although we can spend 5 minutes on that if you like)… it’ll be about you and your business.

The Empire Building Kit is only available for 24 hours.  Once you order, send me and e-mail and we’ll get on the phone as soon as you have the time (I’ll make the time).

See you tomorrow!

[If you can't see the interview with Danielle, click here to view it directly.]

Today, I’m proud to share with you a rare guide I’ll be adding to the “Products I Love”.  (The first of two this month)!

Danielle LaPorte unleashed her much anticipated “Fire Starter Sessions” today.  Danielle, who blogs at White Hot Truth, has been someone I’ve looked up to since my first few months blogging.  She’s directly influenced my levels of transparency and my quest to be as genuine as possible here.

I interviewed her on finding passion, building momentum, avoiding burnout, and the details of her product launch.  Here’s the breakdown of the above video interview:

• [00:40] – Who is Danielle LaPorte?  (Danielle’s 30-sec elevator pitch)
• [02:05] - Danielle’s tips for unearthing your business passions.
• [03:10] - How Danielle defines a strength and a weakness. [<-- powerful]
• [04:25] - Danielle gives ME advice on finding my specific strengths.
• [05:55] - How to tap into the “real” reason certain people inspire you… and what resources/people inspired Danielle when she was getting into “go” mode.
• [08:50] - How to maintain your motivation/drive without hitting “burnout”
• [12:55] - Overcoming urges to conform and why being authentic will explode your business.
• [17:40] - The “features” of Danielle’s new “Fire Starter Sessions“  (What people get)
• [19:05] – The “benefits” of the “Fire Starter Sessions“.  (What’s it going to do for me?) 

My biggest takeaways…

As you can tell when you watch the video, I deeply enjoyed talking with Danielle.  There were at least two “a-ha” moments for me in our chat.

First, I loved how she defines strength and weaknesses (based on Marcus Buckingham’s work).  Danielle explained that true strengths are those things that make you feel “strengthened”… NOT necessarily what you are “good” at.  So many times, I reflect on something that I’m skilled at, or something that people tell me I’m skilled at… and call that a strength.  Danielle’s definition really resonates with me more.

The same is true for weaknesses.  There are some things that I may very well be great at, but that make me feel terrible or weak.  These are not strengths, then.  I get it now. 

The other big takeaway from this interview was Danielle’s approach to burnout. As you hear in the video, Danielle hates the stigma we’ve attached to the word “burnout”.  She talks about how it’s a necessary part of the entrepreneurial cycle and how we need to learn to not only accept it, but plan for it.  This help removes some of the negative energy and guilt that always accompanies downtime!

Since recording the video, I’ve had a chance to really dig into the “Fire Starter Sessions” product.  I’m genuinely amazed. I’m always careful about who I affiliate with and/or share with my audience, however it’s the real deal.  These two points on strengths and burnout are only a couple pages of the 200+ that come in the guide.  There are videos, audio recordings, workbooks, exercises.  It’s an inspiring example of a product/guide done right.

Danielle is one of the top 3-4 people I feed from in my business.  And I have no doubt the this guide is going to have an drastic impact on this site and my business.  I have absolutely no reservations in telling you to check this out.  It’s worth many times what it costs.:-)

This is a guest post by Matt Gartland. In his own words, Matt is a healthy lifestyle geek extraordinaire, blogger, world traveler, lifestyle entrepreneur, coffee fanatic, web techie, and more. He writes at Healthy Lifestyle Design (HLD), where he unleashes his passion for remarkable and unconventional living propelled by amazing health. Follow Matt on Twitter and join the HLD Tribe on Facebook.

Imagine eating yourself into an abyss of debt. It’s possible. And it’s not a pretty picture.

This tragedy befalls many unknowingly. How? Because many lack an adequate education about food and food products. Many don’t respect the profound lifelong impacts of their food choices. Many are short-sighted about the cost-relationship between food and money. And many believe there is no meaningful correlation between literal health and financial health.

So let’s get something straight - food is like money, in every way.

Food is a currency – actually, a collection of currencies. Different foods have different values (qualities) as currencies do. Thus, they have different exchange rates – some foods yield greater returns (lifestyle benefits) than others. And like smart investment decisions, smart food choices are wonderful long-term growth vehicles for your financial and literal health.

