This feels important for me to share with you…

This weekend, I had a powerful realization about something that has probably effected both of us.

… It’s about being OUT-OF-ALIGNMENT, and what that does to your focus.

What are your thoughts? Please share…I would love to hear from you.

Much love,

Max

P.S. Here is the LINK to the event from this weekend. She’s amazing!!

It’s been a quick minute since I wrote my last blog for you…

… and it pains me to admit that, because writing these personal letters to you is one of the absolute favorite parts of my life.

Yet there’s a reason (like there always is in our distorted mind’s) as to why I have been so distracted from the very thing I love the most (which is sharing with you in this intimate way)…

Because in the last 30 days, we have:

• Experienced our first six-figure internet launch, generating over $110,500 in 8 days (wow…even I’m a little amazed by that one).
• Come home from our month long adventure in Maui to re-integrate into the chaos that is Los Angeles.
• Hire two new members into our amazing team (and begin to train them) while shifting around everyone else’s role to ensure each person is playing at their highest.
• Been BOMBARDED by speaking requests, partnership proposals, and coaching inquires to play with other high-level leaders (more to come on this later).
• Created ALL of the content for the Sold-Out Seminar Secrets coaching program as well as the $5,000 live event happening June 3-5 in San Diego (this is going to be mind-blowing!!).
• Led our own private Mastermind retreat for the powerful and amazing members of our Enlightened Entrepreneurs Club.
• And a whole lot more…

Geez…I get a little overwhelmed just writing all of this (haha).

So, what does this mean to you?

Well, there’s a SUPER IMPORTANT lesson in this experience that we can both learn from…and if it’s OK with you, I’m going to be totally transparent with you right now to unveil it.

Ok…..ready?

THIS IS WAY TOO MUCH STUFF TO HANDLE IN ONE MONTH!!!!

Like seriously….what was I thinking?

Every good opportunity that came up, we said YES to. Every time we were making a big decision, we went for gold. Every choice we made, we decided to play full out. You could say that we have been kicking a$$ and taking names (oh ya!).

Now I can hear you saying to yourself: “But wait a minute, that all sounds good. What’s the problem Max?”

On one hand, you’re right…this is all really good stuff. Yet I have a philosophy that I picked up from my very first coach (James Malinchak) that goes like this: “Design your business around your life, not your life around your business.”

And let me just tell you my friend that over the last month, my life has been 100% designed around my business (yuck!)….which means that I haven’t had time to do any of the things I love.

My meditation practice has been cut short. My yoga practice has suffered. I haven’t seen my friends. Heck, I barely had enough time to talk with my mom (sorry mom).

And truth be told….I’m exhausted (which is just strange for me to say because I haven’t allowed myself to get into this place….well…..ever).

You see, you can always experience more success. There will always be more opportunities. You can always take your business to the next level.

Yet you can NEVER get back your time. Ever.

So while I am EXTREMELY PROUD about what we accomplished over the last little period, I never want to let my business take over my life again….because it’s just not worth it.

And there’s such a fine line between playing full out and sacrificing yourself. And now that I’m just about on the other end of this bumpy road, here’s what I’ve learned about how to better manage situations like this in the future:

1) Before making decisions about new opportunities, step back and ask yourself the question: “Do I really have space to do this well without compromising the other parts of my life that are important?” Understand that pretty much everything you do (especially if it’s the first time) will take up to 50% longer than you expected.

2) Do you have the support and infrastructure in place to properly handle this NEW opportunity without making everyone crazy? If you don’t have enough help right up front, bring new people on-board before you begin instead of in the middle of the project. It’s a whole lot harder to get help once your train has already left the station.

3) Say NO. Being available to everyone else without taking care of yourself is a BAD move, because you can’t serve anyone if you don’t have the energy, space, or attention to do it with 100% presence and focus.

4) Discern between your fear of doing something new and your clarity that it’s too much. It’s OK to say no if you simply can’t handle the extra work, and it’s OK to say YES if you’re just afraid about stepping up.

So….after all this, I finally can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our SOLD-OUT event is next weekend, the content is about 90% complete, and our new team members have really hit the ground running (yay team awesome).

