https://www.masterplan4success.com/

MasterPlan4Success, Princeton, IN (2025)

09/02/2025

Texas just took SMS marketing regulations to a whole new level.

Starting yesterday, if you want to send marketing texts to people in Texas, you must file an annual registration, pay a $200 fee per location, and secure a $10,000 surety bond.

Mess this up and they can hit you with $5,000 PER violation.

This goes way beyond what other states are doing. Other states have SMS rules, but they're mostly about consent and opt-outs.

It's a perfect example of how desperate marketers ruin everything.

SMS used to be simple.

Then came A2P registration. Suddenly you needed carrier approval.

Now it's individual states piling on rules, fees, and bureaucracy.

Same pattern everywhere.

Marketers send junk... consumers complain... restrictions get tighter.

So where does that leave you?

While SMS gets strangled by red tape... smart businesses are doubling down on email.

Email has spammers too. People buy lists and blast away just like SMS.

But here's the difference...

There's no government agency requiring you to register and post bonds to send emails. You don't need to pay fees to each state.

The rules that matter for email come from Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Yahoo.

What you can experience is one day your emails are performing great... the next day they vanish into spam folders because the Big 4 changed something.

You do need proper authentication, clean sending practices, good engagement rates... and factors most businesses ignore.

Until their revenue drops 50% overnight.

I can't help you navigate Texas SMS laws.

But I can help you build an email system where your messages actually reach customers while competitors get filtered out.

When SMS becomes a legal nightmare... email becomes your most reliable channel.

If it's set up correctly.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, now is the time to get this locked down.

What's the point of having killer holiday offers if they never reach your customers?

I've opened up spots on my calendar for Revenue Roadmap Calls.

Claim yours here and I'll show you how to ensure your emails land in the inbox before the biggest shopping season. https://revenueroadmapcall.com

Image credit: Evan Sauer

08/28/2025

"𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨."

Those words ring hollow today.

Everyone claims expertise. Everyone promises results. And most rely heavily on AI and automation to "connect."

But Barry Kleiman took a radically different path. For 50 years, he closed multi-million dollar executive deals using something simpler - playground principles.

No fancy tech. No automated sequences.

Just the basic rules of human connection we all learned before adults taught us to be fake.

As a result, he built an executive search empire and launched basketball programs worldwide - all through authentic relationships.

The playground taught us accountability. It taught us to give credit.

And most importantly, it taught us that real connection happens face-to-face, not through likes and follows.

Barry's new book "The Playground Principles" reveals the four essential questions that turn those childhood lessons into business results. Questions that create deeper connections than any AI-powered tool.

In a world drowning in automation, these "old school" principles provide an unbeatable competitive edge. Because while everyone else chases the latest tech, genuine human connection remains the ultimate advantage.

Listen now to discover how going back to basics could be your breakthrough move.

https://fromthetrenchespodcast.com/episode/barry-kleiman/

08/26/2025

You've likely seen the Cracker Barrel drama plastered all over LinkedIn, Facebook, and even national news.

Even Steak 'n Shake piled on by creating a meme with Cracker Barrel's new logo that said "Fire the CEO."

If you missed it, here's the cliff notes ...

Cracker Barrel torched $700 million trying to fix problems that don't exist.

They have decent brand recognition and 56 years of equity in loyal customers.

But their profit margins sit at a pathetic 1.5%.

Instead of fixing the REAL problem, they're spending $700 million on a makeover.

"Decluttering" dining rooms, revamping the menu and other changes aimed at updating a brand long rooted in nostalgia.

Their stock dropped 12% overnight.

Which brings me to three conversations I had this week ...

With a speaker coach, a business strategist, and a webinar expert.

Every single one has the SAME problem - their emails are going to spam.

One of them literally said, "This is URGENT. We need to fix this ASAP."

But you know what happened next?

Absolutely nothing.

Two of them said they wanted to "tinker around" and try to figure it out themselves.

These same experts would ROAST a client who said, "I'm gonna save money and build my own sales funnel."

But when it comes to fixing their revenue engine ... suddenly they're handymen.

