The Russell Brunson Show - You HAVE To Be Obsessed With The Game...

Episode Date: March 20, 2019

When you become obsessed with this game, the impact, the influence, and the money will come. On today's episode Russell talks about why being obsessed with the game is the key to success. Here are some of the amazing things Russell has to say in this episode: Why Russell is again competing in a wrestling tournament after a 16 year absence. Why the product launching phase of internet marketing was a lot harder, and Russell is relieved it changed. And find out why being obsessed with the game creates a skill set that means only the best survive. So listen here to find out how the marketplace changed from an old boys club to only the best succeed, and why Russell is happy about the change. Transcript - https://marketingsecrets.com/blog/190-you-have-to-be-obsessed-with-the-game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With TD Direct Investing, new and existing clients could get 1% cash back. Great! That's 1% closer to being part of the 1%. Maybe, but definitely 100% closer to getting 1% cash back with TD Direct Investing. Conditions apply. Offer ends January 31, 2025. Visit td.com slash dioffer to learn more. What's up, everybody? This is Russell Brunson. Welcome to the Marketing Secrets Podcast. I'm so excited to have you guys here today. With that said, let's keep the theme song and we're going to get to some fun.

So the big question is this. How are entrepreneurs like us who didn't cheat and take on venture capital, we're spending money from our own pockets. How do we market in a way that lets us get our products and our services and the things that we believe in out to the world and yet still remain profitable? That is the question and this podcast will give you the answer. My name is Russell Brunson and welcome to Marketing Secrets. Alright everybody, so I just dropped my kids off at school. I'm driving back. There's always tons of traffic so I was like, you know what, I want to hang out with you guys a little bit. This morning

I woke up early and I actually had a wrestling practice. Not for my kids. I did a wrestling practice with my kids last night but today I did it for myself because I'm actually going to go and compete in a tournament in like six weeks from now. And I am insanely out of shape. Um, but I'm also so excited. Like, ah, so excited. It's, um, it's, uh, it's funny cause like I haven't actually put on a wrestling single in like I think 16 or 17 years, something like that.

So I'm super nervous but like i was weird like i never thought i'd be done wrestling but like when i got done i was done like it's it was the weirdest thing like my whole life was focused on this thing and my senior year i was working towards uh going to the ncaa tournament i wanted to be an all-american and uh at the pack 10 tournament before ncaas um i thought for sure i was gonna i think it was like the top, like first and second place. They took the NCAA tournament or something like that. And, um, it was crazy as, uh, like my, I think my second match I wrestled the returning Pac-10 champ. Um, and I beat him, I beat him really good actually. So I was like, I was like, I should win Pac-10. Like I just destroyed the dude who won it last year. And then somehow I was like, I should win Pac-10. Like, I just destroyed the dude who won it last year. And then somehow I lost, like, some dude who I'd never heard of, never seen him, never anything.

And I lost to him, and it didn't make any sense. And I got knocked out of the tournament, and I didn't get to go. It was the weirdest thing where, like, you know when you think there's going to be an ending? Like, you can prepare, like, mentally prepare for that. So I was like, okay, my senior year, my last tournament is going to be the NCAA tournament. I'm really excited. I was, like, looking forward to this thing. And then two weeks earlier, the Pac-10, I lost, and it was, like, it for that. So I was like, okay, my senior year, my last tournament is going to be NCAA tournament. I'm really excited. I was like looking forward to this thing. And then two weeks earlier, the Pac-10, I lost.

And it was like, it was done and it was over. And I wasn't ready for it to be over, but it was. And it was, it's crazy. And anyway, I think like I would have gone into like severe depression because like my whole life is focusing on this one thing and then you don't even get to go to the thing. Like, ah, horrible feeling. But luckily I had this little um fledgling little business I'd started up and so I shifted all my focus to that to get away from the pain and for

the next yeah 16 years of my life that's all I did was this business thing and luckily it turned out to to be a good a good waste of my energy and time um it's been fun but I know that like even like seven or eight years ago, I like missed wrestling so much that I'm seeing, I've heard this story. If you listen to the podcast, like I built up a wrestling gym and I hired the Olympic Greco coach and I flew him to Boise. And then I hired like eight or nine guys who were training for Olympics and flew him to Boise. And I paid their salaries cause I wanted to wrestle again. I wanted to compete and train. So I started training and I got trained for probably six or so months getting ready for, I got hurt once or twice because my body was weak.

