What Separates the Top 1% from the

Rest
By Cap’t Jim Palmer, The Dream Business Coach

What Separates the Top 1% from the Rest

Published by Success Advantage Publishing

411 Walnut Street
#13554
Green Cove Springs, Florida 32043

Copyright © 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
written permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America.

DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES

While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make
no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this
book. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should
consult a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the authors shall be liable for any
loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental,
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This book is intended to provide accurate information with regards to the subject matter
covered. However, the Author and the Publisher accept no responsibility for inaccuracies or
omissions, and the Author and Publisher specifically disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, whether
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use and/or application of any of the contents of this book.

This book is dedicated to my family,

Stephanie, Nick, Steve, Jessica, and Amanda

Table of Contents
Introduction
What’s Between Your Ears
More than Talent and Skill
Why Listen to Me?
Mindset Components
Invest in Yourself
More Mindset Components
Up Early and Other Attributes
Know Why
 About the Author – Jim
About Jim

Introduction
Welcome to What Separates the Top 1% from the Rest . This ebook
contains valuable and possibly life-changing information. Do not let its size
or price fool you.
My name is Jim Palmer, otherwise known as “Captain Jim Palmer,
The Dream Business Coach.” I coach entrepreneurs and small business
owners how to create their own Dream Business, so they too can live their
dream lifestyle.
As my coaching business has grown, starting with Dream Business
Mastermind and Coaching, then including my annual or semi-annual live
events – Dream Business Academy – I now connect with a larger audience
of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and as a way to give back and
serve that larger audience, I created a free Facebook Group called, Build
Your Dream Business Now. You can join this group at
www.DreamBizGroup.com .
Part of the way I serve this community is doing live video training
once a week. This program is currently called “Free Training Thursday.” I
say currently because it was originally “Free Training Tuesday,” until my
coaching schedule made it challenging to fit into my schedule. Anyway, on
“Free Training Thursday,” I share some of my best coaching advice with the
members of the Build Your Dream Business Now Facebook Group. If I do
say so myself, these trainings are awesome! As a result, I decided to have
some of the best ones transcribed and turned into ebooks, like the one
you’re holding now.
When I say “dream business” I mean one that:
Grows even during a crappy economy
Has multiple streams of revenue
Becomes an asset for a worry-free retirement
Is always firing on all cylinders
Is fun to operate
Provides you with the lifestyle you want
 Allows you to give back and make a difference in the lives of
others

I’ve been enjoying my own dream business, and yes, my dream

lifestyle. If you’ve been in the group or otherwise following me or
participating in any of my programs, watching videos, etc., you know that
my wife and I decided to pull up roots, sell our house, and purchase a 50’
Carver Motor Yacht we named, “Floating Home” and are now sailing up
and down the east coast, dropping anchor when and where we want . Our
“Floating Home” is also my floating office as three days a week, I run my
various businesses from there, including my Dream Business Mastermind
and Coaching Program.
My goal is to help you build your dream business as well, so based
on my coaching videos, I’ve developed this series of ebooks – drilling down
to some of the most important topics you need to understand in order to be a
successful entrepreneur, build your own dream business, and enjoy your
own dream lifestyle – whatever that means to you!

So, enjoy this fast-read book which, as I said, contains marketing

and business-building information that – should you apply it in your
business – will likely produce amazing results. As I’ve said in the past,
information for the sake of information is not going to move your business
forward. It is only through massive action and implementation will you
move an ordinary business to an extraordinary business… a dream
business!
Check out other titles in this series, including:
Millionaire Mindset Hacks
How to Create Multiple Streams of Revenue
Three Proven Strategies to Boost Your Profits Today
The Top Ten Mistakes That Keep Entrepreneurs Broke
Chapter One:

What’s Between Your Ears

The biggest thing that impacts every entrepreneur and the number
one thing that I can share with you that will move your business in the most
powerful way is mindset. It’s really the biggest and most impactful aspect
of building a dream business. In fact, the topic of mindset is really the main
reason I created the Facebook group in the first place. I wanted a place for
people who want to take what might be an ordinary business and boost it to
the next level and beyond. No matter what other tactics and strategies you
may employ, if you don’t have the mindset part of the puzzle figured out
and in place, you are always going to struggle.
Let me assure you that building a dream business and becoming
financially independent is definitely not some elusive fantasy. It's not some
far off dream that’s reserved only for the luckiest or the nicest of people. In
fact, if you actually believe that achieving high levels of success is reserved
exclusively for the most deserving, the nicest, the luckiest entrepreneurs on
the planet, that is bad thinking, and that is a bad mindset. That’s what I want
to help you fix – or at the very least – adjust in this short book.
On the flip side, if you really do believe, “I’m a good person, I’m
deserving, I give to others, blah, blah, blah,” then I really do fear that
success will forever elude you. Let’s be straight: Success doesn’t happen
because you’re a good person or because you believe you’re deserving.
Success doesn’t just happen to lucky people. Additionally, success does not
and never will happen accidentally. Success – especially high levels of
success – is 100 percent intentional, and the surest way that I know how
you can create wealth for yourself and your family – becoming debt free
and ultimately living life on your terms is to become an entrepreneur.
But not just an ordinary entrepreneur! The vast majority of
entrepreneurs, sadly, are just eking out a living. I see many entrepreneurs
who have not created a business (let alone a dream business). Instead they
have merely created a job for themselves.
I want you to commit to taking the steps necessary to become an
entrepreneur that others would consider highly successful. If you want to be
in the minority and be part of the small fraction of truly high-income-
earning entrepreneurs, then I want you to keep reading, stay focused, and
refuse to put down this book… even if what I share with you is hard to hear,
or in this case, hard to read. If you find me abrupt, if you find me arrogant
or egotistical, or if you find me distasteful as I share some of these things,
do not unplug. Do not quit. Do not put down the book.
Chapter Two:

More than Talent and Skill

There’s a good reason why I may come off as abrupt or somehow
distasteful, and I’ll explain that shortly; however, financial freedom, which
is followed by time freedom, does not come to the people who are or seem
super nice or otherwise highly deserving. Nor does it come to people who
have a great idea, who can offer incredible value, or who provide a solution
to a problem that a lot of people have. Right now, you might be scratching
your head, thinking, “Well, Jim, isn’t that the essence of entrepreneurship?”
Yes, it is… but only to a point.
Using your gifts and talents to create amazing value and help others
is the foundation of what I consider to be the beginning of the
entrepreneurial dream business puzzle. However, this is where the vast
majority of business owners stop. Stopping here – when only putting the
first piece or two of the puzzle in place – is exactly why the vast majority of
small business owners do not do well financially… or flat out fail. The
second thing most entrepreneurs need to fix is their marketing, but the very
first thing they need to fix and be sure they have right is their mindset .
Regardless of all the talent, all the skill, all the great ideas, and all the best
intentions you may have, you will not produce high levels of success and
subsequently a high income if you do not have the mindset and the belief
system of a winner.
Let me say something about talent and skill: You will earn
significantly more money for who you are compared to what you do. Re-
read that sentence and think about that for a second: You will earn
significantly more money for who you are compared to what you do. It’s
not about what you do, and it’s not about your deliverable. Whether you’re
an accountant, a lawyer, coach, graphic artist, website developer or virtual
assistant… whether you’re a “fill in the blank,” it is not enough to do that
well. You skill and talent alone will not generate high income and will not
be solely what you need to build a dream business.
You will earn considerably more for who you are than what you do.
What do I mean by that? It has to do with the branding and the positioning
that you have in the marketplace. Being the best at what you do is simply
not enough.
Do I really mean that?
Yes: Being the best at what you do is not enough, and being the
best at what you do will not ensure success!
I warned you that I would be abrupt and that some of my message
would be hard to hear and read.
Over the course of running my own business and in the different
mastermind and other groups of which I’ve been a part, I’ve run into some
very talented people. There are some really, really talented professionals –
doctors, lawyers, accountants, and the like – that are in what you would
consider to be high-earning fields who are not doing that well, even if they
are head-and-shoulders more talented than some of their peers. It’s not
about being great at your craft. It’s not about your talent. It’s about being
able to step up, and first, create an amazing brand and promote it,
effectively using what I call my Million-Dollar Platform. But it’s also about
having a millionaire mindset that allows you to go out into the market, and
put a stake in the ground and claim your success.
There are thousands, probably tens of thousands of “also’s” in
business who are in your niche. There are people who also do exactly what
you do – perhaps with the same level of skill and talent. The only way
you’re going to earn a really, really high income is to really stand out and
be perceived to be the best at what you do. Of course, you then have to
deliver on your claim… but that has so much to do with your mindset! The
biggest difference maker and the very thing that separates the top one
percent, or even the top 10 percent, from all the rest is right up in your head,
between your ears.
Chapter Three:

Why Listen to Me?

