I just got back to Miami, FL after a five day trip to New York City (where I used to live) for a private, two and a half day “invitation only” Internet Market training in which I was one of the instructors. Three days business, two days fun…just the way I like it.

With all the snow they’ve been getting up there this year, I was delayed all over the place and spent plenty of time in transit – in the air, at the airport, in the car, etc. I always travel armed with plenty of reading material and audio material. You could put me on a fourteen hour flight to Australia and I wouldn’t complain. I use the time to read, learn and listen. Always have. Waste of time otherwise…

That being said, I came across some VERY surprising statistics about the “Ultra-Affluent” – the wealthiest people in the world. To be honest, I’m kind a fascinated with this bunch. I love knowing the traits, characteristics, and experiences the ultra-successful have gone through to get to the top. Many think they had it easy or had it handed to them on a silver platter.

Not true.

Every year, the Forbes 400 list is published by Forbes Magazine. It’s a look at the 400 wealthiest people in the world. 2007 was the first year that required a net worth of one billion dollars or more to make “the list.” Here’s what I found about the 400 that year…

270 of the 400 made their fortunes from scratch and another 56 made a large portion of their money even if they inherited some of it. This means 80% of the Ultra-Affluent got there by their own merits, through ambition, fierce determination, drive, hard work, and entrepreneurship. Only 74 of the 400 inherited their fortunes.

Now, you’re probably thinking… they went to the best schools imaginable, right?

Wrong.

41 of the 400 attended Harvard; 28 attended Stanford; 14 attended Yale; and 10 attended Princeton – a total of 93 from top rated or Ivy League Universities. The highest percentage of the Ultra-Affluent attended small, local Universities and many of them did not attend college at all. In fact, those on “the list” with a college degree were worth less, on average, than those without a college degree – $3.1 Billion vs. $5.9 Billion.

Wow – A $2 Billion+ difference!

The lesson: thinking of the Ultra-Affluent as a “silver spoon in mouth” bunch would be a big mistake. This is a bunch worth studying, a growing bunch I might add, contrary to what you’re seeing and hearing from the mainstream media that the whole world is broke. Dangerous mindset. The more you watch and listen to mainstream news, the less you’ll hear about these types of statistics…

A huge transfer of wealth is about to take place worldwide over the next ten years during this new decade. The more you know about the Ultra-Affluent, the better the chance you have at being on the right side of it. The Ultra-Wealthy aren’t much different than you and me. As I found, and pointed out here, it has very little to do with inheritance or being highly educated and much more to do about their behavior…

Best,

Andrew J. Cass

I’m about to let you in on a little something that, years ago, took me many months and a lot of money to learn…

I have a NEW resource to tell you about that will stop you from making the common start-up mistake that KILLS many new online businesses and websites…

It’s called the Ebusiness Start-Up Handbook, and it’s a must read for anyone who wants to build a profitable, long-term, online business on a solid foundation.

You’ll avoid wasting massive amounts of time and money getting your new business or new web site started…

What I like most about this new Handbook is that it uses simple language and lots of examples and graphics to clearly explain the step-by-step process you need to follow to find a lucrative online market with minimal competition.

Start your online business or website WITHOUT doing this critical, often neglected groundwork first, and prepare for a long and costly battle…

You’ll struggle to attract visitors, to get ranked in the search engines, and to convert the few visitors you do get into buyers. Worse, you could find yourself going head to head with the Internets toughest (and most well-funded) competitors, like Amazon.com and eBay.

Good luck.

Here’s why I’m strongly recommending it to you…

The Ebusiness Start-Up Handbook was produced by the experts at the Internet Marketing Center. These guys have been in business for over 10 years AND generated over $100 million in sales online, so you know you can trust their advice.

The Internet Marketing Center is where I got my start as a young pup in the Internet Marketing world back in 2006. I enrolled in their high level 6-month, one-on-one mentoring program. It cost me almost $12,000 and ya know what?

It was worth every penny.

Their coaching literally launched me in the Internet Marketing industry. They’re training and coaching program took me from scratch to the development of my very first authored and published $37 eBook online, selling daily, in less than 4 months time.

Pretty awesome.

And the one BIG reason why it happened so fast for me…

…Is contained inside the NEW Ebusiness Start-Up Handbook they just released.

These guys are the real deal and to this day, I’m so thankful I came across them when I did…

I highly recommend you take a BIG step toward financial independence by downloading this Handbook right away. You’ll be giving your online business and your new website the VERY best chance for success.