And once we’re officially on the other side of this crazy ride, I’m really excited to dive back into creating a plethora of great content and videos for you. I have learned SO MUCH about what it really takes to make BIG money by helping other people in the last few months…so I’m eager to share it with you.

Cool?

Cool…

Now it’s your turn to share.

If you’ve ever experienced a time in your life where you really had to stretch, and came out of it with some great stories, please share them below. I would love to hear your crazy tales…

Much love,

Max

… and it’s really exciting to see what we’re creating in this tropical paradise as we hold the intention to get stuff done fast and go on as many amazing adventures as we can.

If you’ve ever had the desire to do something like this, meaning to travel around the world and still make a powerful impact, I think you’ll really get a lot out of this video.

Leave a comment below with YOUR story…

AND, get ready for Sold-Out Seminar Secrets….coming to you LIVE  at the end of this week!!

Let me just start out by saying…

I DON’T WANT TO WRITE THIS POST!!!

…Because I vowed many times before that I had learned this lesson and would not repeat it again….yet apparently, I was wrong… because the Bad News Bears have come back for a repeat visit and this time, they took home the gold.

So let me just tell you now that this letter is going to be about INTUITION….and how ignoring it will cost you time, money, energy, and your sanity.

Here’s the story…

As you know, I am preparing to launch my most EXCITING and POWERFUL project yet…

…It’s called Sold-Out Seminar Secrets…and it’s a super cool step-by-step system to help you put on your own transformational live events that deeply transform people’s lives and make you six-figures in a single weekend (awesome, right?).

And just because I’m super excited about it….let me just tell you that IT’S GOING TO ROCK! (can you tell that I’m fired up?)

Seriously…if you’re into live events….this will be the most comprehensive and rich program you’ve ever seen.

And to launch this puppy…

We’ve decided to try something very different (and unique) just to shake things up…which means that you’ll get a comprehensive VIDEO course chalked full of amazing content, funny stories, and some cool extra goodies about how to put on your own powerful, profitable, and purposeful live events.

…Seriouslly, it’s going to be the coolest thing I’ve ever created for you…especially if you want to deeply impact people’s lives and have a ton of fun doing it (I just LOVE live events).

And here’s where it’s gotten sticky…

Now let me share with you that I’ve never done something like this…

… Meaning, I’ve never created a 4-part video course with all the fancy bells and whistles that’s going into these movies for you (it’s going to be sooo cool).

So like anything new, I’m failing fast, taking constant imperfect action, and making PLENTY of mistakes.

But here’s the thing…

… You and I both know the difference between diving into something new and being a little (or a lot) afraid…

Or having that feeling in your gut that you’re going down the wrong path and that you need to STOP.

You know what I mean?

Well, I ignored that little signal, trying to “make believe” that what I heard was just FEAR, even though I knew damn well that it was actually my intuition flashing the “WRONG” signal loud and clear.

So here’s what happened, specifically…

I’ve been working with a video guy who is a close friend of mine, and someone that I love dearly.

…Yet he is not someone that really GET’S what I do…meaning, we’re not in the same conversation (does that make sense?).

So even though he is SUPER-TALENTED and full of potential, we never  see eye-to-eye when it comes to translating the vision in my head into a tangible video that truly reflects the energy of what I do.

Yet I love him…so I keep sending business his way.

So now it’s time to do this campaign and I kept getting that FEELING that he wasn’t the right guy for the job….like I needed someone new.

Yet even though my intuition was sending this message loud a clear, my mind was attempting to rationalize why everything would be OK.

Does that ever happen to you?

I could actually here the conversation playing in my head: “We’ve done stuff together before. He’s a smart guy. What if he CAN do it?”

Furthermore, I noticed a little bit of resistance to “find someone new” because it would take extra energy, time, and strain (at least that’s the excuse my mind made up). Plus, there’s always a little bit of that “fear” going with someone new and finding out they just can’t deliver (vs. going with someone old who you KNOW can’t deliver….haha).

So even though my current guy wasn’t the right fit, and my intuition was screaming to go in a different direction, I decided to “play it safe” and stay with him…

…And as you can imagine, it was a disaster.

…Our shooting location got cancelled at the last second.

… He wasn’t able to get a green screen.

… No tele-prompter

… One of his extra’s accidentally dropped my laptop and it broke the screen.

… the whole experience FELT super draining and challenging

…PLUS, we didn’t get the footage we needed.

Yup…it pretty much sucked.

Sounds fun…right?

Now here’s the thing….

NONE OF THIS IS THE VIDEO GUY’S FAULT!!!

… Because it was ME who asked him to do something he had never done before…

… Because it was ME who didn’t find someone who was an expert in this area…

… Because it was ME to ignored my intuition and played it safe.

And as a result, it was ME who suffered the consequences.

So what can we learn from this?

Now this might all sound like a disaster….and it is (to a certain degree)….but there’s also A TON of good stuff that can (and will) come out of this.

1) We’re now on the hunt to find the PERFECT video guy (or girl) to help us with this campaign and we’re 1000% confident that we will find them.

2) We learned all sorts of things about how to do video the RIGHT WAY…so now, I am that much more prepared to help YOU!

3) It’s reinforce the importance of taking extra time up-front to find the right people so that you don’t have to do things again (which takes more time and energy).

4) It’s made for another great story about how important it is to TRUST your INTUITION….no matter what….period…..end of story.

Because ultimately, you always have a choice when things suck.

… You can beat yourself up, whine, complain, and suffer.

… Or you can learn, grow, and keep moving forward.

I’m gonna go with #2…

If you enjoyed this post…

Do two things:

1) Leave a comment below with a story about when you either ignored your intuition and got bit….or when you followed your intuition and it was awesome!

2) If you think they could benefit from it, share these post with your friends.

Cool….I look forward to hearing from you.

Much love,

Max

P.S. Got a GREAT video guy or girl? Please send them my way (haha)…

I just got back from an amazing event in San Diego put on by my new friend Christian Mickelsen (super cool and powerful guy).

… Kendall SummerHawk, Bill Baren, Gina Ratliffe, Arvee Robinson, Christine Kloser, and Beth Schneider…were just a few of the remarkable people in the room (these are all people you DEFINITELY want to look up and follow because they are up to some really great stuff).

The theme of this intimate private event was essentially: “How do we work together to create a better world, serve people in a greater way, and build stronger businesses in the process?” All of our favorite things….YES?

But here’s what really struck me (and it wasn’t something we even discussed during the event).

When it comes to my mission of helping entrepreneurs become more powerful leaders, make a greater impact, and create more freedom and abundance…

…ready for this?

I haven’t been doing a very good job!

And what I mean (and this is difficult to admit) is that I am constantly meeting and learning about really remarkable people who are up to some pretty fantastic things that could really benefit you…..yet I haven’t been sharing them with you.

Why?

…Because I’ve been afraid that it would “take away” from my business.

And as I sat with ” the why”, here’s what I realized…

You see, the old paradigm of business thought (which is unconsciously trying to hold on for dear life inside of me) is that we have “competition”.

Meaning, that there is not enough….which is total scarcity consciousness (yuck!).

So whenever I would connect with or find someone else who was doing something valuable, I would (unconsciously) default to the thought: “I might offer something like that one day so I better not share it with the tribe right now because it will take away from what I’m doing.”

Yet as I share this with you out loud right now, it seems totally and utterly ridiculous….right?

…Because there is not such thing as competition.

…Because I may never create that “thing” in the future.

…Because everyone is so totally different, so the product / service / energy / whatever would have a completely different impact in the first place!!

Why Am I Telling You This?

Because I’ve found that (often times) if I’m having these thoughts, you’re probably having them too….and just like what happened to me this weekend, taking them out of “the shadow” into awareness often times provides some really powerful breakthroughs.

And more importantly, this awareness helps you make different choices which leads to different outcomes.

And let’s face it, we’re all looking for things to be different these days.

So, here is my commitment to you now

Now that I’ve had this awareness, I would like to make this commitment to you: “Whenever I find someone who is doing something remarkable that could benefit you, I’m going to share them with you.”

Now with that said, let me also state some clarification points:

1. I will always dig as deep as I need to in order to make sure that they are authentic, sincere, and substantial. Essentially, I will be a very discerning filter for you (because neither of us want you to “get into bed” with some crazy yahoo).
2. I will be respectful of your time, attention, and energy. Meaning, you will only get things that are easy to digest, valuable, and clear.
3. As a cherished member of this tribe, I want to hear your thoughts and feedback. So when you check someone out, please let me know what you think and feel about them.