Every email that hits spam instead of the inbox is lost revenue.

When your emails don't hit the inbox, your open rates tank.

Your click rates disappear.

And your sales evaporate.

Most entrepreneurs have no idea this is even happening.

They just think their "email marketing isn't working anymore."

It's the 1.5% margin problem all over again.

Everyone's focused on shiny new funnels, new offers, and new tactics ...

While the foundational problem eats away at their profits.

Don't be like Cracker Barrel.

Don't be like these coaches.

If your emails aren't reaching inboxes, everything else is just expensive decoration.

Fix the foundation first.

P.S. If you're celebrating 20-30% open rates, we need to talk. Those numbers are a red flag, not a victory lap.

Could be spam folders eating your emails. Could be other issues.

Find out why - https://hittheinboxaudit.com

08/21/2025

At age 15, Gabe Arnold built his first website for $3,000. By 18, he owned a construction company. But in 2007, that business went bankrupt - teaching him painful but invaluable lessons about what it really takes to build a sustainable company.

Today, as CEO of Business Marketing Engine (BME), Gabe leads a team of world-class specialists delivering marketing and technology solutions. His 18-year journey offers essential wisdom for entrepreneurs looking to scale beyond their own capabilities.

Through candid discussion, Gabe reveals:
• The financial wake-up call that changed his entire approach to business
• Why creating company principles revolutionized his ability to delegate
• How recording and analyzing sales calls unlocked systematic growth
• The power of specialization versus trying to do everything
• Why focusing on one skill per year drives exponential improvement

Most critically, Gabe shares his framework for identifying and overcoming the hidden bottlenecks that prevent business growth.

His story proves that with the right mindset and support system, entrepreneurs can transform their biggest challenges into opportunities for breakthrough success.

Listen here: https://fromthetrenchespodcast.com/episode/gabe-arnold/

08/19/2025

After Harry Potter made him famous, paparazzi followed Daniel Radcliffe everywhere.

Every day, they'd camp outside his apartment and snap hundreds of photos to sell as "exclusive new shots."

Daniel got sick of it.

But instead of hiding, he did something genius.

He wore the exact same jacket and hat every single day for four months.

The paparazzi kept taking pictures, but the tabloids stopped buying them.

When every photo looks identical, there's no "new exclusive" to sell.

Daniel made himself worthless to them by being boringly consistent.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 became his weapon.

That same consistency is the secret to getting your emails delivered.

Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Apple watch your sending patterns like hawks.

When you're all over the map with your email habits, you look like a spammer.

Businesses having delivery problems often have erratic sending behavior.

One day they blast 10,476 emails, next week 328 people.

Sometimes they email once a week, then disappear for a month.

To email providers, this screams "SPAMMER!"

But when you're consistent - same schedule, predictable volume, regular cadence - you train them to TRUST you.

Three-step action plan:
🕥 Pick your schedule and stick to it
📈 Keep your volume steady
🤵Use the same "From" name and email address

Do this for 30 days and watch your open rates (and revenue!) climb.

P.S. Winners email consistently for MONTHS before Black Friday. Losers email like drunk college kids and wonder why nobody opens their BFCM blasts.

Send me a DM if you want help turning BFCM into a cash machine. We need to start immediately - waiting until November will be too late.

08/14/2025

Money talks.

When Brian Kurtz spent $22 million per year on postage at Boardroom Inc., every marketing piece HAD to perform. One clunker could cost hundreds of thousands.

Those painful constraints forced him to be disciplined, strategic, and hyper-focused on results.

Today's "free" digital marketing feels different.

No postage, no pressure, right? We blast out emails and social media posts without the same rigor.

But that casual approach is killing results.

Digital makes it easy to be sloppy. To let discipline slip. To focus on volume over value.

Brian learned that real marketing success - in any medium - demands discipline. Strategic testing. Deep audience understanding. Thoughtful segmentation. And an obsessive focus on relationships and retention.

In this raw, revealing conversation, Brian shares the hard-won marketing wisdom that built two iconic companies.

You'll discover why true marketing power comes from mastering fundamentals, not chasing trends.