Hence, savvy food choices are way serious. So the need for dietary responsibility (like fiscal responsibility) is paramount. You have to make smart, conscious decisions to better your overall situation. If you don’t and instead allow yourself to make apathetic and nonchalant choices then you risk going way deep into debt.

Sadly, this allegory isn’t enough to assuage the danger. Many (perhaps you) will still fall victim to the veiled and pernicious sources of food-incited debt. So I think it’s high time that they be fully exposed and put into perspective.

1. Dining-Out Debts

We all know (or should) that dining out is (by far) more expensive than cooking meals yourself. We also (should) know that dining out is usually not a healthy affair – what with all the hidden additives, high processing, environmental contaminants, etc. Fast food joints are the obvious villains. But (sadly) many mainstream “high-end” restaurants (e.g. The Cheesecake Factory) offer meals riddled with hidden calories and unnatural ingredients.

Such overindulgence in dining out easily reeks havoc on your well-laid budget (you do have one, right?!). And costs are rising as the food industry ecosystem is waylaid by mounting economic pressures (transportation costs, raw material prices, etc.).

Overall, doesn’t sound like you’re getting a positive ROI on your dining out investments.

2. Excessive Alcohol & Alcohol-Related Debts

I know many that go wild at the bars and similar establishments. I’m sure you know the type. Okay, you may label these “entertainment” costs in your ledger, but I don’t. They involve alcohol (a food product), and lots of it. They involve nibbles, and lots of them too. You can fancy it up however you like – these expenses are still food choices that drive financial debt.

It gets worse because excessive alcohol debts are a double whammy. First, you get socked with the pricey bills in the present. Second, your health corrodes in the future, which triggers greater health care costs (more on that soon).

3. Food Waste Debts

Many don’t fully comprehend the gravity and magnitude of food waste.

What is food waste? Any and every food or food product that ends up in the rubbish bin. It could be fresh vegetables that have gone bad. It could be canned food items past their expiration date. It could be those leftovers from your last dining out venture.

You paid good money for all these things. And you’re chucking it away – usually without a second thought. The cliché “flushing money down the toilet” comes to mind. It’s criminal, and damn expensive!

4. Food Label Debts

I’m a healthy lifestyle geek, don’t get me wrong. But you don’t need to buy everything “healthy”.

What is “healthy”?

It’s a noble ideal that’s been bastardized by the modern food industry for insidious marketing. Classic culprits include “all natural”, “certified humane”, “free range”, and “grass fed” labels. These terms have been poorly defined by the USDA and are thusly near-impossible to regulate. Nevertheless, despite inconsistent health benefits (at best), food manufacturers will gladly sell you these wonder products for a pretty penny.

Organics deserve special mention. I do eat organics, absolutely! But only those products that yield the greatest nutritional (quality) returns. Keep in mind that all organics are NOT created equal

No need to take my word for it. The Internet has a wealth of good information for your perusal. Here are two to get you started:

• Ethical Meat vs Meat Hype: A Look at “All Natural”, “Grass Fed” and Other Half-Truths – by Tim Ferriss
• Deciding Which Produce to Buy Organic; The Dirty Dozen – by WiseBread

5. Supplement Debts

Supplements are like double-taxation. First, they’re bloody expensive. Second, they propogate a nutritionally inadequate base diet, thus fueling the need for more supplements. This is a vicious cycle – eat poorly and thus you need supplements; take more supplements and you convince yourself you can “get away” with eating poorly. Rinse and repeat.

Worse yet, many supplements are shams. Oodles of folks buy miracle protein powders, detox diet pills, dangerous metabolic accelerators, weird tropical extracts, and more. Crap, crap, and more crap. The lot of this stuff is nothing but snake oil and pixie dust.

I’ll give that some quality supplements (multi-vitamins, probiotics, omega-3, etc.) are good, even necessary if you have an abysmal diet or genuine medical condition. But if you’re of average health most supplements are pure nonsense. They certainly won’t turn you into Brad Pitt. But you’ll certainly be spending like a Hollywood star.

