How an “honorary” Chicago mob wise guy created one of the most influential pieces of content in history

One of the more fascinating bios I read this year is called: “The Earl Nightingale Story” About (in case this isn’t obvious) Earl Nightingale. I had zero idea how fascinating and interesting this guy was until reading this book. He was far more than just the sort of father-figure and founder of modern info publishing as we know it. He was also a brawler with violent anger issues & PTSD. He was in constant pain from adult onset gigantism (applying his own teachings about having a good attitude to stay sane despite the constant pain)… And was all but an “honorary” mafia wise guy from what I can tell. For example: When a kidnapping attempt was made on his kids, he got a mysterious phone call from the head of the Chicago mob telling him it would be “taken care of” if that tells you something… and often met with the guy at his home, played pool with him, they knew his kids, and one of the guy's body guards even got one of Earl's daughters out of some serious trouble once… Extremely fascinating guy to say the least. He was also the “founding father” of modern content creation in many ways. Here’s what I mean: One of the businesses Earl owned early in his career was an insurance agency. And he had a knack for inspiring his sales people in his talks to them, which he held every week or so to keep them motivated and selling. But, one time, he was in a hurry about to go on vacation and couldn’t do the meeting. So, instead, he recorded an 11-minute talk for them. And then went with his family on a boat. Totally out of communication for a few months. During that time he was gone, his team listened to the recording, were absolutely blown away by it… and suddenly, someone said something to someone somewhere… and that person said something to someone... and then, eventually, everyone wanted to listen to it - with people calling the Chicago radio station Earl worked at for it, constantly pestering his secretary about it. This was before it was cheap to make info products. I can’t remember the exact numbers. But Earl’s secretary had to make an executive decision (that she thought Earl would possibly fire her for when he found out) to have something like ten thousand cassettes of his talk duplicated, which was probably the minimum order. No print-on-demand-like options back in them days. The result? The #1 selling spoken word album in history at the time. And all with zero advertising, marketing, internet, social media. Just pure word of mouth. When Earl came back to the Florida pier to dock his boat after being out of communication for a few months, he saw a bunch of reporters and a huge crowed waiting for him and, assuming he was being arrested for some reason, offered to turn himself in! Crazy times to say the least. (And that ain't even the most interesting part of this bio) This 11-minute recording Earl dashed out literally created an entire genre. Franky, if you are an independent content creator you can at least partially thank Earl Nightingale for paving the way, as nobody was doing this sort of thing before then, or even knew you could do it, or even thought it was worth doing, or would be something people would buy. Some more fun facts about this short bit of content that changed the world: * Had absolute crap “production values” — like scratches, pops, and no retakes, just quickly batted out, almost as an afterthought * Zero marketing or fanfare — all word-of-mouth * Created “off the cuff” — no planning or plotting it out, total stream of conscious Today's snobby content creators would surely balk if they heard it. And yet how many millions of lives did that recording change — either directly, or via the endless number of other training Earl created afterwards because of it, not to mention all the people he influenced, and the people those guys then influenced…? We’ll never know. Point is this: You just never know what content is going to change your entire business. In my own business, it’s very often the content I put the LEAST amount of thought into, just do it off-the-cuff, and sometimes even forgetting about it, that tends to be the most valuable, most profitable, and most “viral” (amongst my boys & ghouls at least). This is why the content game is won by speed & volume. I’m not saying to create crap or half ass anything. But it’s like I write in my Breakneck Content book for content creators: (which will be on sale next month) “To make more money than you do now, simply create more content than you do now, faster than you do now.” And then get it out there. Like tentacles probing and invading the marketplace. So simple. So easy. So pleasant… if you know what you’re doing. And yes, I said “pleasant.” If you understand how to approach content — especially the way I teach it in the October Email Players issue — creating and selling content does not have to be some droning chore you hate and avoid. It can be a fun, exciting adventure you look forward to... and then enjoy even more when you see the proceeds rolling in from such content, the lives changed, the way people thank you for selling it to the because of the way it solved whatever problem for them that your product is designed to help with. As for the October Email Players issue? It can be especially valuable info for content creators in my biased opinion.. Or, really, if you use content in any way, shape, or form in your business. (Whether you sell it, sell with it, or use it for premiums, bonuses, whatever) Today’s the deadline to get in on time though. When I send the list in to the printer in a bit, that’ll be it. So if you want in, best hop to it: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com]( Ben Settle P.S. I’m also including an extremely valuable bonus with the October issue: “How To Use World-Building & Sociological Marketing To Become A Niche Unto Yourself” Here’s the scoop: Since I have been getting a lot of questions about the last two issues (about World-Building and Sociological Marketing) from Email Players subscribers & BizWorld readers… I wanted to keep the discussion going in this 12-page bonus, which was recorded as an interview for Email Players subscriber Ray Brehm’s private customers. These ideas are not directly related to the content creation approach inside the October issue. And yet, if you take that kind of content and rapidly implement it within a World you create around your business your audience loves being in and doesn’t want to leave, it’s almost like 2 + 2 doesn’t equal 4 but more like equals 4,000. Here are some highlights inside this bonus I’m sending with the October issue: * The “racist” policy I strictly adhere to in my World-Building that makes liberals squirm while drinking their pumpkin spice lattes safely behind their homogeneous gated communities. * How to sell offers to your list that 99% of the people on it couldn’t care less about buying much less using. * The powerful World-Building secret of a small retail shop owner I know who has everyone from street prostitutes to Hollywood A-list actors and actresses (and their stylists) clamoring to buy from her, wanting to hang out at her store, and telling her all their problems. * The #1 biography I suggest to business people that I use for getting the best ideas for my own business World-Building endeavors. * Why chasing money, metrics, and algorithms like a chicken with its head cut off is probably the single worst way of doing business ever invented by all of goo-roo-dom. * A “litmus test” for knowing if you’re doing World-building correctly just by the kind of questions your leads and customers ask you. * A cunning way for helping to make sure your business’s audience has lots of fun buying your offers, consuming your information, and dealing with you day in, and day out. (People tend to love to buy from businesses that make buying fun… and this is one surefire trick for doing just that, which probably anyone can do.) * Advice (none of them ever wants to hear, but too bad) to marketers who want to have an email or other kind of writing-centric business but have trouble motivating themselves to write. * A government-sponsored TV show that is probably the single best “template” for having a successful Sociologically-driven business within a World people love to enter and hate to leave. * How I choose who to JV with and who I won’t JV with. (I’ve turned down JVs with good friends as well as have done JVs with business people in my niche that are despised… and the reason has absolutely nothing to do with money, brand, reputation, or even the offer. It’s all centered around servicing my Sociologically-build World in my business.) * Why I turn down appearing on probably 9 out of 10 “online summits” I am invited to speak on — even those run by people I know, like, trust, and would otherwise like to do business with. To get this you’ll have to subscribe before the October issue deadline. Here’s the link: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com]( This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2023 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA