The Age of Swipe & Steal is beheaded, its body burned, its mouth stuffed with garlic & the ground around it salted

Behold a story of hair-raising proportions for vultures always scrounging for "swipes". Here's the rub-down: One of my longest business-related business friendships is with a marketer, copywriter, and public speaker I’ve personally learned much from over the years. He has built an extremely successful business, has probably the biggest list of “Who’s Who” clients in the entire internet marketing industry and is, overall, someone I have enormous respect for. And, to pay Your Pal and Humble Narrator homage a few years ago, he blatantly used one of my most popular and longest-running subject lines in an email to promote his podcast. Being on his list, I received this email the day he sent it. And, my first thought was: “Uh-oh…” Not because he used my subject line. I have enough respect and knowledge of him to know what he was trying to do (he wanted to promote me, which he did in the podcast, not steal from me — I want to be 100% clear he did nothing wrong). But because I knew — the second I saw it — the fallout would not be pleasant for him, since our lists overlap to the tune of well over a thousand email subscribers. And, right on cue: I got a bunch of people forwarding his email to me. Each essentially asking: “WTF! He is stealing your subject line!” … along with how they lost a lot of respect for him, and some other things that did not bode well for my friend. And this was even so despite the fact he was promoting an episode of his podcast in that email which paid homage to me about that very subject line! i.e. That’s why he used it. Not to be lazy or steal. So again, his intentions were 100% noble. And he did nothing “wrong” at all. He was trying to promote me, as friends do for each other at times — and as I have done for him, and will continue to when it is relevant, as, again, he’s one of my oldest pals up in this business. But, he did not mention me or anything about the subject line not being his anywhere in his email. Thus, he was subject to the reactions, whims, and assumptions of thousands of people who would never know the truth, because they would never listen to the episode anyway. And even if they were normally going to listen to his show, they decided on the spot not to, on the strength of that one goof-up, which prompted them to lose respect for him. Anyway, long story even longer? He felt horrible about it. And he did the best damage-control job he could, by sending another email out immediately clarifying what he was doing. Which, ironically, only prompted more people to forward that email to me, and make comments like: “I used to like his stuff, but now I wonder…” And other assorted comments, despite me telling them what was going on. Plus, the reality of the internet is, for every one person you hear from about any particular matter (good or bad), there are often 5, 10, 15, 50, 100, or more people thinking the same thing but who never mention it. And lest you think this is relegated to just this one instance, think again. Around that same time another one of my biggest fans got nailed for doing the same thing, and for far less of a swipe. In fact, he didn’t even “swipe” at all. It’s simply that he sounded too much like me (still finding his voice, probably) and suffered the same fate. With my friend, who had been established for two decades, it was not much of a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But for these newer young un’s who think trying to “sound” like me or anyone else is a good idea? They are destroying their businesses before they even begin. All of which brings me to the point: How has your long-winded story-teller built up this kind of loyal fanbase, this kind of instantly-recognized brand, and this kind of rock-solid positioning where even some of my sworn enemy trolls will sometimes call out people they see copying me? The answer to this question is both simple and complex. And a small thinker would assume it’s because of my writing style, or because I inject my personality into all my emails, or because I try to write emails that make people think and not just emotionally react, or something else “mechanical” they can can, clone, and deploy. And they’d be wrong. Those are a part of the madness behind the method. But a wiser, deeper-thinking guy or ghoul will know it goes way beyond that. And, such wiser, deep-thinking guys and ghouls who make up those who possess Dan Kennedy’s magnificent “7-Figure Academy” course I’m selling as an affiliate (see below) know it as one of the very few lessons he said he learned totally indirectly from Gary Halbert after watching him shoo someone off the stage during a $7k hot seat the guy paid for. This ONE lesson alone will introduce those wise enough to buy the course by the deadline to a whole new world of thinking, marketing, selling, business-building, publishing, freelancing (if’n you freelance), copywriting, email strategy, and (dare I say it?) existing. One where sales can potentially come to you with far less effort and work. Where trolls attack you with far more gloriously spiteful ankle-biting. And, where new customers & clients might just flow to your business in far greater numbers over time than you ever imagined possible. I am talking about a business world whose laws are not governed by outdated lazy reliance on swiping, but by the irresistibly (and, at the same time, repulsively) attractive business-growing lesson Dan talks about he learned from Gary Halbert many years ago, but that is one of the big secrets of all multi-million dollar brands and businesses. But, a word of warning, my fine feathered golden pigeon: Following this lesson will almost certainly be uncomfortable. Maybe even intolerably uncomfortable. I personally don’t like doing it much — and would rather not. But it’s like Gary told Dan (who also doesn’t like doing it) when they discussed it: “…it doesn’t matter whether you like it or not, it’s completely irrelevant. The question is how much money do you want?” Indeed. And in my opinion: This is not only the best way to grow your business — especially with email — in this day and age of social media chest-pounding, market over-saturation of free information, and overheated market places packed with copycat competition… but also to do right by your customers, keep your market from falling for bull shyt, and growing a business that is nearly impervious to being knocked off… with an audience and fan following that are intensely loyal to you in ways few — if any — of your competitors or colleagues will ever experience. A tall order, you say? Of course it is. But I don’t deal in short orders. And 7-Figure Academy sure as hades doesn’t. It’s all big thinking, big strategy, and big ideas. (Very little of it is tactics or tricks or whatever) As with everything I sell: If you hate long-term business planning, if you hate hard work, and if you hate any kind of insistence you think & implement instead of can & clone, then 7-Figure Academy will be a huge disappointment to you. And so it goes around here. If you want in, and at a discount just for my boys & ghouls, here’s what to do: 1. Buy the course with my affiliate link below by tomorrow Friday, March 10 at midnight EST. 2. Forward me your receipt by that deadline (you must send it BY the deadline to get it) You’ll get immediate access to the course, and I’ll send you the nearly 2 hour bonus about how I’ve been using the info for almost 6 years now to not only go from six to seven figures, but how I still use the info in my business ventures today. NOTE: you’ll need a smart phone to access the bonus. No exceptions. All right, here’s the link: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com/se7en]( Ben Settle P.S. This course is not intended for newbies, amateurs, or goo-roo fanboys playing business on social media all day. Nothing I sell is. But that goes triple for this course. It’s not called “4-Figure Academy”, “5-Figure Academy”, or even “6-Figure Academy.” It’s called “7-Figure Academy” for a reason. It requires a lot of deep thinking, introspection, & hard work to implement. It’s short on checklists or tactics. And is long on strategies and big ideas. There’s a reason why Dan Kennedy is called The Millionaire Maker. And this course illustrates that reason as well as anything I’ve ever seen. 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. 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