And I was planning on going to like a tournament. I was like so excited to go and actually put a singlet on again and wrestle in tournament. And then our business crashed and I had to go back in the business, try to save it. I spent, you know, six, seven, eight months trying to save the business. And then I ended up having to like let go all the wrestlers and the wrestling team because I just ran out of money and I never got to wrestle. Even though I spend a half a million bucks and energy, I never even got to go on the mat. It killed me.

And then like, I was focused on like trying to rebuild the business. And then, you know, the next two or three years, I didn't know what I was doing. And then like click funnels came out and then like, Holy cow,

what a rollercoaster ride. That's been the last five years. It's been so much fun. Um, but it's been crazy. And right now it's like, we just got the last five years. It's been so much fun, but it's been crazy. And right now, it's like we just got to Final Hacking Live, and there's a wrestling tournament, the big U.S. Opens in Vegas in like six weeks.

And I was like, you know what? I'm just going to go. I just, I'm just going to go, and I'm just going to wrestle. And I'm probably going to be horrible, and I'm probably going to get beat. And that's okay. I just want to like go and just, I want to, I just want to wrestle. I remember when I was in college, I'd go to the Open Nationals, US Nationals.

And I remember there's different divisions. So there's a division that's like 35 to 45 years old. That's division I'll be in now. And then after 45, it's like 45 to like 90. You know, it's like the veterans division for old men. And there was this dude who was like, probably like 80 something years old. He had like, he was was bald and had like gray hair around his ears you know and he was out there in his singlet wrestling and i remember thinking like i hope that's me when i'm like 80 years old and you know what i've been a wuss i've lost 18 17 however many 16 17 years 18 years i

don't know what it is i haven't competed once and i did some jiu-jitsu tournaments which was fun but like wrestling's what I love. And so I was like, I'm just going to go. And I'm going to make this a yearly thing where I just go. Even if I'm out of shape, if I'm going to get beat, I don't care. I'm just going to fly there, wrestle, do my thing. And just to like not lose that part of my identity. So anyway, so I'm pumped and excited.

And I've been lifting weights for it. So I'm like, I'm strong. But like I haven't wrestled other than wrestling my kids. So today my buddy Lex case came over when I old wrestling friends from Boise state and hopefully he's going to come too, which would be fun. So at least a workout partner to warm up with. Um, anyway, and, uh, we, we, we wrestled today and it was so much fun and I'm so out of shape. But, um, anyway, But anyway, it was good.

I really enjoyed it. So that's kind of what happened this morning. Dropped my kids off school and now I'm going back to pick up my stuff and head in the office. But as I was driving today with the kids and we were singing Greatest Showman and Headbanging and having a bunch of fun. Because I try to get them in state before they have to go to the most horrible thing on planet earth. I don't tell them that yet but it is right? Like school's the worst. And so I know like

I hate school every day so I'm like if I can get these guys in state every day before they go to school at least it'll help them a little bit so totally yeah we listen to music and we headbang and we try to have as much fun as possible to get them in good state before they enter the, the doors of, of like the worst place on earth. I'm such a bad example. Somebody listened to this podcast and like, dad, you made us go to school.

I'm like, I know it's the system. It's horrible, but you got to go if you want to wrestle, which is important. So anyway, I dropped him off school and as I was driving and we're having fun, I was thinking about this, uh, this industry that we're in. I know a lot of you guys, you're just starting this business or you've been in for a little while, but it's interesting. Like, um, I think what made me think about it as I looked down, I got a text from Stripe. Every morning I get texts from Stripe, like 10 of them for all the merchant accounts we have. And, um, you know, right now we average every three days or so is a million dollars in sales, right? So it's like whatever, 300 and whatever thousand dollars a day or whatever in Stripe

transactions ish. Some days are higher, some days are lower, but, um, you know, it to be a hundred million dollars in sales, that's a million bucks every three days, which is kind of where we're at. Um, and hopefully more next year and it can keep going up but um i saw the transactions come through i was like oh it's like 300 and whatever thousand dollars today came through um and it's interesting because i i remember like when we used to do the big so let me so i'm telling you this because i want to rewind back in history like like the internet marketing game back in the day was product launches right it was like you spend three months creating product writing sales letter getting people to promote getting all all the buzz, getting the build up, getting everything.