I’m someone who’s earned a reputation over the course of launching
and running my original business, No Hassle Newsletters to the point I’m at
now as The Dream Business Coach. I’ve been regularly approving new
members into the private Facebook group, and there are times when my
advice is pretty hard core and tough to take. Some people sign off when we
get to that point. Some people may have already closed this book. That’s
okay. Those people are never going to be in the top one or even the top 10
percent.
I have built and earned a reputation as a pretty darn good marketer.
I’ve been called prolific, and I’m someone who does a great deal but also
gets a lot done. I’ve authored seven books and created multiple six-figure
businesses. I’m blessed to share that my coaching services are in demand,
and the various programs and products I’ve created and offer are used by
countless small business owners. In fact, my first business, No Hassle
Newsletters, at its high point had thousands of monthly members using the
program in nine different countries.
While I was successful, the turning point for me, after much foot
dragging, was when someone really stood me up, got in my face, and
challenged my way of thinking. They called me out on my crap and the bad
thoughts swirling in my head. So I want to do the same for you and put a
mirror in front of your face with this book. If I happen to be calling you out
as you’re reading, and you’re thinking, “Holy crap, that’s me,” I won’t
know that, so just keep reading and absorbing.
The reason I want to push a mirror in front of your face is so that
you can see exactly what is holding you back… despite that little voice in
your head telling you how great you are, how smart you are, how generous
you are, how kind you are, and how deserving you are.
You see, you and I are exactly the same. Yep… I’m nobody special.
I, just like you, have been blessed with a skill and a talent. I happen to be
very good at marketing. I’m also a pretty darn good coach, as it turns out.
But none of that was enough to help me build a dream business, so I could
live my dream lifestyle, now living on a 50-foot yacht we bought that
allows my wife and I to go anywhere we want. Yes, that’s true freedom –
combining financial and time freedom is really what it’s all about.
However, my skill and talent was not enough to get me to the point
where I’m at today. First, I had to fix what was going on in my head. I
finally reached a point where I realized and admitted that my own happy
talk (“Oh, things will be great next year. Yeah, I’m going to turn the corner.
This was a building year.”) was not going to get me where I wanted to go. It
was not going to allow me to build a dream business.
I’m not sure what that might look like for you right now. Maybe it’s:
I attended a lot of seminars.
I’ve got some great widgets.
I’ve got some new sales funnels.
I’ve got this, that, or the other.
I’m reading six books a month.

Let me be abrupt: That’s busyness. That is not productivity. That is

not business building. I certainly have nothing against education, but if it’s
not working to build your business and take it to the next level, if it merely
lets you to go to bed at night thinking you’re doing well because you’re so
active in your business, and if your checkbook doesn’t positively reflect
these activities, it’s meaningless. You really have to get honest with
yourself. You don’t have to answer to me, but you certainly have to answer
to yourself.
I’m grateful beyond words that I finally got serious about success,
and I started kicking my fears, my self-limiting thoughts, actions, and
beliefs to the curb. I started slaying the dragons and demons that were
holding me back. I slayed every single one of them, and that was the point
at which the trajectory of my revenue started its steep incline.
You might be wondering, “Well, who the hell is this guy anyway
and why should I listen to him?”
If reading this book is the first time our paths have crossed, let me
give you a very, very brief recap of my backstory. In 2001, I found myself
unemployed for the first time in my life. I’d been a VP of Marketing, and
poof – unemployed for almost 18 months. What little savings we had were
gone. I started racking up serious debt. A year later, I got cancer for the first
time. After 18 months, I decided to start my first business. I grew that to
multiple six figures, then hit a plateau. Then I discovered internet
marketing, and grew that business. I started getting serious about investing
in myself… blah, blah, blah, and the rest is history.
So you see, I have earned the right to be talking to you about this
because I’ve done it. I’ve learned the importance of investing in myself and
then been willing to do the hard work to make that happen.
Chapter Four:

Mindset Components
Some people think you can tell a lot about a person based on
everything they seem to have going on. For example: Take a person’s skill,
talent, work ethic, drive, ambition, moral compass, and mindset and place it
all in a mixing bowl, and some people think, “Wow. That person’s got a lot
going on.” I don’t believe that’s true. Instead, I think you place your skill,
talent, work ethic, drive, determination, and moral compass in a mixing
bowl, and that represents the machine. That is the machine that is your
business. However, what fuels the machine and drives the machine is your
mindset.
Your mindset is the thing that fuels the engine. Without fuel, the
engine (and the machine to which it’s attached) goes nowhere. You have a
big, beautiful business. Maybe you have a beautiful everything; however, if
you don’t have the fuel – the right mindset – you will not even be able to
get out of your own way.
Let’s talk about some of the components that make up the fuel – the
mindset – that separate the top one percent from the rest. Think about
someone who is in the top one percent – maybe imagine Mark Cuban or
Richard Branson. You can imagine anyone you want who’s achieved high
levels of successes… or just imagine yourself there, if that helps you.
The top one percent have a mindset of confidence. You have never
seen anyone who’s achieved a great deal in their life have a lack of
confidence. They’ve decided that nothing and no one will stop them from
achieving their goal. Nothing is going to get in their way. That’s the first
part of the millionaire mindset.
Next, they take action. The top one percent takes action. They take
action now, and they take it continuously and regularly. They are always
pushing forward.
The top one percent are people who are hopelessly impatient. They
are not people who say, “Well, maybe I’ll post my blog two weeks from
now. That podcast that I know is a great idea… maybe I’ll get that launched
this year, but not right after the first of the year because who will be paying
attention anyway right after the holidays. And after that, there’s the Super
Bowl and Valentine’s Day, so no one will be paying attention then… so in
the second quarter. Yeah, that makes more sense. I’ll launch it in the second
quarter.”
You will never hear super successful people putting off what can
and should be done now. As for that podcast example, the top one percent
will find a way to launch it now. “Oh, what if it’s not good enough? Well,
what if it is? I’ll self-correct and keep perfecting it as I go.”
Next: Results matter more than ego. Now if you look at the top one
percent, you are going to see people that have strong egos. If you’re going
to have the confidence you need, you have to have a really strong inner
belief in yourself. You have to believe that what you’re doing is good and
what you’re offering is good. It’s got to have value, and it’s going to help a
lot of people. If you don’t have that belief Mr. or Ms. Entrepreneur, you’d
better go sell something else or find something else to do!
If you don’t have a strong belief in yourself, your product or service,
people will be able to smell that, and they’ll smell if you’re just trying to
make a sale versus really trying to help them and solve their problem. So no
matter how big your ego may be, results will always matter more. When
you surround yourself with smart people, perhaps in a mastermind group,
they’ll stay focused on sharing ideas that will help everybody. The one
percenters will think, “That’s a great idea. I’m going to do that.” Others will
think, “I’m going to try to come up with an idea that’ll fit in my business.”
The latter thought is an ego-based, not a results-based decision. A
big turning point for me was when I understood that I should care more
about getting to where I wanted to be than how I got there. I gave up feeling
like I always needed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer or the smartest
guy in the room. If someone had a better way that would enable me to get
where I wanted to go faster, I’d have to be okay with that and not focus on
or care about whose idea it was. You’ve got to check your ego and focus on
results.
Next, the top one percent constantly invest in themselves and speed
up the growth of their businesses. You can actually purchase speed of
results. You can and you absolutely should do that. Think about it: Why
would someone spend $25 to send a document on a plane to have it arrive at
its destination overnight when for a mere $.49 for a stamp, you could get it
there in three or four days? They pay the huge difference because they are
purchasing speed.
Consider someone saying, “You know what, Jim? Here are five
steps you need to take to start or grow your business, go do ‘em. Or if you
give me this much money, I’ll do them for you. Or I can charge you a little
less and hold your hand, guiding you through the steps.” That’s purchasing
speed for your business. Doing it yourself equals the postage stamp; paying
someone else to do it for you equals the FedEx envelope. You just have to
find someone who has done what it is you want to do, put your ego aside,
focus on the result, and be willing to invest in yourself. This is really
difficult for a lot of entrepreneurs.
Chapter Five:

Invest in Yourself
I finally realized that I had to correct my mindset when I understood
that my mindset was the very thing holding me back. I was frustrated with
myself and my business. I was doing okay… pretty well, in fact. But I
wanted to do significantly better and earn significantly more. In 2007, I
decided to join my first mastermind group. Like I said, I was doing okay at
the time, but if I’d made that decision based on cash flow alone (it was a
$400/month investment to be part of the group), I would have decided that I
could not afford to join. Instead, I rationalized with myself that there were
some really smart entrepreneurs in this group, and I’d already proven my
work ethic, my drive, my ambition, my moral compass, and my talent. If
the only thing missing were a few ideas that I could latch on to that would
propel my business forward, I was willing to make that investment.
About three or four months after I’d joined the group, I’d listened to
and implemented some of the ideas that began bringing in new revenue that
covered the monthly investment. But I had to make the decision 100-
percent based on where I wanted to be, not where I was at the moment.
And it went further and deeper: In 2009, No Hassle Newsletters was
really taking off. I had the opportunity to invest in a three-day, multi-
seminar conference at which there would be between 1,000 and 1,200 small
business owners and entrepreneurs – aka my perfect target audience. The
only problem was that I was still about $70,000 in debt. The booth space
was $5,000 to rent a 10x10-foot, “plain Jane” space. I had to create a booth,
pay my travel, and pay my hotel. All in, it was a $7,500 decision. I thought
about it, but only briefly because I knew that it would be a great way to
significantly jumpstart the growth of my business. I hoped and prayed I’d at
least breakeven, reminding myself that I was in it for the long game, not the
short one.
If memory serves me correctly, I returned home with $4,000 in new
business. I didn’t breakeven. In fact, I barely covered 50 percent of my
investment to be there. But you know what happened? It put me in front of
over 1,000 entrepreneurs, and I was called out from the audience by the
person on stage. That person happened to be Bill Glazier. All of the sudden,
people started coming to talk to me. Retrospectively, it was a huge turning
point.
Yes, I had to cough up $7,500 at a time when not only did I not have
it, I was still $60,000 or $70,000 in debt. However, I was willing to put my
money where my mouth was because I completely believed in my skill,
talent, work ethic, and moral compass. I wanted to invest in speed. Sure, I
could have passed on the investment and settled for much slower growth.
There are a lot of small business owners who opt for that route – they’re
comfortable with slow and steady… only willing to grow the business
based on what their cash flow allows.
That is an option. I don’t know if it’s an option for you. It was not an
option for me. If you choose slow and steady, I don’t pass judgement. I’m
simply sharing that there’s another side to business growth besides the
“slow and steady as she goes” way.
Let me share another example of investing in yourself, and this is
actually the story of one of my paid coaching clients. He had the
opportunity after completing a book to attend a major conference. His
investment to attend was about $10,000. When he returned, I asked how he
did. “I earned about $2,000 in book sales and some specials we put
together.”
“Okay,” I replied, trying to sound happy. “How do you feel?”
“You know what? If I knew that putting $10,000 into this three-day
event that I’d only bring home $2,000, I probably wouldn’t have done it.
But having done it, I know now that this investment I just made will pay
huge dividends 12 to 18 months down the road .”
I said, “Wow. First of all, congratulations. I totally dig your long
game. Why do you say that?”
“I met more decision makers in the industry, at retail, distributor,
and association levels. I met more people based on my book, the banners,
and booth I created than I would ever meet in five years of just doing the
‘slow and steady’ approach. So yeah, I put out about $10,000; I got two
back. I have $8,000 still out there, but one speaking gig is $7,500 and one
major consult will probably be $15,000. There’s no way those things are
not going to happen.”
So here’s the tough question for you about this example and this
book: Do you have the cojones, stones, guts, courage, call it whatever you
want, to put $7,500 or $10,000 down on a bet that it’s going to turn out well
and if it doesn’t immediately turn out well (after all, we live in a microwave
society: I want it now, dammit!) very, very quickly, will you keep going on
with the long game in sight? This is one of the determining factors of who
will be living the dream and who will always just be working the plan,
working every day with slow to no growth, never getting close to their
dream business or lifestyle.
Chapter Six:

More Mindset Components

There are a few more things that separate the one percent, and
they’re all about mindset. The top one percent holds themselves to higher
standards. Being average is for the average, not for the one percent. They
don’t change course every six months, even if they become bored with what
they’re doing or a bit restless. They do read every day. Now I’m not at all a
downer on education; however, I don’t cram through 12 books every month,
thinking I’m doing something great for my business. There has to be a real
result from the educational effort.
They also do at least one thing every day to cultivate new business.
In my coaching business, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are my
call days, when I’m busy, busy, busy, and by the end of each day, I think,
“Damn. I took care of current business.” Keep in mind that you have
current business and future business. Do something – at least one thing –
every day that will positively affect your future business. In my case, I’ll
reach out via email or send a complimentary copy of one of my books to
someone. I look for something – at least one thing – every single day that
has the capacity to result in future business.
Top one percenters also decide that procrastination is a business
killer! They’ve become finely tuned listeners, and that’s where multiple
streams of revenue come into play. (Check that out in another book!)
They also never resent the success of others. They celebrate it.
Think about the Kardashians or someone else who is famous simply
because they’re famous, and they’re making a gazillion dollars. It’s easy to
think, “What the hell’s wrong with that picture?” Now I have no stake in the
ground with the Kardashians, but I’ll say this: This is American, and if you
can build a business on simply being famous, well go ahead and do it.
We’ve all got families to support and retirements to fund, but the point is if
your reflexive reaction to the Kardashians (or similar) is, “That sucks. They
don’t deserve it,” that’s very bad and a bad mindset. Celebrate success. As
long as it’s ethical, moral, and legal, celebrate other people’s success.
My Embarrassment – Your Lesson
 At a point about two or three years into my coaching program, I had
about a dozen or so clients. I knew I certainly wanted to grow further,
faster, and charge more. Having already learned the power of mastermind
groups, I joined one that included some very, very successful coaches,
including one person who I held in very high regard, thinking, “This person
is the bomb diggity,” and they had a multi-million-dollar coaching practice
that I aspired to. So I flew from Philadelphia to California, preparing myself
on a five-and-a-half hour flight with my inner voice saying, “I’m probably
not the sharpest knife in the room, but that’s okay. I know I’m going to put
myself in a room with smarter people.” I was investing good money
(another lesson learned that I was applying), but I still had a little bit of
negative self-chatter going on, hoping I could do well, worried a little bit
about getting called out.
The first morning, the facilitator asked, “Who wants to be first in the
meat grinder.” Not wanting to sit there all day, tapping my leg worrying
about how I might do and wanting to get it over with, I immediately raised
my hand. I stood in front of the group and shared who I was, including all
of the different companies from which I was driving revenue (No Hassle
Newsletters, No Hassle Social Media, Concierge Print and Mail on
Demand, Custom Article Generator, and a few more). It was January, so I
also shared what I was going to do that year and named two or three big
ideas. The first quick lesson that popped up was when someone suggested,
“Jim, you would be so much further ahead if you’d just market what you
already have going instead of creating something new.” (As an aside, it’s
easy for entrepreneurs to get into creativity-itis because it always seems
more fun to build something new than to run what we’ve already built.)
I had another chance to share more of what I wanted to do, and
during one of the breaks, the person I mentioned took me aside and said,
“Jim, I’m aware of what you want to do. I’m aware of how much you’d like
to grow your coaching business. I’m also aware of what you’re doing to
grow your coaching business… and I’m keenly aware of what you’re not
doing to grow your coaching business.”
With that, I’m processing the information and thinking that he’s
going to suggest a podcast or another tactic. I had no idea what was coming
next. He continued, “Let me ask you a question.” (He might have had his
hand on my shoulder, and now he’s looking at me eyeball-to-eyeball).
“What makes you think you’re entitled to achieve the same level of success
as the people in this room, perhaps even me, but yet you’re not willing to do
the things we’ve done to grow our businesses? Can you explain to me how
that works?”
It was at that very moment when I knew I’d had “my crap called
out,” so to speak. Somebody was calling me out. Somebody held the mirror
up to me and made me look at the things I was not doing. I was not a
speaker at the time. I was not doing my own live events. I’d started doing
some videos, but I felt awkward and uncomfortable. I didn’t have a podcast.
There were all these things that the people in the room – these very high
earners – were doing that I wasn’t willing to do. It all had to do with my
mindset and my pre-most-embarrassing-moment thought pattern: “I’m
going to be crazy successful, man. I’m going to be a high-income earner,
and doggone, I’m going to do it my way!”
I’m going to go this way, and I’m not going to do this, that, and the
other thing – all of which I found horribly uncomfortable. I told myself I’d
do it my way and that I’d get there. Then, this person called me out and
held a mirror up to me, just like I’m trying to do with you in this book. I
was incredibly embarrassed, and when I get embarrassed, by ears turn really
hot. I could have melted glaciers on my ears that day, and to this day, I’m
grateful he pulled me aside to call me out rather than doing it in front of the
group.
When flying home, I thought, “Never again will I be put in that
position.
I was mad at myself for knowing exactly what this successful group was
doing (I’d been watching them, studying them, and listening to them) and
how they were doing it along with the literal and figurative investment they
were making, yet I wasn’t doing that. At that moment, I decided that I’d
start tackling all of the demons, the self-limiting thoughts, my fears about
being a public speaker, running my own live events, etc. “If that’s what I
have to do to have financial freedom, to become debt free, to live life on my
terms, then doggone, I’m going to do that!”
That was a real turning point for me. Maybe you’re where I was –
wanting the results but not willing or afraid to do the work and make the
investment. I’ve had plenty of prospects who, when I tell them I can help
them because I’ve done it, they’ll say, “Yeah, I’m not there yet. I might
want to coach with you when I…” Get another client, earn this much
revenue, pay off more debt, blah, blah, blah. It’s always “When I…” and
they push away because they did not have somebody make their ears turn
red yet.
Chapter Seven:

Up Early and Other Attributes

The top one percent have very strong daily discipline. They rise
early. I’ve always shared about how I’d be up and working by 5:00 a.m.
Truth be told, not so much anymore. Since we moved onto our boat, if I’m
out of bed before 6:00, it’s an early day. But previously, for 10 to 12 years, I
was early, early, early. If you happen to be an early riser, you’re in good
company. At GE, the CEO’s working by 5:30; Apple’s Tim Cook is up by
3:45; Kevin O’Leary wakes at 5:45; Richard Branson, also 5:45, just to
name a few. Getting up early and getting to work is a really valuable thing.
Know the value of your time and protect it like Fort Knox. You want
to control your environment. Some people say, “My gosh, Jim. You’re
militant about your schedule.” It is true – I am. I can’t tell you how many
people in a day or week will request, “Can we jump on the phone? Quick
chat? Can I take you to lunch? Buy you coffee? Do this, that, or the other
thing?” It’s not that I don’t enjoy conversations with other entrepreneurs,
but if I’m going to have my dream lifestyle, I can’t agree to those requests. I
work like crazy on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and those days
are packed. I can’t agree to those requests if I’m going to be true to myself
and honor my no-call Mondays and Fridays and really enjoy myself and
work if I want to. I’m very, very clear on what my schedule is, and I’ve
created a business and a structure that allows me to do that, and I don’t
deviate. Know the value of your time, what it truly is, what you want to
accomplish every day and every week, and then you can eliminate all
distractions that you know are going to be detrimental to your productivity
and non-scheduled activities.
The top one percent are not afraid to let go and delegate. I could not
live the lifestyle I do if I did not have a team of 13 people, with Kate
Bradbury, my long-time VA, overseeing the writers and designers –
basically everything that happens with my internet business. If I was not
able to let go, delegate, and have the business run by others (even if it’s not
exactly how I would do it), I would never have my current dream lifestyle.
You have to be able to delegate which always comes back to being ready to
make the investment to hire people, even when you don’t feel ready. Or will
you forever be a “When I”? “Yeah, I’ll get an assistant when I get five more
clients.” “I’ll delegate this when I….” Stop being a “When I”!
Persistence and consistency carry the day. ‘Nuff said, on that
attribute. It’s self-explanatory. Stick with it – be persistent and be
consistent!
Let me ask you about risk: How would you assess your risk
tolerance? When I talk about putting money down that you may not have
(e.g. not waiting for cash flow), that you have to borrow from family,
savings, or credit cards, there is risk involved because not everything works
out. So one of the big questions, whether you’re going to make the leap
from being average to being a one percenter (or even a 10 percenter) is:
How would you rate your willingness to put yourself out there and actually
put skin in the game? Are you willing to take the shot and speed up the
results to create a dream business for yourself?
Most people who dream about becoming an entrepreneur never pull
the trigger because they are quite risk averse. They’re very safe. They want
to protect what they have. They’d like to grow their business, but if that
means risking something, they won’t. A very small amount of those who
dream about turning their idea into a business actually become small
business owners, and as you’ve probably heard, 80 percent of small
business fail within five years. Most people say that happens because they
ran out of money. That may be true, but when you peel back the onion one
more layer, they ran out of money because they ran out of guts and courage
to keep going, to invest in themselves, and to purchase speed to get there
faster.
Chapter Eight:

Know Why
I’ve worked with so many clients who have had a mountain of debt
like I did. I had over six figures of credit card debt getting through
unemployment and launching my business, and I’ll share something very
important that someone told me early on, “Jim, you cannot save your way
out of this debt. You have to grow out of debt.” Thinking that I didn’t want
it to take five years to grow out of my debt, in round numbers, I figured that
with $100,000 in credit card debt, if I was to generate $180,000 or $200,000
in additional revenue, I could take all that revenue and in a year, I would be
debt free. That was worth it to me.
Another turning point for me and others is to have a “big why” that
will help you take the leap and invest in yourself. For me, at the point when
I started my business, my girls were looking ahead toward going to college.
I knew they’d probably get married, and as a dad, I wanted to be able to
help with those things, and I was in no financial condition to do so. I felt,
“Dammit, having a business that is not growing fast enough… I might be
able to justify that in my head for myself, but this is going to hurt my
chances of being the great father that I want to be, so I have to fix that.”
Personalize the challenges that you have, and that might just give you what
you need to go ahead and bet on yourself because it’s going to mean
something bigger than you.
Finally, I want you to eliminate the “if only” excuses. If you want to
grow a dream business so you can live your dream lifestyle, you have to do
the things I’ve told you. However, you also have to eliminate all of the “if
only” excuses:
If only I had more education.
If only I had more time.
If only the economy were better.
If only we had a different president.
If only I could do it better.
If only I had been luckier.
If only my parents had given me more money.
If only… blah, blah, blah.
 If only nothing!
Really successful people start where they are, with what they have,
and they keep moving forward. To build a snow man, you start with one
little snowflake at a time, and keep rolling it bigger. Start with what you
have, where you are, and keep going. Stop the excuses. You’ll never find an
excuse maker in the top one percent. You can have success or you can have
excuses, but you can never have both.
Are you ready and willing to invest and work with a mentor who
can help you speed up the growth and profitability of your business? If
working with a mentor, perhaps someone like me, who has created multiple
six-figure businesses and lives a dream lifestyle, while there is risk involved
(I don’t work for free), chances are very good it would help you and
expedite your results. Ask yourself, “What would that look like, and am I
ready to do that?”
The gauge to where you are in your journey and whether or not you
see that question as my own self-promotion, speaks volumes about your
mindset. If you say, “I can’t afford it,” that is really your face in the mirror
admitting that what you’ve been doing so far is not working. If you could
afford it, you must already be killing it. So I want you to think about what
we covered here regarding investing. If you’re really in enough pain, if
you’re really at the point at which you’re ready to purchase speed, if you’re
ready to take your business to the next level, I want you to think about what
you should and can do with this information. Maybe you found a good
nugget or two. Are you just going to chalk it up to a fairly good book? Or
are you going to put it to better use?
Next, think about how badly you want the success you dream about.
Ask what you are willing to do to accomplish your goal of creating a dream
business. Are you willing to do whatever it takes? Or are you like I was
before I was called out – not willing to be a speaker, not willing to do your
own videos or podcasts, not willing to write a book, not willing to host your
own webinars or live events? Are there certain parameters that you aren’t
willing to cross into but yet still want to have a dream business? As I was
chided, I’ll chide you: Tell me how that’s going to work.
I believe it would be really healthy to have an honest conversation
with yourself. Turn off your phone and get rid of all the distractions. Be
alone and ask yourself, “Even if it hasn’t been bad so far, what the heck am
I really willing to do? How badly do I want to create financial freedom?
How badly do I want to be debt free? How much would I love creating my
own schedule that I can control and run. What am I willing to do to make
that happen? Am I just going to figure it out on my own, or am I willing to
invest and work with a mentor who can help me get there quicker… finally
enjoying my own dream business and lifestyle?”
If the last answer is yes, I want to hear from you! I want to help you!