Even if you already have an established online business or website in place, THIS Handbook will open your eyes to some incredible new trends you need to be aware of…

Download it now here –> http://www.IMCMethod.com

Best,

Andrew J. Cass

Yeah, I knew that would get your attention… Hey, what an incredible Super Bowl 44 that was last Sunday, right? That definitely didn’t suck. Congrats to the New Orleans Saints. And what a nice lift to the city of New Orleans…

So what If I told you there were only four kinds of people in the world? Literally, only “four”…

First, there are the “Copouts” – These are people who don’t have goals and have very little drive. They just want to remain the same and do nothing different to change their lives or the lives of anyone around them. Good chance they log countless, mind numbing TV hours each week. You know the type.

Second, there are the “Holdouts” – These are people who would like to be more, do more and have more, but are afraid. Always trying to find a reason “why not.” They allow their fears to control them and never get started with anything. They’re big on hoping and wishing – two of the most devastating words in the English language I might add.

Then there are the “Dropouts” – These people get started, but just never finish. They don’t keep their commitments and they don’t continue building relationships. They have all the potential, but none of the results because they “buy into” their own excuses time and time again. They bounce around. Instant gratification gets the best of them more often than not.

And finally, there are the “Allouts” – These are the people with the results. Doesn’t matter what business they’re in. They find a way to win.  They’re real clear on what they want right from the start – A BIG, common characteristic of all “Allouts” (no phun intended). They take full responsibility and do zero finger pointing. No excuses, no stories…only solutions.

Which of the four do you think you fall into? Think about it. In fact spend the next week or so really, really watching your actions and your dialogue with yourself.

Keep a close eye on this and you’ll know real fast which category you fall itno. And once you know, that’s half the battle.  Most are sleep walking through life and never take the time to analyze whether they’re a “Copout,” a “Holdout,” or a “Dropout.” Don’t let it happen to you…

Best,

Andrew J. Cass

Speaking of All-Time Greats, “Legends” if you will, I happened to have come across a few of them this past week on South Beach in preparation for Super Bowl 44 today in Miami. NFL legends that is. I love football, played my whole life, even at the Division 1 college level. Superbowl Sunday is to me what Christmas is to a child…

You may not be able to see them that well and if you’re not a football fan this won’t mean much to you, so onto my “Super” quotes in just a moment. Pictured below is Coach Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, Teddy Bruschi, Matt Millen, Coach John Gruden, Trent Dilfer, and Steve Young – 12 Super Bowl rings between the 8 of them. VERY Impressive achievements whether you’re a football fan or not…

…So onto a few “Super” quotes from the late Jim Rohn – quite possibly THE greatest philosopher and personal development expert of All-Time, to kick off your Superbowl Sunday:

“The few who do are the envy of the many who only watch and want”…

“Miss a meal if you must. Don’t miss a book”…

“The key factor that will determine your financial future is not the economy; it is your philosophy. It is easier to blame others than it is your own personal philosophy.”

And my All-Time favorite…

“Income seldom exceeds personal development”…

Enjoy Superbowl 44.

Best,

Andrew J. Cass

I hope your 2010 is off to a strong start…If not, this may help…

Let me ask you a question: What if there was a way to double, maybe even triple, your sales results in your business this year?

Would ya be interested?

Did you know that IF, and this is a big IF, you can emotionally connect with your prospects you will undoubtedly create better relationships, which ultimately result in MORE sales…

Well, finally someone is offering some training and coaching on this critical topic and I’m giving you a front row seat…in a minute…

As you most likely know, I run the Miami Chapter of Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle – clearly the #1 Direct Response Marketing group in existence with one of the largest “paid membership” followings in the world. Early last year, I brought on a Social Media Advisor to help us create a Social Media presence and to better “connect” with our target audience. A VERY good move this was…

Since then, my chapter has doubled in size… yes, doubled. We’ve recently become one of the “top 5″ chapters in all of North America among the 120 or so that exist.

Today, I’m unveiling my secret weapon…

Her name is Mande White and she is not only my Social Media Advisor for my Miami Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle Chapter, but also an advisor to me on many major marketing projects now. Let’s just say she’s become a bit of a “guru” in the Social Media Marketing arena, and she’s been a bit private about it, keeping her secrets reserved for a select few elite clients…

Not anymore.