Are you creating relationships that benefit everyone?

Let’s also take a moment to address the business side of this conversation….because you are in fact, running a business (and hearing how I handle this will probably help you).

Some of the time, the people I share with you will have a program, service, or product. If I feel like their “thing” will really help you, I will probably sign-up as an affiliate….which means that if you buy something, I will get a “thank you” commission.

If you’re not aware, that’s called an “affiliate relationship”.

Whenever this is the case, I will tell you right up front about it so that you can make the decision for yourself to check it out or not.

But hear me loud and clear for a moment: “I WILL NEVER MAKE A DECISION FOR MONEY.”

Meaning, the only things I will ever share with you are things that I believe will help you. Period.

That said, these type of relationships can be a total WIN-WIN-WIN because you get great guidance that will really help you, my fellow teacher gets to support you in your growth and evolution, and I get some extra financial energy. Sounds pretty nice….YES?

Let’s start now!

To kick this off right, let me tell you about the man of the hour – Christian Mickelsen. Now let me start by saying that I’m not very easily impressed by people….yet this guy’s heart, presence, and generosity totally blew me away.

In my eyes, he is the PERFECT model of an Enlightened Entrepreneur.

And he’s built a million dollar business teaching coaches how to get clients….so his new product: “ Client Attraction & Money Making Mastery” gets my highest recommendation (because I got a behind-the-scenes look at it this weekend and it’s AWESOME!!!)

When you opt-in, you’ll get some really CONTENT-RICH videos that will quickly help you get more clients and make more money…especially if you’re in the coaching world.

CHECK IT OUT NOW!

Please share your thoughts

So my friend, was this post helpful? Did it shed some light on some of your own shadows? Do you agree with me? Please share as I (and everyone else in the tribe) would love to hear your words of wisdom.

And I have a feeling that this post could really help some of your friends so if you agree, feel free to share the love with others in your world.

You see, besides the fact that we lovingly generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in new income (yes, you heard that right), we also made a powerfully positive impact on the world and forever changed the lives of our participants…

Because each and every one of our Enlightened Entrepreneurs now has the skills, courage, and support to make a real difference in the world by creating a business that truly serves….

…and makes more money, creates more freedom, and has a bigger impact than ever before.

And WOW, what an experience it was.

Vishen blew people away when he showed us how to go from working from your bedroom with no employees to creating a multi-million dollar company in just a few short years.

James Roche walked people through the Entrepreneurs path and showed us how to move from the one-to-one model to an information empire.

Alexis shared her Money Map so that we could design our business around our life. And Cynthia talked about how to use giving as a vehicle for growth in our businesses.

And the entertainment…

AMAZING!!! Andrew took people through a super-fun Monkey Chant (curious aren’t you?) and Malek captivated the crowd with one of the greatest stories of all time.

And the depth – PROFOUND!!! Shule took people into a powerfully still and open space with the morning yoga and meditations while Julia Mikk used her signature Breath of Love process to unwind any fear, stress, or tension that was stuck inside.

But don’t take my word for it, check out what these people had to say about this event:

So now that are RESULTS are consistently on-point

I’m feeling very confident that I have a real formula to share with you about how to mold your business into a wealth-creating, soul-inspiring, freedom-generating machine.

And to start that conversation, here are the 3 greatest lessons that I would like to share with YOU from our last sold-out retreat:

Lesson #1: The world needs better models, not more information.

Many of the people at the retreat came up to me and said that they didn’t feel ready, prepared, or qualified enough to step into their power as an Enlightened Entrepreneur. When I dug a little deeper, it was usually because they felt like they didn’t “know enough.”

For example, have you ever said to yourself: “I can’t do ______ because I don’t have _______ degree?” Or maybe: “I couldn’t offer _____ because I don’t have the right qualification?”

Now in some cases, that might be true. But 95% of the time, I would say that those thoughts are just excuses for delaying getting started.

You see, your role is not to have all the answers (which is impossible I might add).

Your role is to be a great model…To showcase what it looks like to walk your talk, to take risks, to exemplify what’s possible. Because people aren’t buying your knowledge, they are buying YOU.