About the Author – Jim

Learn More About Jim:

Jim’s other books:

The Magic of Newsletter Marketing – The Secret to More Profits and
Customers for Life

Stick Like Glue – How to Create an Everlasting Bond with Your Customers
So They Stay Longer, Spend More, and Refer More!

The Fastest Way to Higher Profits – 19 Immediate Profit-Enhancing

Strategies You Can Use Today

It’s Okay to Be Scared – But Never Give Up (with Martin Howey)

Stop Waiting For It to Get Easier – Create Your Dream Business Now!

DECIDE: The Ultimate Success Trigger

Serve First and Unlock a Life of Abundance and Purpose

Just Say YES! Create a Dream Business and Live Your Dream Lifestyle

Get Jim’s Books at

www.SuccessAdvantagePublishing.com

Check out Jim’s popular Smart Marketing and Business-Building

Programs:

Jim Palmer’s Dream Business Coaching and Mastermind Program –

www.DreamBizCoaching.com/

Dream Business Academy – www.DreamBusinessAcademy.com/

Facebook Group – www.DreamBizGroup.com/

No Hassle Newsletters – www.NoHassleNewsletters.com

Dream Business Coach TV – www.DreamBizCoach.tv

Dream Business Coach Radio – www.GetJimPalmer.com/

Jim’s Concierge Print and Mail on Demand Program –

www.NewsletterPrintingService.com/

Double My Retention – www.DoubleMyRetention.com/

How to Sell From the Stage Like a Pro –

www.HowToSellFromTheStage.com/
Custom Article Generator – www.CustomArticleGenerator.com/

The Magnetic Attraction and Retention System (MARS Training Program)

– www.MarsTrainingProgram.com/

Interested in interviewing Jim? Visit www.GetJimPalmer.com/ or contact

Stephanie@GetJimPalmer.com

About Jim

Jim Palmer is a marketing and business-building expert and in-

demand coach. He is the founder of the Dream Business Academy and
Dream Business Coaching and Mastermind Program. Jim is the host of
Dream Business Radio, a weekly podcast based on Jim’s unique brand of
smart marketing and business-building strategies.
Before becoming “Cap’t Jim, The Dream Business Coach,” Jim is
best known internationally as The Newsletter Guru and creator of No
Hassle Newsletters, the ultimate “done-for-you” newsletter marketing
program used by hundreds of clients in nine countries.
Jim is the acclaimed author of:
The Magic of Newsletter Marketing – The Secret to More Profits
and Customers for Life
Stick Like Glue – How to Create an Everlasting Bond With Your
Customers So They Spend More, Stay Longer, and Refer More
The Fastest Way to Higher Profits – 19 Immediate Profit-
Enhancing Strategies You Can Use Today
It’s Okay To Be Scared – But Don’t Give Up – A book of hope
and inspiration for life and business
Stop Waiting for It to Get Easier – Create Your Dream Business
Now!
Serve First and Unlock a Life of Abundance and Purpose
DECIDE: The Ultimate Success Trigger
 Just Say YES! Create a Dream Business and Live Your Dream
Lifestyle
Jim speaks and gives interviews on such topics as how to create a
dream business and live your dream lifestyle, newsletter marketing, client
retention, entrepreneurial success, the fastest way to higher profits, and how
to achieve maximum success in business and life.
Jim is a cancer survivor, has been married for almost 40 years, has
four grown children and three grandchildren. He currently lives on his
yacht, Floating Home, with his wife, Stephanie, their rescue dog, Blue. Jim
and Stephanie love to travel and spend time with their family.
Connect with Jim on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn ® and
Instagram, and join his private Facebook group
For more resources and information on Jim, his blog, and his
companies, visit www.GetJimPalmer.com .
Get Jim’s popular free ecourse, “10 Days to a Dream Business” at
www.getjimpalmer.com .