And if you did good job, you'd have a million dollar launch. Um, but then the half that would go out to affiliate commissions, half to prizes, and you know, you end up with $250,000 if you did a good launch. And if your launch failed, then there was like a hundred grand or less or 50 grand, you know, whatever, whatever it was. And it was like once a quarter, we'd all plan a launch. And so, and it was funny, it's like every week there's somebody doing a launch, right? But you kind of knew that every quarter you'd have your shots, you go create a new product and create a new thing. And during the, during the off season, when it wasn't your week, you'd be promoting everybody else's launch in hopes that, that you do well for them so that they would

promote your launch when your launch came back around. It was crazy. Cause like your list would be, you know, right after your, your launch, your list would be hot and it'd be amazing. But as you got closer and closer to your launch, you'd get worse and worse because you promoted like everybody else's launches throughout this whole cycle. And then, you know, you'd hope that you'd build up enough reciprocity by the time your product came out, you could launch it and make, you know, make a million bucks, get a new hot list and start promoting other people's products.

And it was a horrible cycle. It was so bad on your customers and bad on your list and bad on everything. But it was how the game was played for so long. It's been interesting watching the last, you know, six or seven years as the product launch games kind of died. There's still people doing product launches, but, um, it shifted from, from the product launch model to the media buying model. And it's a, it's a shift that I am like so grateful for. I love Mark Zuckerberg. Like I love that dude. Um, I don't know if I believe in his politics. Actually, I have no idea what his politics are. I'm assuming I don't though,

but I don't know if I, you know, all those things, but like, I love him because he created this platform that gave all of us people the ability to buy ads on it, you know, and Instagram is the same thing and YouTube and Google, you know, Google's had its ups and downs right now. Google's Google and YouTube are about 50% of our traffic now and Facebook and Instagram is the other 50%. And then there's, you know, affiliate, well, my percentages are off. I'd say 15% of affiliates. And then the other half is split between Facebook, Facebook, Instagram on one side and YouTube and Google on the other side. Um, but man, I'm so grateful for these platforms that made it where it's like, we can actually run sustainable businesses. Not like the old

product launch days was just like, I scratch your back, you scratch my back. I'll do, you're like, no one actually was good marketers. They were just people who, you know, the people who made the most money with people that had the best friends. That was kind of it. And it's, it's been fun watching, you know, as, as, um, as we've broken outside of that cycle, we still do affiliate stuff, but, and we still have to promote our things, but it's not based on like, you know, it's based on who's got the best product. He's got the highest converting offer who, who can buy the most media, you know, that that's the game nowadays is who can profitably buy

media which now it's like it's it's like a pure game right it's not just like a a good old boys club it's it's who can actually buy media profitably and there's the skill set of buying media the skill set of building a funnel and the skill set of having a good offer like it's it's forced people to be better at the game um but, but it's made the game more pure. And, um, anyway, I'm just telling you guys this because, um, you know, a lot of you guys are just jumping in right now and you're not, you know, you don't know what the history was and how the past was, but, um, it's really cool because the way that it works today, it really is based on like, who's the best, like, who's got the best, you know, who's the best at buying ads, who's the best at creating good offers, hooks and stories and offers, and who's the best at creating funnels. And like,

you know, and if you're mediocre nowadays, back in the day, you can, you can be mediocre. And as long as you had friends with a big email list, you promote your stuff, you'd win. But nowadays, it's like, you know, you actually have to be good. And it's, it's kind of cool. It's like survival to fit us like the marketplace votes now on, on what's good and what's not good. And if you're not good, you're not going to win. And so for us and for me and for you, it like gives us a shot to like, like if we want to be, if we want to win this game, like there are skillsets we have to learn there. We have to actually become good. It's not just, it's not a good old boys club anymore. It's not based on popularity contest. It's 100%