So next time you think about postponing your service because you aren’t qualified, shift your conversation to “How can I be a better model?” The answer to that question will most likely look a lot different than your previous excuse.

Lesson #2: Surround yourself with Enlightened Entrepreneurs

As usual, one of the main highlights of this event was the tribe (AKA, the people). We tend to attract the most amazing, heart-centered, visionary entrepreneurs on the planet who are always hungry to make a powerfully positive impact in the world.

And time and time again, I hear people say: “I didn’t even know that it was possible find so many amazing people in one place.”

What this says to me is that you aren’t  nearly focused enough on surrounding yourself with people that inspire and motivate you. One of my favorite quotes (because of the truth resonance) is: “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn.

So are the five people closest to you playing at their highest, striving to create a magical life, and getting GREAT results? If not, you are going to model their success and energy and stay small.

Bottom line: if you want to do big things, you must be surrounded by players that think big.

Lesson #3: Go where the energy flows

Often times, we get an idea in our head about what our business is….yet when we put that into motion, the results suck.

So then, you start working EVEN HARDER to make something happen… and all that does is make you more frustrated, irritated, and burnt-out when you still don’t get the results you want.

When instead, you should be asking yourself the question: “Where is the energy flowing right now?”

Meaning, what are my greatest opportunities to make money and utilize my gifts that I might be ignoring.

You see, so many people came to our retreat with the intention to turn their struggling business into something successful. Yet through a series of signature exercises I led, they realized that their current business was actually out-of-alignment with what they wanted to be doing most, and as a result, they actually needed a slight 15 degree shift.

And with this minor tweak, a surge of energy came rushing through and they were re-born, in an instant. In fact, I can think of over 15 people from this event who generated thousands of dollars in NEW business before we even finished once they had this shift.

So if you’ve been feeling attached to a certain path in your business and it’s just not working, ask yourself: “Where is the energy going right now?” It’s very possible that a slight change in direction could open up a floodgate of new money and impact.

And for my greatest PERSONAL breakthrough…

I have been sitting with an idea for the last few months that now feels like it’s ready to come out…because when I announced it at the event, people went CRAZY…so now I’d like your thoughts as well.

Since beginning my business career almost 8 years ago, I have probably produced over 100 LIVE events across a number of different industries (business, spirituality, personal development, entertainment, mixers, etc). So I guess you could say that I’m somewhat of an expert in this arena.

And people always tell me that they would LOVE to put on their own event, but they just don’t know how.

They don’t know where to start, how to book the venues for cheap, how to market it to the best people, how to fill them up fast, how to run it the right way, and how to ensure that the experience itself is profound.

Well, seeing as though we have completely filled up our last 4 events. generated over $650,000 in new business, and created a devoted group of fans that practically sell our events for us, I’m feeling like I could really help in this area…

So here’s what we’re thinking:

If you feel like it’s a good idea, we would like to launch a new event called: “Your Event Event (haha)”, which will be an exact, step-by-step blueprint for putting on and filling your own mega-successful live events that transform people’s lives and generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in new income for you.

How does that sound to you?

Please leave a comment below with your thoughts on the blog, and this new little idea (because if you say GO, then I’m on it!)…

If you listen to this wisdom and take steps to implement immediately, I can absolutely guarantee that your business will dramatically improve.

How do I know? Because I started working with Vishen about 4 months ago and once I implemented these energies inside of my company, we made an additional $250,000 in just a few short months.

Not bad….right?

And make sure to watch ALL THE WAY to the end because I made a very exciting announcement for you….

So here’s my question for you today: “How will YOU apply the wisdom from this video in your business?”

And remember, our next The Enlightened Entrepreneur Experience is happening February 18-21 in Corona, CA…so save the date because you won’t want to miss this.

Registration is NOT open yet so please don’t contact us about it because we are just going to ask you to wait until we launch.

…So stay on the lookout because our INTIMATE events are first-come, first-served and this one is destined to fill up immediately.

Now you might be thinking to yourself (especially if you’re a practiced traveler) “Why are you terrified about going away Max?”

And the answer is simple: because it’s a NEW experience…and ALL new experiences fall into the “un-known” category…and that’s a scary place to live.