You'll learn why customer service is actually marketing. Why relationship capital compounds like a high-yield investment. And why channel-dependent marketers are destined to fail.

Ready for timeless, no-fluff marketing insights from a true master of the craft? Listen to the full episode now: https://fromthetrenchespodcast.com/episode/brian-kurtz/

08/12/2025

A catastrophe almost happened on the main road in my hometown Saturday evening.

Two drivers blatantly ignored the warning lights and gates designed to protect their lives.

The first guy in a white pickup pulling a utility trailer weaved around the crossing arms like he was a stunt driver in 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵 & 𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴.

On the opposite side of the tracks, the driver of a gray minivan saw this and thought, "𝘐𝘧 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘣 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵..."

So he turned his wheel to the left and swung around the crossing arm blocking his path.

But he had the coordination of a drunk penguin. He couldn't maneuver around both obstacles.

He barely cleared the tracks with just 4 seconds to spare before the train barreled through just a couple feet from his bumper.

Both drivers got lucky.

This time.

I'm watching email marketers pull the EXACT same stunt every day. They flat-out ignore Google, Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo's clear rules about how, to whom, and when to send emails.

When their Email Health Scores are sitting in the danger zone - 400s, 500s, 600s - it's like those flashing red lights warning that disaster's coming.

Yet they continue doing what they've always done the way they've always done it.

But that train is coming.

Maybe their emails won't land in spam today. Maybe their emails won't get completely rejected tomorrow.

But next week? Next month?

When it happens - and it WILL happen - you'll wake up to inbox silence.

No sales notifications. No webinar registrations.

Just the sickening realization that months of list building just got flushed down the digital drain.

Is it really worth the risk?

I've seen too many good businesses get crushed because they thought the rules didn't apply to them.

Don't be the minivan guy. Please. I'm begging you.

P.S. Want to know if you're about to get hit by the email deliverability train? Request your Hit The Inbox™ Audit (https://hittheinboxaudit.com) and I'll show you exactly where you stand - and how to get out of the way.

08/07/2025

Most people feel totally intimidated trying to get through to high-level decision makers.

And let's be honest - the usual "networking" advice is useless when you're shooting for the C-suite.

But what if landing meetings with power players was as simple as asking one carefully-crafted question?

That's exactly what former Disney executive Steven Rowell discovered.

Using his unique 5-minute conversation technique, he got Sam Walton to chat for 2 hours, landed a meeting with George W. Bush, and secured multiple angel investors - all starting with a single disarming question.

In this episode of 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴, Steven reveals:
• The exact question that gets gatekeepers to put you through
• Why busy executives eagerly clear their schedule to talk
• How to turn a brief chat into a lasting business relationship
• The critical "last question" that unlocks powerful networks
• Why silence is your greatest tool in these conversations

Steven distilled 30+ years of corporate experience into a simple framework anyone can use.

And every technique is psychology-backed and field-tested with billionaires and business icons.

Stop struggling to get in front of decision makers. Listen now to master the art of high-level connection: https://fromthetrenchespodcast.com/episode/steven-rowell/

08/05/2025

Over the weekend, I binged the documentary 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘰: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴.

In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were brutally murdered in their off-campus house.

It grabbed national attention because the crime was so bizarre and random.

Police waited for 3 days to hold a press conference. They provided scant details but no motive and no suspect.

So people filled in the blanks themselves, and the mystery just kept growing.

When they finally arrested Bryan Kohberger in late December, everyone was relieved but even MORE curious.

How did this grad student from Washington State University know these victims?

Why 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 four students?

Shortly after the court proceedings began, a gag order silenced everyone close to the case.

The media and true crime fanatics kept digging.

I believe we can extract lessons from everything in life.

As I observed how people behaved when information was withheld, I realized something powerful ...

Strategic silence and controlled information release creates an almost magnetic pull in people.

Now think about your next product launch, training, or service announcement - the thing you've been quietly working on.

How can YOU create that same irresistible curiosity before you announce it?