6. Health Care Debts

Health care debts are the worst travesty of all. They’re astronomically high. And their financial impacts are heart-breaking, horrid, and unacceptable. I’ve written about these inconvenient truths before. It’s important that some be re-shared now.

• The US ranks 1st in health care costs as percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – 16.2% in 2007, projected 20.3% in 2018 (1)
• US health care costs will average $8,160 in 2009 for every man, woman, and child (1)
• US health care costs are estimated to be $13,100 in 2018 for every man, woman, and child (1)
• 1.5 million US families lose their homes to foreclosure every year due to unaffordable medical costs (2)
• 62 percent of all US bankruptcies filed in 2007 were linked to medical expenses. Of those who filed for bankruptcy, nearly 80 percent had health insurance (2)
• 178,000 US small business jobs will be lost by 2018 as a result of health care costs (2)
• $834 billion in US small business wages will be lost due to high health care costs over the next ten years (2)
• US small businesses will pay nearly $2.4 trillion dollars over the next ten years in health care costs for their workers (2)

Granted, not all health care costs pertain to your eating habits. But many do. The metastasizing obesity epidemic is proof of that. Consider this – obesity is a leading cause of the following (3):

• Coronary heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Stroke
• Liver and Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

The Bottom Line

Any good financial report has a bottom line. Here’s mine:

The food you eat has profound affects on the financial and literal health of your life.

This is a great bottom line! Why? Because it proves that you are in total control of a major factor in your financial life. If you exercise smart and sensible dietary responsibility you’ll reap a wonderful ROI – both financially and health-wise.

And a final word of warning – don’t get shortsighted.

Yes, healthier food choices will surely increase your net food spend upfront. But think big picture. An investment today in healthy food choices will payout massive dividends down the road. Think of all the supplements you can stop taking. Imagine drastically lower health care costs. Couple those with an optimized food management philosophy that reduces waste and eliminates senseless indulgences and you have a kick-ass plan live fantastically healthy and debt-free!

Sources:

1. Health Care Costs to Top $8,000 Per Person – ABC News
2. Health Care Facts: Costs – National Coalition on Health Care
3. Health Consequences – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Baker’s Note: I’m super impressed with Matt’s surge onto the blogging scene.  This was one of the most well-written and professional guest post submissions I’ve ever received (his article, the e-mail, his passion).  Do me a favor and check out Healthy Lifestyle Design, you’ll be able to say you were there before it was HUGE. 

Over the course of this blog, I’ve shared the details of our debt, our income, and our spending.  Back in March, I took a big step in the business side of this site by releasing my first premium guide, Unautomate Your Finances.

As I continue to take steps to grow my business, I want it to remain open and transparent to the members of the community who help support it.  Last month, I gave a breakdown of March’s sales and income, as well as results from the product launch.

Every month moving forward (launch or not) I want to continue this habit of reviewing/sharing the past month and forecasting out the current month.  Here’s April’s numbers and my business plans for May…

Net from UYF Sales:  $1012.73

• Total Guides Sold (April):  83
• Income (less Paypal fees):  $1344.17
• Affiliate Payments:  -$331.44

Additional Income:  $746.24

• Freelance Writing:  $500.00
• Thesis/ScribeSEO:  $120.45
• Unconventional Guides:  $105.57
• Amazon:  $20.22

Direct Expenses:  -$185.90

• Hosting:  -$14.95
• Aweber:  -$29.00
• ScribeSEO:  -$27.00
• E-junkie:  -$5.00
• VodBurner:  -$9.95
• Tech Consulting:  -$100.00

Gross (Income – Expenses):  $1573.07

As anticipated, income in April is down from March (launch month).  Despite this, I’m not too disappointed in these numbers.  I wanted Unautomate Your Finances to hit the $1000 mark for the month and it just barely crossed right at the end.

May’s Business Plans…

I fully expect another 15-20% dip this month in passive sales of the guide.  With that in mind, I’ll be looking to help boost traffic and sales in order to try to keep income from UYF sales right around $1000 net.  This may include going after more interviews, reviews, and guest posting opportunities to achieve that.

I’ll also be sharing two business products this month from two of the people I respect most online.  As you can see from the above numbers, I am very careful about who I affiliate with or what content I share with everyone on this site.  Here are some reviews you can look forward to:

1. Danielle Laporte’s “Firestarter Sessions”.  Danielle’s hot new multimedia guide is coming out on the 12th and we already recorded an interview that I’ll be sharing with you.  Frankly, it’s one of the best interviews I’ve ever had the pleasure of giving. Danielle blogs over at WhiteHotTruth.com and is one of the most authentic and passionate bloggers I know.
2. Chris Guillebeau’s “Empire Building Kit”. Chris launched his Empire Building Kit last month, but only left it open for 24 hours!  Luckily, I was able to snag a copy and have been devouring it (tons of content, video interviews, and 365 daily e-mails over the course of a year).  On the 18th, he’s opening it up for another 24 hours and I’ll be affiliating with this second opening.  I’ll be doing a write-up of my experience so far, what I’m using the product for in this business, and a special bonus guide on what I learned from the first UYF guide launch.  It’s going to be a lot of fun for anyone interested in small business.

So from May 12th –> May 18th, we’ll just call it “blow up your business” week around here, as two of my favorite people finally share their expertise with the world! 

Sell Your Crap…

Last, but not least, I’ll be working heavily on my second guide, which will be titled “Sell Your Crap”.  I think it’s more realistic that it’ll be released in early June, however it could hit the digital shelves later this month!  Either way, it’ll be consuming a big part of the business side of things around here in May.

As you all know, 90% of my effort and content will remain 100% free.  I’ll continue to openly share our journey to eliminate our debt, our battle to avoid accumulating clutter, and the ups and downs as we attempt to pursue our passions!

I appreciate your support and am looking forward to an exciting May!

[Note:  If you cannot view the video click here]

As many of you know, Man Vs. Debt was nominated for a 2010 SxSw Web Award in the “Blog” category.  SxSw is one of the largest interactive, technology, and web conferences in the world.  The Web Awards highlight new sites (started within the past year).

I traveled to Austin, TX last month (as those of you that follow me on Twitter know all too well) to attend the conference and the awards ceremony.  The ceremony was hosted by Doug Benson (very, very funny) and took place on Sunday evening.

Unfortunately, I didn’t win!   However, I was still honored to be one of the five finalist selected and invited to the event.  Luckily, the crew over at MyLocationScouts.com caught HD footage of the event.  I asked them to slice together the small portion from the blog category for you!

Doug Benson makes some jokes about the name Man Vs. Debt and it’s an interesting and quick view.  Check it out!

In case you are interested here are my other 4 fellow nominees this year:

• The Vile Plutocrat (winner)
• Art in my Coffee
• Pets Who Want To Kill Themselves
• TheMoleskin

See you tomorrow (great post coming… watch out!).

This is a guest (short story) by Kosmo. Kosmo has been a member of the MvD Community and frequent commenter since the very first few weeks.  In his own words Kosmo is “an aspiring novelist, vehement opponent of the designated hitter, student of true crime, and plays the keyboard for The Soap Boxers — an eclectic, team-written web magazine.”

Debt Comes Calling…

Adam Baker was jarred awake at the crack of noon by the interruption of the doorbell. Baker cursed under his breath, wondering who could be interrupting his much needed beauty rest.

Baker trudged down the stairs to the front door and opened it a crack. His visitor immediately burst through the door, sending Baker flying backward.

“Hello, Baker,” came the exuberant greeting. “My name is Debt, and I’m here to sell you something – anything! You know, I could sell you a high end video surveillance system so that you could screen visitors and keep out the riffraff. Opening the door is so 1974.”

“Not interested,” came the firm, polite reply.

Debt looked around the house. “This is a swell little cottage, Baker, but couldn’t you go for something a bit more upscale? Maybe a nice little 4500 square foot McMansion, with an in-ground pool in the back.”

“No,” replied Baker.

“If the cost is concerning you, don’t worry! I’ll give you 30 years to pay it off – at a negligible interest rate of six percent.”

“I’m not interested,” came the reply from an increasingly agitated Baker.