But just like in business, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it. In fact, feeling awkward and scared is an absolute perfect sign that you’re moving in the right direction.

So in the same way that I could tell you not to be scared about taking big steps forward in your business (because I’ve done that so many times), I’m sure you could tell me not to be nervous about taking big steps forward in my travel adventures.

Right?

All that said, I made a farewell video for you with some very important questions in it that require your response….IN-JOY!

…And remember our agreement, I’ll keep giving YOU great content if you simply respond to my questions.

So wish my luck and send me love as I head off to un-known lands. I’ll check in regularly to read your answers and then I’ll create a whole bunch of GREAT new stuff for you while I’m away.

Asia…here I come.

Much love,

Max

OK….let’s shake things up here a bit.

Listen, we all know to be grateful for the good stuff like our family, friends, house, clothes, etc, so we really don’t need another reminder about that (even though we’re bound to get at least 50 of those happy happy be thankful emails).

So I wanted to talk about something a little deeper….and juicier…..and darker (oh my!).

You see, next week we have our SOLD-OUT Step Up & Lead Now Retreat and people are flying in from all over the world to attend. During this life-changing 4-day experience, I will take participants through a powerful journey to own and embrace every painful, sad, challenging, f*cked up thing that has ever happened in their past.

I know it doesn’t sound like very much fun….but there’s a very good reason for it (and it’s actually really amazing and enjoyable process when done with a room full of supportive people).

You see, the absolute GREATEST way to grow your business and become irresistibly attractive to your tribe (customers) is to tell your AUTHENTIC story in a captivating and powerful way. That means being fully willing to let out the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Because the truth is that people don’t want to learn, listen to, or follow the all-mighty leader who has been perfect since the beginning of time. Why? Because that makes us feel totally inadequate and flawed when we start comparing our own messy path to theirs (which I know we’re not supposed to do….but let’s face it, we do!).

Instead, we want someone who is real, genuine, and has the consciousness to meet us where we’re at. We want to know that they can empathize with our pain, understand our problems, and have real-world solutions to our issues.

We want someone who is willing to show more than just a bright, shiny, happy face….because that’s not what we need most of the time.

So here’s a new little twist on the giving thanks part of this holiday. This Thanksgiving, take a moment to find gratitude for all the really crazy and totally messed up things that have happened to you from this past year…

…And even if you’re still in them, know that your current circumstance is becoming the fuel for a super juicy story that will make you a stronger, better, and more respected leader some point in the near future (dare I say, even NOW!).

Can you see that?

So…to lead by example, here are my top 3 CRAZY stories from 2009 that I am ever so grateful for (even though they totally sucked at the time):

1) The TWO times my merchant accounts decided to hold money from me, resulting in over $45,000 in locked up funds (almost causing us to go under both times…ALMOST).

2) When I used copyrighted content from one of my coaches and didn’t give him proper credit, got totally busted, and then had to come to terms with the fact that I was completely out of integrity (and write a very heartfelt apology letter and took a good strong look in the mirror about how I was showing up).

3) When I went to all of the marketing seminars, learned out-of-integrity tactics, and then went on to use manipulative sales strategies to get people to buy which left me feeling slimy, out of alignment, and often resulted in refunds (or just a really bad impression that took some time to clear).

As you can see (and probably feel), these were not good moments for me. But they were necessary; because without them, I might not have had the personal experiences or drive to develop a new way of doing business and marketing that was congruent, authentic, and fully conscious.

Because for some reason, you have to experience the dark in order to step into the light….let’s face it, we are creatures of contrast.

So despite the pain and suffering these experiences caused to the people in my life, my business, and myself, I believe that they were 100% worth it because of what developed out of the ashes.

If you would like to celebrate with me, take a bold step forward and share one thing happened to you in 2009 that wasn’t pretty but gave rise to a powerful new awareness / perspective / attitude.

Be grateful for your shadows. They are often times the strongest fuel for creating a better world.

As always, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts below.

I just got back from a three-day weekend in Sedona where my good friend James Roche was getting married. And while I could go on and on about how amazing Sedona is and how beautiful the wedding was, I instead want to talk about something that is much more important to YOU.

You see, I had one of those moments on Saturday night where I thought to myself: “WOW! Life sure has changed a lot in the last 12 months.”

