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Tag: video

  • How I Got Monetized On YouTube

    How I Got Monetized On YouTube

    If you’re even halfway interested in being a full time content creator, this is one of the most valuable lessons you can learn.

    Here’s why:

    This is a lifetime view of my subscriber count. You can see that it started way back in 2015. I uploaded some videos here and there in 2017 which explains the very slow uptick in subscribers that continued through 2022.

    Then, in 2023 (which is circled in purple), you can see that I started uploading videos that were getting me some new subscribers.

    But a couple months ago things went bonkers (circled in green).

    What caused that “number go to the moon” effect?

    That’s what the video is all about.

  • Defeating the world’s #1 Fear in 22 minutes.

    Defeating the world’s #1 Fear in 22 minutes.

    Being successful boils down to doing stuff that most people will never do.

    Top of the list?

    Public speaking.

    (and I consider it public speaking if you’re talking to your work team of 4 people.)

    Because the ability to present your ideas to an audience is a super power.

    But most people would rather crawl in a hole than stand in front of the smallest crowd; let alone 3,000 people in a theater (or millions online).

    My Journey

    Most people think I’m a born presenter who feeds on the live energy in the room.

    Nope.

    I’m hugely introverted.

    I was absolutely terrified at the thought of being in front of a group of people.

    But I decided to learn how to get over it, and now I perform in front of thousands of people at a time (and I make videos that are seen by 15,000+ people!).

    Instead of keeping all this sauce to myself, I wanted to walk you through the tips, tricks, and techniques that have served me well for high stake situations (like when I went out for America’s Got Talent in from of Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B, and Howie Mandel).

    Hope you find it useful!

    Best thoughts,
    ~Jonathan

    PS: Oh, and there’s one technique I DO NOT RECOMMEND.

  • Word Problems Made WAY Easier

    Word Problems Made WAY Easier

    Math was probably my least favorite subject in school.

    At the same time, there was one area that everyone else had trouble with that was easy for me: word problems.

    When I could talk through the situation, everything made sense.

    Flash forward decades later and now I can use that advantage in my business life.

    Business is all about sustainable services or products.

    Sustainable, in this case, means profitable.

    Is this going to make me more money than it takes for me to make it happen?

    That’s it.

    That’s the one formula to rule them all.

    Sometimes, in order to find that answer, you have to do some complex math.

    Example?

    What’s the ROI on my PPC campaign?

    Well. To figure that out, you have to know your budget, the cost per click, the conversion rate of your website, your sales close rate, and the lifetime value of your average client.

    Now you’re working with division & multiplication of percentages.

    Good luck doing that with a calculator.

    So you might use Excel or Google Sheets.

    I won’t.

    I mean, I have, but now I don’t need to.

    Not since I discovered this Obsidian plug-in, and that’s what the video’s all about.

    Enjoy!

  • The Single Most Effective Strategy I Use

    The Single Most Effective Strategy I Use

    This is the approach I’ve used to:

    • Write several books
    • Create online courses
    • Script many 70 minute shows
    • Architect email drip campaigns
    • Do lots of other stuff I can’t think of now

    See, I consider myself a divergent thinker. Every idea I have can connect with 11 other ideas. Pretty soon I have a tangled web of potential topics that may or may not make sense to anyone who is reading this garbled mess.

    How do I pick what to include? What to cut? What to talk about first? What goes next?

    I can’t write it all out and then make those choices.

    I also can’t make choices about something that only exists in my head.

    There has to be some compromise. Some better way.

    There is. And it’s called “mind mapping.”

    It’s a way of making visual connections between ideas, and I couldn’t be a creator without it.

    Obsidian makes this possible, AND it does it with every single note on hand.

    This is the most powerful feature of Obsidian, in my book.

    I don’t need to use one program for mind mapping & another program for taking notes.

    With Obsidian, it’s all in one place. I’m in the same place to capture ideas, organize them, then fill them out into written form.

    That’s why mind mapping with Obsidian is the heart of my approach to writing books, scripting videos, and anything else that uses words.

    If you’ve ever wondered what my “secret” to being so prolific is, this is it.

    And I put a lot of it into this weeks video.

    So, go give it a watch, and give it a like if you find it useful at all.

    Best thoughts,
    ~Jonathan

  • Personal Branding: You’re Probably Doing It Wrong

    Personal Branding: You’re Probably Doing It Wrong

    Personal branding sounds like one of those smarmy buzz words until you really think about what it means.

    Unfortunately, too many people stop at “this is probably something that a self-important jerk would care about.”

    But, if its done right, personal branding can bring you massive opportunities, help you stand out in a field of overly qualified applicants, and a LOT more.

    In this week’s video I take you on a journey through my own history of branding (hello Jonny Zavant!), and what it has done for me.

    If you think that personal branding is something that only insufferable idiots do, I’d urge you to watch this one all the way through.

    Best thoughts,
    ~Jonathan

  • Obsidian Properties: New Update Is Great

    Obsidian Properties: New Update Is Great

    Obsidian recently released an incredible update that makes YML, frontmatter, and metadata easier to use. . . IF you don’t screw it up like I did!

    I’m not fond of using scripts & code (this is a major reason why I love Obsidian; you don’t need to use it!), but now I can have my cake and eat it too. I can use file properties to open up a whole new way of organizing my database, and I wanted to make this video for anyone else who might be like me & have avoided YML due to it’s heavy learning curve.

    Hope you enjoy!

  • Trade Show University Podcast Appearance

    Trade Show University Podcast Appearance

    Recently I had the opportunity to be a guest on the Trade Show University Podcast where I got to explain how I help companies get 2-5x as many qualified leads from their next trade show exhibit.

    We get into how it all started, how it works, why I believe it’s one of the best ways to make the world a better place, and more.

    This is my back-up / archive of the conversation.

    Hope you enjoy.

  • Carnie Folk

    Carnie Folk

    When I turned 13 I learned how to juggle fire.

    When I turned 15 I learned how to hammer nails up my nose.

    When I turned 18 I learned how to eat fire.

    Those skills were the foundation of my performing career.

    That’s why I have a special place in my heart for people who do bizarre things for a payday.

    This week I got to watch David “The Bullet” Smith get shot out of a cannon, through an attraction, and land in a small net at the NC state fair in Asheville, NC.

    And I got it all on camera!

  • Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Something Different

    Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Something Different

    I’m 40 now, and almost all of those years have been spent playing one Mario game or another.

    They’ve always been interesting, delightful, and creative; that’s why I’m so fascinated by an upcoming release.

    It looks even more incredible than usual, which is hard to do.

    So how’d they do it?

    That’s what the video is about.

  • Quick Detour While On Tour: Beautiful Sculpture

    Quick Detour While On Tour: Beautiful Sculpture

    I had an afternoon to spend while in Cheyenne Wyoming, and I decided to take a walk through the capitol building.

    Inside I found 4 amazing sculptures with an interesting story behind them.

    Enjoy!