based on your skillset and what you're willing to do and what you're willing to learn and evolve into and grow into. And so if you're not willing to do that, you're not going to win playing, playing out. And back when I got started in this game 10 years ago, it did not matter how good your skillset was. It just mattered how good your, your network was and the good old boys club and how you can, you know, you can hang out with people and there's still some of that. Um, but for the most part, you know, Zuckerberg doesn't care who you are, doesn't care how cool you are. All he cares is that you create ads that people like, people the most part, you know, Zuckerberg doesn't care who you are, doesn't care how cool you are. All he cares is that you create ads that people like people click on them, you know, and, and if you do good stuff, the ads get cheaper. If you, if you're bad,

like you get banned and things like that. And it's just like, it's, I don't know, it's made the game more pure and I love it. Um, you know, and it's, it's been, I think, you know, I, I always struggled to penetrate the good old boys club and get into with all the, you know, the syndicates and the things like that, that there were all these guys that were cool that didn't think I was cool for some reason. And I always hated that. I was like, man, I feel like my skill set's better. I'm working harder.

I'm learning more. I'm doing things. But I was never able to like be in the top 1% just because, you know, I wasn't a good networker. I got nervous around people. I, I, I was an introvert. I struggled. And now that stuff doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is like who loves this game the most, who's obsessed with it, who's going to study and learn and grow and figure these things out and test and try and make the most offers and put the,

do the more, you know, like whoever makes the most offers in this game is going to win. Cause you're going to find out what offers work, what offers don't work. And some people spend nine months trying to create an offer. And it's like, why would you do that? Like the offer might not even work. Like we've got to get good at cranking out offers and try this and try this and try this and try this out, try this hook, try this story, try this. And like, it's the game is played by those who really need to put out a whole bunch of stuff quickly and test it till you find the winners, you know, ditch the losers, keep the winners and then keep, you know, scale and go double down on the winners. And so it really is like, if you don't love this game, if you don't love it,

you're going to struggle in it because it's not just like you promote my thing. I'll promote your thing. We'll make a bunch of money and we'll take the rest of the, you know, the quarter off. It's like, no, it's, it's, it's more pure now. And I love it. And I'm grateful for it. And I hope you guys love it as well. You know, it's been interesting. Everyone's got like their, their role in this world and I really feel like my, one of my roles is to make this whole marketing thing fun for people. You know, like I remember going to these events back in the day and, um, and I would love them. I'd be sitting in these rooms and there's all these old people and the people on stage

talking about their successes and what they're doing and direct response and direct mail and newspapers and tear sheets all these things i would like and most rooms just bored out of their mind like you know like trying to figure out how they're gonna do the thing and i'm sitting there in the back like freaking out like oh like this is so exciting do you guys are you listening to what people are saying like this is the most exciting thing in the world i was like the excited kid in the back. And I was like, why are people able, like, how are they able to sit there all like, like quietly and take notes? Like I'm freaking out, right?

And it was funny because I was like, maybe I'm wrong. So I tried to like sit in the culture and just be, you know, sit there and take notes. And I hate taking notes. I'm not a note taker, right? I'm someone who like, who listens to get inspired. I see a vision. And as soon as I see the vision,

then it's like, it's in my head. I can go and run and execute on it. And so, and I always felt weird. Like, why can't I, like, I'm not taking notes. Like, why am I not taking notes and everyone else is? And I would take notes and I've never looked at them again. I'm like, God, I don't understand this. And I remember going to my very first Tony Robbins event. And, um, I remember I showed up with a backpack and my laptop and I thought I would sit in the back and take notes while Tony was talking. And if you go to Tony's event, you know, there's no tables. Everyone's jumping in your ears. You know, if you're jumping around, it's crazy. I remember sitting there with my lap, you know,

I put my laptop under my chair and I'm like, I'm so embarrassed. Like I'm the only one with a laptop here. Like this is different. There's energy, there's momentum. There's like, you see a vision and like you, you try to like anchor it to your body with the energy and excitement. And I remember seeing Tony's stuff and then seeing the marketing. I was like, I feel like my, my job is this blend in the middle where it's like, I need to make marketing fun and exciting and like real for people. Cause if I can make this fun, like this is the most exciting game in the world. Right.