“Fine, fine. Keep living in this little hut if you desire. But your car – that really must go. A young man like you, with the wonderful future you have in front of you, you should really have something with a bit more flash. Porsche makes some very fine cars. All of them available on credit, of course.”

“Leave. Now.” Baker moved back into the kitchen. He grabbed an knife and waved it menacingly at the intruder.

Debt laughed. “You call that a knife? THIS is a knife.” He whipped out a full set of RazorSharp knives. “These are the finest knives in the world. Guaranteed to never go dull. If they do, just send in the dull knife for a full replacement. This set typically goes for $179.99 – but for you, Baker, just $99.99. This offer is only good today – so act now.”

Baker lunged toward Debt. He missed and crashed into a lamp, sending it to the floor in several pieces.

“You know what you need, Baker. A new lamp. Look at these beauties,” he said, pulling several Polaroids from his pocket. “Wouldn’t these look great on your end table? And that end table. Yes, something should be done about that.”

“I don’t want to buy any of your crap,” yelled Baker. “Leave my house, you trespassing pile of sleaze!”

“I’m offended, Baker. Why can’t you show me the love that everyone else does? Everyone loves me – I can help you buy so many great things.”

Baker grabbed his well-worn Louisville Slugger and took a swing at Debt. Debt ducked out of the way and the bat whooshed harmlessly over his head.

“Whoa. You seem to be under a lot of stress, Baker. You know what you need – a vacation. I can offer you some great deals on Caribbean cruises.”

“Yes,” agreed Baker. “Let’s take a trip.”

“Really?” asked Debt, caught off guard by Baker’s sudden change in tone. “Where?”

“Outside!” Baker flung the door open, grabbed Debt by the scruff his neck, and threw him onto the sidewalk. He closed, locked, and dead-bolted the door before returning upstairs to sleep.

Note: Many of you know that I run very few guest posts, however after seeing the creativity in this submission, honesty how could I resist?  I hope you enjoyed!  If you are looking for more of this change of pace, Kosmo has several (insanely cheap) collections of short stories for download.  At the very least, do me a favor and test out The Soap Boxers.

It’s been nearly a month since the release of Unautomate Your Finances and it’s high time I get around to sharing some of the details with you guys.

First, I want to take some time to showcase some reviews and mentions from around the web.  The project was supported by well over 30+ different blogs and communities and I owe these guys/gals a huge thank you.  Be sure to check out some of the reviews if you are still on the fence! 

I’ll also briefly share a couple e-mails from average readers who purchased the product.  I didn’t anticipate that so many people would take the time to send (sometimes really long and passionate) e-mail feedback.

Lastly, I’ll share the “nitty-gritty” financial details.  How sales did the first month, how much money I made, and a summary of my thoughts of the first month.  If you’re interested in any of this, have a scroll down!  Enjoy!

Reviews and Mentions from Around the Web:

Zen Habits

“…it teaches you to curb your impulse spending and become more conscious of your financial habits, so you can stop living paycheck-to-paycheck and take control of your money.”

Get Rich Slowly

“Baker shares solid personal-finance advice on saving for emergencies, coping with credit, and creating a realistic budget.”

Far Beyond The Stars

“My favorite part of the Unautomate Your Finances is Baker’s signature 2-page minimalist budgeting system, which is the simplest method I’ve seen to force yourself to acknowledge the money you’re actually spending during every transaction.”

Erica.biz

“I wish I would have had this book in 2007…it would have helped me save thousands of dollars!”

Being Frugal

“Unautomate Your Finances is one part inspiration, one part goal setting, and one part practical application.”

Frugal Dad

Free Pursuits

“This is exactly the guide I wish had existed before I became debt-free.”

The Minimalist Path

“Baker isn’t some financial adviser looking to make commission on your assets without doing much work. He is living YOUR life and shows you how to improve your financial situation…”

Frugal Homemaker Plus

Married with Luggage

Bible Money Matters

“Baker’s writing is entertaining, engaging and and well reasoned.   It’s also sprinkled with bits of wisdom from the likes of Albert Einstein, Billy Joel and Tyler Durden. That’s quite a diverse group, how could you not love that?”

Untemplater

“If you’re battling debt, want to monetize what you’re passionate about, or want to leave it all behind to travel the world for a year with your family, then Baker is the guy you need to talk to.”