On Thursday February 4th she’s doing a FREE tele-class with her partner titled:

“The 5 Essential Secrets to Emotionally Connecting
with Your Target Audience to Increase Visibility,
Deepen Customer Relationships, and Boost
Revenue in 2010″

I HIGHLY suggest you attend this one time only event. Understanding the dynamics of “emotionally connecting” with your prospects through Social Media and traditional marketing channels will be a GAME CHANGER for you in 2010. Mark my words…And this class is being led by two experts in this area…

Hey, if Mande could help me “double” one of my businesses last year, during a recession, there’s no telling what she can do for you and your enterprise right here in this New Year and New Decade…

And, again, very few people are teaching this stuff.

Get on over to the link below to register. Space is limited…

Register Here –> www.HighAltitudeClass.com

I’ll be listening in on the call also. See ya there.

Best,

- Andrew J. Cass

I came across a comment the other day from Dan Kennedy about money and prosperity, one of the better comments I’ve ever read on the two topics in a long time. Here’s what he said:

“Those who insist that money doesn’t buy happiness are usually short on money, ignorant of means of getting any, and selling their philosophy hard because misery loves company.”

Ain’t that the truth…

I think we all know money can’t buy happiness, right?

But what many don’t know or stop to really think about is “absence of money, endless worry about it, and envy and resentment of those who have it…will most certainly buy unhappiness.”

He then said:

“Money is a mirror reflection of commercial value created. Those who resent the rich are often, truly, resentful of their own failure to create such value. It’s not a constructive emotion and others having and expressing it ought not influence you in the least.”

Hmmm….

Something to think about it, but more important to think about “who” YOU listen to when it comes to money and prosperity…

Best,

- Andrew J. Cass

What if there was a way to calculate exactly what you are worth, right down to the “hour”?

Most people who are self employed or own their own business and work on commission never really know for sure what they’re time is worth. BIG problem. And almost none of them know what they’re time is worth “per hour.” If YOU don’t know what YOUR time is  worth per hour, per day, how on earth can anyone else? And if no one knows what YOUR time is worth how could they ever “value” YOU or YOUR time?

Think about that.

Now, let’s think about fixing that…

What if there was formula to calculate exactly what your time was worth right down to the hour?

The good news is, there is one. The bad news is, you may not like what you’ve been doing with your time up until this point…

The formula I’m about to share with you is very powerful, very real, and unlike any you’ve ever seen. It defies all normal, ordinary time management and productivity principals.

But, hey… who’s interested in “normal” or “ordinary” anyway?

So here it is:

Let’s say you earn $200,000 per year (or perhaps that’s what you’d like to earn) and you work 8 hours per day 5 or 6 days per week. Let’s back out a few weekends and holidays and call it 250 actual work days per year. So, simple math says 250 work days per year multiplied by 8 work hours in a day would equal 2,000 “work hours” in a year…

Simple math says you’re worth $100 per hour, right?

Simple math would be wrong.

Studies have shown over and over again that, at best, 1/3 of your work time is actually “work time” meaning only about 3 of the 8 hours of your work day are actually “profit producing” work hours. And nowadays, with all the distractions we’re faced with, it’s likely a LOT less than 3 hours… A LOT less.

But let’s call it 3 hours. And let’s calculate your real hourly worth.

Let’s take the same 250 work days in a year and now multiply it by our NEW number – 3. Remember, 1/3 or less of your time will be productive, “profit producing” time so 3 hours in the day (not 8), which would now equal 750 “real work hours” per year. Now,  your time is worth $267 per hour. This is the real number…

This is three times what you would have originally thought, making your worth three times more per hour, making your time three times more valuable!

I don’t know about you, but when I did the real calculation a couple of years ago and found out my time was three times more valuable, I looked at my time a whole lot different. I started valuing my time a LOT more and started wasting a LOT less of it…

Going into to 2010, I calculated my real hourly worth to be $1,825. Do you think I’m wasting much of my time each day, or letting anyone else get any where near wasting it either? I think not. But if I didn’t know my “One Number,” I may easily let a lot more of my time slip away. It’s human nature.

So anyone who tells you: “what you don’t won’t hurt you,” is right. What you don’t know won’t hurt you… it will kill you.

