Here is everything interesting from August of 2019!
Business Related
New Record for EntreResource.com Page Views!
Ok, so most decent blogs should be growing in traffic month over month, but this month was by far my most successful.
I've had more organic traffic in previous months, but never as many total page views.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO READS AND SUPPORTS ME HERE AT ENTRERESOURCE.COM!!!!
Blogging isn't dead folks!
Deleted My Entire YouTube Channel
Ok, this was clickbait 🙂
I did technically delete my YouTube channel, but it was really just a transfer to a brand channel. Having a brand channel gives you access to a few features I wanted.
I do have to wait 30 days until I can get my custom domain back, but it will be worth it in the end.
Are you subscribed to my YouTube channel yet? If not, click here immediately!
I spent a LOT of time in September on my YouTube channel.
Here are some of the things that I did this month:
- Purchased a tool called Thumbnail blaster and designed new thumbnails for a number of my videos. It has a split testing tool that I used on 4 videos.
- Used TubeBuddy to optimize the tags for my videos.
- Transitioned to a brand channel.
- Optimized a few existing titles
- Added subtitles with Rev.com to a number of videos.
- Purchased Gleam.io (more on that later) to run contests to grow the channel.
- Created 8 new videos (you can see all of my August content later in this post).
So yeah, it was a big month for the channel!
Here are the results from two successful split tests I ran. I'd have liked to have gotten more data BUT it's pretty clear that the two that use my face get more clicks.
This seems to be a universal truth on YouTube. Human faces = More clicks.
Removed 4,000+ Email Subscribers
Ah, the bitter sweet feeling of cleaning up a mailing list.
This month, I cut over 4,000 cold subscribers from my list on ConvertKit.
I ran reactivation sequences and deleted anyone who didn't act on them.
One of my reactivation sequences...
"Isn't that a bit drastic?!?!" Well, there are arguments on both sides.
People at TowerData.com, a service that analyzes email lists for people like me, think it's pretty dumb. Read their article here if you're interested.
Keep in mind, they get paid based on how many subscribers we send to them. They definitely want us to have massive lists, so this article seems to serve that interest.
Also, they ignore important factors like the fact that sending emails to cold subscribers damages your email reputation and can cause many more of your emails to go to junk and spam folders. That means that many engaged people who want to see your emails will stop seeing them.
So, they're wrong 🙂 Deleting is important.
I did make a lookalike audience from all subscribers though before deleting.
Don't feel too bad for me because I was able to DOUBLE the number of email conversions on this blog this month...
Blog Email Opt-Ins Doubled (Again)!
Last month, you may remember from my July month in review post that I optimized my lead magnets and doubled my weekly conversions.
Here are the numbers from my first optimization in July (which I wrote about last month).
Beginning of July 2019
End of July 2019
Well, optimization isn't a one time thing, so I kept optimizing and this is what happened.
All June 27th - July 27th
July 27th- August 27th
I went from 396 monthly opt-ins to 848!
I am so happy with myself... (pats back)...
Started Running Google Display Ads
I run ads of all kinds but believe it or not, I haven't run very many search engine display ads.
After completing the EverGreen profits course (I cover it more below) I was inspired to do it.
I've created custom audiences from visitors of my websites (one of the benefits of being a blogger) and ran some decent looking ads to them. You may have seen them.
My results, so far, suck. That is a natural part of running paid ads though. You need to work past the crappy early results and optimize OR pivot.
In September, I'll optimize the display ads further and pivot at the end of the month if they still aren't the best use of my monthly ad spend budget.
New Products/Software
Leaving Clickfunnels (Kindof)
Remember last month how I said Clickfunnels affiliate management program, Backpack, sucked?
Well somehow it got worse and I simply cannot afford to use it anymore.
I've heard rumors that Clickfunnels may be doing away with Backpack and Actionetics entirely and it really seems like they have just given up on fixing the issues.
It literally DOES...NOT...WORK.
You probably know how much I have always loved Clickfunnels, but everyone has their tipping points. I no longer recommend Clickfunnels for anything EXCEPT funnel building. You shouldn't use Clickfunnels for affiliate program management.
What am I using now?
Here's a video showing why and how I'm switching from Backpack to ThriveCart after almost 4 years.
Thrive Cart is a one time payment of $697 and has a much more robust affiliate management program.
Here is a look inside the affiliate dashboard (as an affiliate would see it).
Now, I am still using Clickfunnels on the front end and for some of my membership areas. The difference now is that when someone clicks on the buy button, they are sent to ThriveCart instead of the next Clickfunnels step.
Sound interesting? Grab a lifetime copy Thrive Cart through this link and you'll receive a free 30 minute coaching call with me.