Dragos Roua

“First of all, by reading this guide you’ll start to have a better understanding of what financial freedom means. This is the cornerstone of every effective financial strategy and the guide does a pretty good job at it.”

Life Excursion

PT Money

“This guide will no doubt challenge what you’re currently doing with your money and your life.”

Location 180

“The beauty of this product is that it teaches you everything that they should teach you in school, but don’t.”

Child Wild

“This is personal finance advice from your friend at the bar who happens to be smart about money.”

Ridiculously Extraordinary

“I’ve read it, it’s actionable, it’s doable. I like that type of shit.”

Wealth Pilgrim

“Adam takes readers through the steps of identifying what’s important and then shows them how to get it — immediately.  One step is being mindful of how we spend our time and money.  By unautomating, you do just that.”

Couple Money

“If you are struggling with finances or you want to optimize your system, this guide is a must read.”

Studenomics

“Baker’s passion for finances transcends into phenomenal writing and quality advice on reducing debt and dealing with money.”

Rockstar Lifestyle Design

“[Baker] has me thinking about finances. What I really like is that he isn’t Donald Trump or Motley Fool talking about finances. He is someone like me.”

The Daniel Richard

Money Smart Life

“Offers tons of action steps we can take to make sure we’re staying on top of our money and Baker does a good job of getting you fired up to take action when you read it.”

My Wife Quit Her Job

“All I can say is that this book is Adam Baker at his best. Even though I’m not in debt and have a pretty good fix on my finances, I read his book cover to cover in a single sitting…”

The Centsible Life

“Adam’s book offers you his unique perspective on mastering your personal finances. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I will say his book had me rethinking EVERYTHING.”

Beating Broke

Social Pollination

“Adam points out a bigger problem – that automation let’s our bad habits spin out of control without us noticing. We spend more than we should. We own more than we need.”

Working Your Way Around the World

My Next Buck

“Baker’s book really delves deep into the human spirit.  He approaches personal finance from the ground up.”

Thrilling Heroics

“Baker has developed a product that has fundamentally changed the way I think about money, and he and his wife Courtney are proof that you really can get conscious about how you spend, escape the debt “game” that the rest of the world is stuck in, and start to build the lifestyle you want now!”

Fiscal Fizzle

“This is a stimulating journey deep into the psychology of money management, with more practical advice fit into eighty-some pages than most bloggers could write in a lifetime!”

The Deliberate Path

“UYF flows like a conversation with a good friend from start to finish. The signature characteristics of authenticity and transparency that Baker has built his personal brand around shine through every word.”

The Amateur Financier

“Baker succeeds where many personal finance writers fail; he creates a complete personal finance plan that seems both easy to follow and highly useful.  Just reading through it made me feel motivated to remake my personal finance life.”

Becoming Minimalist

“the book does not promise any magic-bullet, get-rich quick schemes. it calls the reader to make intentional sacrifices and hard decisions about their finances and spending patterns.”

Johnny B. Truant

“Baker (as he’s known) and his family are living proof that “living as you want” and “decreasing debt and consumerist behavior” are not mutually exclusive.”

Financial Samurai

“In a world full of noisy messages, Baker puts together a wonderful book on how to simplify your finances through the process of unautomation.  Whether you want to eradicate credit card debt, or build financial stability for your future, Baker’s book will help you get there!”

Moolanomy

Trekeo

Note: I really tried to track all the reviews and links.  Courtney and I scoured Google, tracked backlinks, etc… If you wrote or linked to the project and I missed you… I’m sorry!  Don’t hate me!    Shoot me a quick message and I’ll add you ASAP!

Sampling of customer e-mails:

One of the most unanticipated benefits from the launch have been all the feedback from people who’ve read the guide.  Many of you, I’ve never met before and I’m honored that you’d take the time to send such passionate feedback!

Here’s just a few e-mails I’ve received:

*****

“I LOVE it. It spoke to me like nothing else I’ve EVER read about my finances. I get it. For the first time I bloody get it, and strangely enough it has led to a complete overhaul of my life starting with clutter. My wife has been amazed and my kids jumped right in as I went through the house and starting getting rid of stuff. I’ve got huge boxes in my living room here ready to go to the mission. It feels great.