To give credit where credit is due – this is a principal I got from Dan Kennedy and it has completely changed my business life and can do the same for you if you’re willing to take the time to place a value on your time, a real value. Because again, if you won’t, no one else will either…

I suggest you pick up Dan Kennedy’s highly popular book: “No B.S. Time Management For Entrepreneurs – The Ultimate, No Holds Barred, Kick Butt, Take No Prisoners Guide To Time Productivity & Sanity.”

Great title, right? Love it...

He breaks down the above formula even better than I did and goes deep, deep into time management and productivity strategies that most will never, ever know…. which is why most will continue to struggle with managing their time and getting things done. But not you, not now…

Best,

Andrew J. Cass

Happy New Year AND New Decade to you…

As we enter a NEW Year and a NEW decade, we will all, no doubt, be faced with challenges and opportunities. Remember, the two go hand in hand. No challenges = No opportunities.

There’s a whole New Economy emerging as well, with new rules and new obstacles. There will come times when you flat out feel like quitting. You’ll want to hang it up. You’ll create every excuse in the book to justify your decision.

THIS is a sign of weakness.

So, as we begin this NEW year and this NEW decade, I want you to watch the following 6-minute video right now. It’s one of the most inspiring videos I’ve ever seen. Consider it a New Years present from me to you…

And I want you to save it and watch it every time the going gets tough, every time you feel frustrated, every time you think you can’t do it, and every time you feel like quitting…because you often will.

Go ahead and press the play button on the screen below right now…

People often overestimate the difficulty of the task and underestimate themselves…

…Shift that around in 2010.

“Negotiate with your mind to find more strength” – hopefully you caught that in the video.

Take action this year. It’s your year…

Best,

Andrew J. Cass

This phrase, “Fast Food Financial Planning,” grabbed my attention not long ago (as I’m sure it did yours a moment ago) when I was reading one of Robert Kiyosaki’s books in the Rich Dad series.

When you look at the health problems of millions of people in America today, many are suffering because they are eating fast food that taste good, is extensively advertised, well packaged, and easy to buy.

Sound familiar?

I don’t think anyone would disagree that we have a “health crisis” in this country caused by too much fast food. Well, we now have an even bigger “wealth crisis” caused by too much “fast food financial planning.”

Having spent almost a decade in the financial services industry, I never really thought about it this way, yet the relationship between the two is eerie. This was one of the big reasons why I left the industry a few years ago…because way too many people were being given the exact same financial advice, yet they are all different people with completely different individual financial needs and goals…

It would be like a Doctor recommending the same medication for a man with a heart problem that he does a woman with a skin problem… Unbelievable when you think about it.

In this particular book, Robert Kiyosaki says:

“Any food or investment that is easy to buy, overly advertised, wrapped in convenient packages, with sales offices and sales people on every corner, is probably not good for you.”

He went on to say…

“Just as some of the best tasting, healthiest, and best value food I have found has been in tiny out of the way restaurants, some of the best investments I have found have been in tiny obscure places run by true artists and gifted geniuses…NOT big corporations.”

I couldn’t agree more…

You can be running the best business in the world, online or offline, be an expert marketer, have access to all the best info…BUT if you don’t understand some basic financial planning, it won’t matter. And as we’re about to enter a brand New Year, getting your financial affairs in order should be just as high a priority for you in the New Year as building your business is….otherwise you may not have a business in 2010.

As the saying goes: You are only as strong as your weakest link…

…If you’re weak with business and marketing, all the financial planning knowledge in the world won’t matter because you’ll never make any money to do any financial planning with…

…If you’re weak with financial planning all the business and marketing knowledge in the world won’t matter because you’ll never know how to handle the money you do make…

Get it?

There has never, ever been a time in history where taking ownership of your own financial decisions has been more critical than it is right now as we head into 2010. The “so called” experts have gone belly up. They couldn’t manage their company’s money (look at all the bankruptcies), they couldn’t manage the bank’s money (look at all the failed banks), and they certainly can’t manage their own money…

So how on earth can they manage YOURS ??

If you don’t understand money, financial planning, and how money works in this NEW Economy we’re entering…then you simply don’t get to earn any more of it. Those are the NEW rules. Plain and simple.

My strategy – always be reading a book about marketing and business development AND a book about finance and money management at ALL times. Commit to this in 2010 – Two books per month, one each in each of these areas, and watch the growth you’ll see and the edge you’ll get.

The NEW Economy ain’t gonna be kind to the uninformed and the uneducated – So don’t be one of them.

Best,

Andrew J. Cass