Yes, I am using the bonus delivery method to promote Thrive Cart 🙂
Using Gleam.Io to Run Contests
This month I wanted to run some contests to stir up my followers and attract some new ones. I typically have used KingSumo, but I heard great things about a software called Gleam, so I signed up for a year of it.
Here is what my latest contest looks like...
The results are great and people love the contests. Who doesn't love a good contest?
The first contest I ran drove over 600 entries and nearly 2,000 actions. More importantly, it drove awareness to a couple of my products.
Definitely worth checking out Gleam if you want an affordable solution for running viral worthy contests.
Tested VlogEasy for Automatic Jump Cuts
I'm a sucker for a new content creation tool and Vlogeasy got me with a Facebook ad...
Is it good? Here's my verdict...
Not yet. But it will be.
The idea of the tool is really great and I was blown away by the fact that the guy in the ad was actually the guy who also handled all the support.
BUT, it was clunky and slow. It didn't work for old videos recorded outside of the app (like it says it will).
Overall, not worth the current $50/year price tag but once they get the bugs worked out, it will be.
Probably 🙂
TextExpander Has Changed My Life
Ok, clickbait here again but OMG TextExpander has been a game changer for me.
I won't go into deep length about it here since I covered it in depth here.
Three sentence summary: it's an application that allows you to turn complex or hard to remember text into short codes. I can paste the Gettysburg Address into an email at any time by typing something as short as @GA. It keeps you from searching around for things you use all the time OR rewriting things over and over.
Get a copy if you don't have one already, seriously.
Productivity/Health
Awareness of My Eating Habits with the MyFitnessPal App
We all like diets with strict rules because they require less mental energy. Less thinking makes the dieting less painful.
But what if you don't want to constantly be on a diet?
The most reasonable approach to healthy eating is general mindfulness of what we are consuming. Most people (myself included) just don't realize how much they're eating or the quality of it.
To increase my awareness of my own eating habits, I've been using the MyFitnessPal app.
Every time I eat something, I log it into the app.
I'm not on any special diet, but I have been eating much healthier and overeating much less since I started logging what I'm eating.
Want to eat 2,000 calories of pasta at dinner (I did one day), you have to face it and type it in.
Also, getting into the habit of forcing yourself to log EVERYTHING will help minimize snacking because it's kind of annoying to have to go in and log each little bit of food.
Takeaway: Consider using the MyFitnessPal app if you think your diet could use some improving. Commit to logging EVERYTHING and do your best to keep the streak alive and log for at least 30 days straight.
My View on Willpower Has Evolved
I've always been fascinated by willpower. Tremendous willpower + drive leads to incredible results. I've always had the drive, I just am always trying to improve my willpower.
I don't know what sparked the thought in my head, but I've come to a new conclusion...
Proactively avoiding unnecessary situations that would require us to use willpower is nearly as important as having tremendous willpower.
Why? I believe that willpower is like a muscle. As the day goes on, it gets drained. If we can avoid situations that make us use it, we can reserve it for times where we really need it.
So, what do I mean? Here are some examples...
- Turn off our cellphones and leave them somewhere for 1 hour when working on a big project so we aren't tempted to get on and scroll social media. This is much easier than fighting the urge to pick up our phones for 1 whole hour. We make it impossible. We also get the same end result as if we did the hard will power exhaustion.
- Ensuring we don't have unhealthy food in our house if we're trying to lose weight. This is much easier than fighting the urge to walk into the fridge and grab that delicious pint of ice cream and bag of chips.
Make sense?
I think it does.
Clean Your Kitchen (Mine Changed Things)
Growing up, my mom was a diehard fan of a woman who called herself, "The Fly Lady."
She taught people who to keep a clean, organized house. She was essentially the original Marie Kondo, just not as marketable.
One of her big tips was to clean your kitchen sink first.
She said the kitchen was the heart of the house and the sink was essentially the heart of the kitchen.
Maybe it's just because it was engrained in me early on, but I've accepted it as fact. A dirty sink is like having a clogged heart. On a much less dramatic scale, of course.
My kitchen has been in a remodel for the last 4 months and I am more sure than ever that the condition of your kitchen has a macro impact on everything else in the home.
Takeaway: Clean your kitchen.
Hit the Weak Side First (DUH!)
My right arm and right leg are stronger than my left arm and left leg. However, I always start on the right.
It started as a baseball superstition where I wanted to "start off on the right foot." Yes, seriously, that is why ...
However, at 30, I am a man of science now and can accept that maybe, JUST MAYBE, this witty little magic trick doesn't actually work.
Maybe I should do the weaker side first and have that little bit of extra energy to put towards my reps.
It's not much, but it is more and little things add up! Especially when it comes to lifting and exercise.
