“Serving others prepares you to lead others.”
-Jim George
The First Sip
I’m convinced we’d all be just a little bit happier if we had more puppies in our lives. 😁
And I believe photographer Greg Murray would agree.
Looking for inspiration for a new book, the creative Cleveland-based photographer knew just what he needed in his studio:
Easy-to-clean floors…
A few jars of peanut butter…
And 70+ rescue puppies…
The result?
A brand new, light-hearted project called, “Peanut Butter Puppies.”
The book is Murray’s way of bringing joy, laughter, and warmth to his community in a time when we all need double-doses of happiness.
“People need to laugh and smile,” Murray says. “I feel so lucky to be able to do that.”
The book, which features dozens of rescue puppies licking, smacking, and indulging in tasty peanut butter, is enough to brighten up even the darkest day.
So far, it’s mission accomplished!
Already, “Peanut Butter Puppies” has made a HUGE difference in the community.
Within weeks of the project being announced, all of the puppies featured in the book have found forever homes. 🙌
To make things even better, Murray is donating proceeds from every presale copy of the book to local rescue organizations and animal shelters.
“Every day is different and animals just bring so much. They’re fun. They’re happy. They’re forgiving,” Murray says.
“It’s a joy working with them, and I get paid to work with animals for a living. I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world.”
We agree!
1 Caffeinated Neurohack
If you have difficulty falling asleep at night, you aren’t alone.
Reports suggest that 68% of people regularly have trouble falling asleep at night.
And while sleeping pills, white noise machines, and melatonin supplements are in high-demand, there could be a simpler and less-dependent method of falling asleep quickly.
It’s called the “Military Method” and it was originally taught in the United States Navy Pre-Flight School as a routine to help pilots fall asleep in two minutes or less.
After six weeks of practice, nearly every pilot was able to fall asleep in under 120 seconds – even after drinking coffee and hearing gunshot sounds in the background.
So how does it work?
Step 1: Relax all of the muscles in your face (including inside your mouth)
Step 2: Drop shoulders to release tension and let hands hang to side
Step 3: Exhale and relax chest
Step 4: Relax legs, calves, and thighs
Step 5: Clear your mind for 10 seconds (by imagining a peaceful scene)
Step 6: If Step 5 doesn’t work, say the words “don’t think” over and over
Step 7: Within 10 seconds, you should fall asleep
Again, this method took six weeks of training…so don’t expect it to work on night one.
But with enough practice, you should be able to train your brain to fall asleep!
Marketing Psychology Quick Hit
If you want to understand your prospects, you have to understand human behavior.
And out of all the interesting studies and incredible discoveries of the human brain, there’s one fact that you must know:
All human behavior is motivated by the ‘Pain and Pleasure Principle.’
Not some… ALL of it.
100%
Every single decision a prospect or client makes is based on a desire to flee pain or run toward pleasure.
(And sometimes both of these things are happening simultaneously.)
Approximately 40% of people are pain-movated, 40% are pleasure-motivated, and 20% can flex both ways based on circumstances..
The challenge is figuring out which one – pain or pleasure – is motivating someone in a sales call or virtual meeting.
And one of my favorite techniques is to ask this simple question:
“What’s important to you when working with a ____________?”
In the blank, you put your title (financial advisor, retirement planner, life insurance specialist, etc.).
If the prospect uses language like “I don’t want to have meetings all the time” or “I don’t want to worry about my money”….you know you have a pain-motivated individual.
This tells you to tailor your discussion to ideas like simplicity, risk-prevention, and hands-off investing.
If the prospect uses language such as “I like working with people who are friendly” or “I want to be able to travel during retirement and enjoy my family”…you know you’re talking to someone who is pleasure-motivated.
This gives you the freedom to focus on core benefits and advantages of the products and services you’re selling.
That simple little question is one of my favorite tricks for tapping into a prospect’s brain and understanding them a little better so that you can add more value to them.
Give it a try this week and, please, let me know how it works for you!
Do This First Thing Monday AM
Grab a sheet of paper and divide it into two columns.
On the left hand header, write the word “WINNING.”
On the right hand header, write the word “STRUGGLING.”
Now take five minutes to write down a few bullet points in each column.
What are the areas of your personal life or business where you’re currently winning?
Which areas are you struggling or neglecting?
This is a no-judgment zone.
Let your thoughts flow from your brain to the paper.
Jot down whatever comes to mind…
And once you’ve written everything down, I want you to crumple the paper up and toss it in the trash can.
Yep, that’s right…throw it away!
The point of this exercise is to process thoughts you didn’t know you had and to express them in a tangible way.
Once you’ve recognized these thoughts, you send a signal to your brain that you’re in-tune with who you are.
(You also train your brain to be more aware of what’s happening in the moment.)
And by throwing them away, you make it clear that you aren’t going to dwell on the good or the bad.
Instead, you’re 100% focused on moving forward with your day.
I think you’ll find this exercise equal parts insightful and liberating as you approach another week!
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Let’s talk soon,
Jeremiah