Here's 4 ideas:
• Tease the problem first - Drop hints about what you're solving without revealing the solution
• Release breadcrumbs strategically - Give just enough info to keep your readers hungry for more
• Use countdown sequences - Build urgency with "reveal dates" they can't miss
• Create insider access - Make subscribers feel special for being "in the know"

The key is to control the narrative. Don't dump everything at once.

Make them NEED to know what comes next.

P.S. Speaking of strategic suspense... I've been cooking up something special for people running webinars, masterclasses, or summits who need more butts in seats (not just registrations).

I'm doing an invite-only beta launch later this month.

If you're running events and need better show-up rates AND you're an implementer (not just an info-seeker), send a DM.

I'll add you to the list.

07/31/2025

It's a simple thing really - taking off your shoes before walking into someone's home.

That's what caught my mom's attention when a new pest control tech showed up.

Without being asked, he slipped off his shoes at the door before starting his treatment.

She was so impressed that she immediately called the company requesting him for all future visits.

Small gestures like this showcase a deeper truth about running a successful business: service trumps advertising every single time.

Marketing expert Rich Lamendola discovered this reality after building a thriving agency helping service businesses transform their customer experience.

Through working with countless companies, he found that most owners vastly underestimate how much poor service quietly erodes their business.

The statistics are sobering. For every customer who complains about bad service, 26 others stay silent - they just never come back. And they tell an average of 15 people about their negative experience.

But there’s good news: You don't need a complete overhaul to see dramatic improvements.

Rich recommends starting with a simple service audit:
1. Map out each step of your customer journey on paper
2. Question if each touchpoint truly serves the customer
3. Look for small ways to enhance the experience
4. Get feedback from fresh eyes who can spot blind spots

The businesses that thrive aren't necessarily doing anything revolutionary. They're just thoughtfully considering how to serve customers better at every interaction.

Want to hear Rich break down exactly how to audit and improve your service delivery? Listen to his full interview on today’s episode: https://fromthetrenchespodcast.com/episode/rich-lamendola/

07/29/2025

Stepped on the scale this morning...

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝟯 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀!

More energy. Better focus. Clearer thinking.

But here's the thing...

I didn't hire a coach because I thought I knew what I was doing.

𝗜 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀.

I wanted results without spinning my wheels for months.

So I found someone with the knowledge I was missing.

My coach showed me proper protein-to-calorie ratios, workout routines I don't hate, and food combinations that work with my lifestyle.

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻, 𝗜'𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱'𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.

Speaking of expert help...

Last month I helped a coach with her poorly performing emails.

Made one simple adjustment.

The next day, her open rates jumped from 32% to 59%.

Over five days, we reactivated 5% of her dormant subscribers.

Last week I reviewed someone's Hit The Inbox™ audit results:

4,600 subscribers haven't opened emails in 3+ months.

Over half their list!

They're currently making 30% of their total revenue from email.

Small tweaks could 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘺 push that to 50%.

Whether health or email marketing, having someone who knows what they're doing can save you months of frustration.

And get you results faster than you thought possible.

Want more webinar attendees who actually show up?

Higher sales?

More appointments booked on your calendar?

More revenue from your products?

I have room to work with two more clients.

But like my health journey ... this requires real investment and commitment.

DM me if you're ready and want to chat.

07/24/2025

I have a confession ...

I'm a digital hoarder.

We're talking 2.5 terabytes of stuff crammed into my Google Drive.

When I admitted this to professional organizer Tracy Hoth on this week's podcast episode, I braced myself for the judgment.
Instead, she smiled and shared something that completely changed how I think about organization.

For 17 years, Tracy has helped business owners get organized and reclaim their time. She developed an unconventional framework with a quirky name that made me laugh - but the results her clients get are serious.

Tracy doesn’t push another rigid system. She believes organization should work WITH your brain's natural patterns, not against them.

Some days I need strict time blocks. Other days I want flexibility.

According to Tracy, both approaches can work. It's about finding YOUR rhythm.

She packed our conversation with practical tips like:
• A college professor trick for staying focused
• Why notification sounds kill productivity
• How to handle the inevitable schedule disruptions

Listen to the episode here: https://fromthetrenchespodcast.com/episode/tracy-hoth/

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