This sounds so simple but I had just never really put it into practice.
You should too (unless you're not a dummy like me and are already doing this out of common sense).
Takeaway: Start on your weaknesses in the gym. Give them the little bit of extra energy.
New Favorite Ab Exercise
Men's Health is notorious for repackaging the same workouts month after month, but I implemented this one in place of regular sit ups on my ab workouts and I love it.
Via MensHealth August 2019 Issue
When I exercise abs, I try to do 3 super sets of 3 exercises.
1 weight free - 1 weighted and 1 weight free.
So it might look like this...
1. 60 seconds six inches
(15 second rest)
2. 10 reps each side two step get up with 15 lb dumbbells
(15 second rest)
3. 50 in and outs
Repeat the above 3 times.
Many people focus solely on high rep, weight free abdominal work but I think adding weights at lower reps and actually growing the ab muscles in size is important to overall core strength.
And no, it won't make a beer gut bigger...
New Drinks I'm Digging: Yerba Mate and Kumbucha
My friend Brett Kyle turned me on to Yerba Mate and it has been an awesome alternative to my usual 5 hour energy drink in the AM.
It is much more of a focused buzz than a gittery one.
There are a ton of options, but this is the one I'm digging now (I haven't tried many alternatives).
The second drink I'm into this month: Kombucha.
Yes...I know I'm probably the last horse to cross the finish line on this one.
My mom and wife both have made Kombucha for years and it has always disgusted me. It smells like your trying to decompose a dead body with vinegar and it looks like alien afterbirth.
But, I can admit when I'm wrong. Kombucha is both delicious and (supposedly) nutritious and full of healthy pro-biotics.
Here's my favorite.
Be warned though, this one is about 3% ABV due to the fermentation it goes through, so you may get a little buzz if you don't drink a lot. It's like prison hooch for hippies.
Please, for the love of God, don't try to drink these like beer. You will spend the rest of your life in the fetal position wrapped around your toilet.
If you don't want alcohol, most kombucha has only trace amounts. This one is on the far end of the spectrum and actually requires an ID to purchase.
Self Education
Evergreen Profits Course
This course spoke to me ... it was recommended by someone I subscribe to and I had to get it.
They teach how to "be everywhere" by pixeling traffic and retargeting them with relevant ads.
I learned a couple of new things, but honestly, I already knew most of what they taught.
If you're new to paid traffic though, it's worth checking out. One successful ad campaign could cover the $497 price tag (which is actually dropped to $297 if you use this link). Ignore the Paul Clifford stuff, it's the only discounted page for some reason.
Takeaway: This course is powerful if you have little to no experience with paid ad retargeting and want a step by step, technical guide. Buy it through by link here and receive a free 30 minute coaching call.
Pinterest Traffic Avalanche Course
I've gotten a decent amount of traffic from Pinterest over the years but haven't ever felt like I understood what the hell I was doing.
I purchased this course from the couple at CreateandGo.com and have completed about 1/3rd of it.
It is ok but I'm not ready to promote it. Especially since Pinterest is changing dramatically right now.
Audiobooks I'm Listening to
Here are the 3 audiobooks I listened to this month.
- SuperFans by Pat Flynn. I was on the "launch team" for this book so I got an early release copy of the audio version of the book. You can't get the audiobook yet (as of August 2019) but the kindle and hard copy are live.
- Little Black Book of Workout Motivation by Michael Matthews. Michael Matthews is in the 1% of people in the fitness industry that I feel are totally legit and reliable. I bought this book almost just as a show of support to him since he has taught me most of the most powerful things I know about weight lifting and nutrition. There is almost nothing original in this book and that is perfectly ok with me. Motivation isn't always about learning something "new" it's often about being reminded and inspired by things we already knew. Zig Ziglar says it well...
"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing -- that's why we recommend it daily." -Zig Ziglar
- UltraLearning by Scott H. Young. I'm (clearly) a learning junky so I love learning about the learning process. This book covers not just how to learn more in less time, but how to ensure you're spending your time learning the right things.
New Content
This month, I created a lot of new content.
7 Blog Posts and 7 Videos
Personal Life
Baseball All Year Round!
Sawyer (9) and Brooks (5) are both playing baseball this fall and it is definitely consuming a lot of my free time. I couldn't be happier spending it this way though 🙂
Here's a pic of the dudes at the batting cage. We finally decided to bring Van (2).
Ok, that's all for now. I'll see you in September!
I challenge everyone who reads this to consider doing their own "month in review." It doesn't have to be public, but reflecting on the things you've accomplished, ways you've failed, things you've learned etc. is beyond valuable.
Did you read last month's review? If not, click here!