And I go to these other events where everyone's bored and half asleep. I go to Tony's event with jumping around and, and it was, it was awesome. It wasn't, you know, it's personal development. I was like, how do we take this personal development energy and plug it into the market, which I feel like is the most exciting, like amazing thing on planet earth. And how do we plug these things together? And, you know, I feel like that's what Funnel Hacking Live has become. I've tried to create this thing where it's, it's, it's half Tony Robbins, it's half Dan Kennedy, but it's this blend in the middle where it's Russell Brunson and like excitement and passion

and energy that you feel the personal development conference with like direct response marketing. We learned from Kennedy wrapped into like this experience where it's like, it's both of those. And so those who came to fun, like live, you felt both of those things. Um, but man, I feel like my role is really to make this exciting for it. Because if you love this game, you will be successful and you will change people's lives. If you're like indifferent about the game, like, Oh, I just want to help people. Like, I just want to, I just want to make money. You're going to struggle.

If you're, if you just want to make money, you're going to struggle. If you just want to get your, like, I just want to sell my product, sell my product. You're going to struggle. When you become obsessed with the game, the game of marketing, this whole thing, right? And like creating hooks and stories and offers and plugging them out there and putting them out there and having fun like when you become obsessed with that piece of this that's when you're gonna thrive that's you know it's it's been amazing because of these networks like facebook and instagram and google and youtube and and the other ones out

there it's it's taken away the good boys club it's taken away all these other things and it's made it where it's like those who love this game, those who are obsessed with this game, they win. Right. And your product, your service will add to the obsession. Right. Like I was talking to Stacey Martino this morning who, you know, they run relationshipdevelopment.org and she spoke about it twice and like they help people with their marriages and like that's their product. Right. They're obsessed with their product, but they've also become obsessed with the marketing of their product and that's why they've grown so

much that's why i have so much success like when you become obsessed with the marketing of your thing then your thing will have life it'll give it breath it'll give it the ability to change and serve and like and like you know change people's lives but if you are just obsessed with your product it's never gonna get out there you gotta become obsessed with this So my goal, my role is to get you obsessed with this game. Make it so much fun where you wake up every morning. You're like, all right, let's make new landing pages, make new offers, put a new Facebook live. Let's try, let's try a video.

Let's try a hook. Let's try a story. Let's try like a thing. And when you become like, when that becomes your art, that's how you, that's how you become amazing in this game. So anyway, I'm going to keep doing this. I'm going to keep getting you guys pumped and inspired and excited about marketing, about direct response marketing, right? This thing that has been boring for the last century, I'm trying to make it sexy. I'm trying to bring in personal

development and Tony Robbins and energy and excitement to it. Because if I can make you excited by it, then, um, then you'll be able to get your, your, your mission, your message, your, your thing out there. And now is the best time to do it because all of the, all of the popularity contests are done. Zuckerberg doesn't care about anything other than, than if you're, if people are clicking on your ads and if they're enjoying the experience and if they are, you win. And if not, you lose. And so you've got to be good enough. You've got to become obsessed with it. You've got to become a student of this game. And the more you do that, the more fun you're going to have, the more money you're going to make.

And the more people's lives are going to change, which is why we really do this when it all is boiled down, when it all gets boiled down. So I hope that helps somebody today. I'm going to keep doing my thing. I'm going to keep making this game exciting. And I hope that you catch the fire. If you can catch the fire of this game, it'll be a fun thing for you. And so please catch the fire. I'll keep It'll be a fun thing for you. And so please catch the fire.

I'll keep preaching. I'll keep getting you excited. Just keep plugging in, keep listening. And the more you get excited by the game, all the other things will come. The impact, the influence, the money will come as you get obsessed with this game of marketing. So that's all I got you guys.

Appreciate you all. Thanks for hanging out today. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a screenshot of it, post it on Facebook, Instagram, tag me on it and do hashtag marketing secrets. That way I can see it. And with that said, I'll talk to you guys all again soon. Bye everybody. Would you like to see behind the scenes of what we're actually doing each day to grow our company? If so, then go subscribe to our free behind the scenes reality TV show at www.funnelhacker.tv.