I took the same approach with my email inbox, cleared it out – and then, more to the point – this organizational tsunami washed into my finances. For the first time ever I have a clear list of all my debts distilled down to what life costs me weekly. I averaged up my self-employed income and realized I needed to earn $200 more per week to begin turning my $ life around. Within TWO DAYS I’ve magically been able to line up another $200 / wk for the next 2 months.

This has been a remarkable process of taking charge of my life and it all started with your book. I am SO glad you are in the world and sharing your story.”

-Alex

*****

I love the honest, simple approach this takes with finances. It makes it seem entirely doable for me—unlike similar financial guides that make me feel I need to be a brilliant, pragmatic Indian mastermind or a middle-aged conservative.

-Samuel

*****

Hiya Baker,
I just ordered your UYF book yesterday and dug in last nite. You totally rocked it!.

Honestly, I feel I’ve had the finance thing figured out for awhile, and I was worried that your ebook might be a whole lot of stuff I already knew. (This happens so often when you buy an e-book, right?)

I hit the buy button because I thought: I love this guy’s work, and I want to support it. If the e-book isn’t great, no big deal. I’ve just made a donation to someone deserving.

Well – I was pleasantly surprised. You delivered great, useful content. I especially appreciated how you wove your family’s personal story into it. Very effective and engaging—which is all you want from a book. But you gave something more: Powerful commands, laid out in tiny steps (that make a huge difference) to take some ideas, right now, and go do them.

I took away some great tips on fine-tuning my already decent plan. I’ve decided to try the envelope method (been thinking about it — but the way you wrote about it inspired me). I’ve gotten down to one credit card (for “emergencies” living abroad — in case I can’t get cash out of ATM) but I HATE the industry with a passion and am on my way to opting out, too.

-Lisa

*****

Although my husband and I are debt (except for mortgage) free and are saving money each month, I still found a lot of worthwhile information in your ebook. One thing you wrote really hit home, though. At the bottom of page 60, “The higher the amount crawls, the more likely it is to start day dreaming about “better uses” for that money.”

This was so true for us. All that money sitting there with nothing planned for it except “someday something bad might happen”. It was too much for us. We ended up throwing most of it into mutual funds because we were too tempted to spend it. Now we keep a $5000 emergency fund. Whenever I read a personal finance article or book that recommends the 3-6 month emergency fund, I cringe a little, but also realize it’s not realistic for us to keep from spending money that is in an easily accessible bank account. Reading the above in your ebook helped lessen my guilt, though, so thank you!

-Stacy

*****

The Nitty-Gritty Numbers…

Many of you have inquired into “how the launch went.”  As you know, I’m a big fan of financial transparency (Courtney and I are working on getting our personal details together for a post next week).

I’ve always been upfront with my income and I don’t want my product launches to change that fact.  For those of you interested here are the financial details from the launch (March 9th) through the end of March.

Total sold in March:  345 guides

Gross Income (less Paypal):  $5216.20

Affiliate Commissions Paid:  -$1469.18

Expenses (Design & Launch):  -$440.00

Net Income (March):  $3307.02

Keep in mind that a large percentage of sales (50-60%) were in the first two days.  That’s natural, but it also means that the income over time will settle on a much, much lower number.  The guide is still selling at least a few copies everyday and April is off to a great start!

Overall, I’m absolutely stoked at the launch month.  I overshot my goals for my first launch and learned an absolute ton that can be applied to bring even more value to my audience with future products.  Most importantly, I have a genuine product that will always be part of the site, will provide the initial seeds of income, and will positively affect hundreds more people of the coming months.

Also keep in mind, that I made more money this past month than I did the entire first year of blogging.  It’s been a long process and a ton of work.  One product isn’t going to result anywhere close to full-time income over time.  But the framework is there.

As always, I appreciate your support on this part of our journey.  I share these numbers only because I firmly consider you to be along for the ride with me.  This is a big part of the “do what you love” process for us.  An authentic start to earning a living through helping inspire others.

Rock on!

Xoxoxo,

-Baker