You ever have that thought?

Because I do a lot lately. For it was only 12 months ago that my business was totally struggling, I was working REALLY REALLY hard, I wasn’t very clear on what I was doing (or what my purpose was), and I was, well, pretty un-happy and stressed out.

But nobody really knew that because I didn’t show it. On the surface, I was bold and courageous. I was making decisions. It looked like I was “everywhere”.

And yet I wasn’t getting results, I wasn’t making any money, and I didn’t feel like I was moving forward in the right direction.

It was at my “breaking-point” that I finally decided to seek help…so with my last remaining dollars, I started attending business seminars with the big-name guru’s and began to learn the techniques and strategies that would allow me to help more people, make a greater impact, and create more wealth and abundance for myself.

Because I was ready for change, and I was 100% willing to do things differently, my life (and business) transformed very quickly. Almost overnight, I went from loosing over $4,000 per month to making $10,000, then $15,000, then $30,000, then $50,000, then $70,000 in a single month (I know, it shocked me too!).

And then, this Saturday night, I was sitting at the dinner table surrounded by many of these very same big-name guru’s that I had been studying and learning from over the last year, and all I could do is smile and laugh at how interesting and funny life really is…because now I was at the table as a peer rather than a student.

It was a very profound moment for me.

I share this very intimate personal story with you to let you know how fast your life can shift when you’re ready for it to happen. But I’ll warn you now, what you think is going to happen is NOTHING like what is really going to happen….and that’s also what makes the journey so magical and captivating.

So while I could spend a lot more time talking about what it really takes to transform, let me give you my top three bullets on what’s needed for change to happen now:

1. Embrace that what you’re doing right now isn’t working.

This is often times the most difficult step, because it’s hard to acknowledge that you are 100% responsible for your outcome (meaning that you can’t blame anyone or anything else). So you must look at your life results and become very transparent about whether or not it’s moving your vision forward.

Are you helping as many people as you want? Are you living the life you desire? Are you working too many hours? Are you making enough money? Be willing to take a real look at your results and embrace what needs to shift (because you can’t change until you are aware that a change needs to be made).

2. Embrace that you need guidance and support.

When I was struggling, I definitely thought that I could “do everything myself.” I had all answers. I knew where I was going. I was “in control.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

What a joke. Now, after hiring 5 different coaches over the last 12 months (many for $15,000 a pop), I have come to see how much easier, faster, and more enjoyable it is to find mentors that can help guide your path. There are so many people in this world who have such amazing life experiences to share with you, and those lessons can ALWAYS help you avoid making costly mistakes while getting to where you want to go faster and with more joy.

Think about it…do Olympians have coaches? Do professional athletes have coaches? Have the greatest entrepreneurs all had coaches?

The answer to all of this questions is a huge YES!!!

So instead of doing what I did (i.e. trying to do it all alone), get out of your own way and embrace that you need guidance and support…because I can guarantee you that it will make the whole ride much smoother and more enjoyable.

3) Be willing to say YES to the opportunities that show up right in front of your face

There is absolutely, positively, no possible way that I could go from loosing $80,000 last year to generating over $500,000 this year unless I had gotten out of my own way and said YES to the opportunities that showed up.

This year alone, I have gone to over 12 different business events, joined 5 different coaching programs, been in 3 different mastermind groups, purchased 15 different information products, and spent hundreds of hours in the learning environment. Did I have the money to invest in all of these programs before they began?

I didn’t then….but I do now….because I said YES to every opportunity that felt like it was in alignment with my path.

I know that it’s scary to step forward when you don’t see the net. I know that it’s challenging to trust that everything will work out for the better. I know that you don’t know HOW you’re going to get to where you want to go.

And as Jack Canfield always says: “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

Besides, you’re still here now, aren’t you? It’s always so easy to get caught up in what could happen in the future without realizing that you’ve been through some pretty crazy sh*t in the past…YES? And correct me if I’m wrong but you’re here right now, reading this letter…so everything must be OK…right?

So that’s my story. I hoped it’s moved you to try something new. If you resonate with my words, I invite you to check out our upcoming retreat that truly merges consciousness and business. Go HERE now for the details.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts….so please leave a comment below.

Much love,

Max