https://www.masterplan4success.com/

MasterPlan4Success, Princeton, IN (2026)

12/30/2025

I go to the gym three mornings a week around 6 AM.

The same five or six of us nod at each other as we complete our sets ... because who wants to have a conversation when you've not had your first cup of coffee yet.

January 2nd that'll change.

Folks I've never seen step foot into the Y will be suddenly committed to getting fit.

But give it two weeks ... likely less.

I'll no longer have to wait my turn for the bench press or free weights.

The new people will vanish like they were never there.

Same thing happens with goals every single year.

Everyone gets excited. They buy the planner or sign up for the course or join the mastermind.

Then two weeks pass and the excitement wears off and they're back to doing exactly what they were doing before.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀?

What if it's something running in the background of your brain that keeps pulling you back to your old patterns no matter how motivated you feel?

Over the holidays, I read a book called 𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 by Jim Murphy.

Murphy talks about ten foundational beliefs - he calls them "empowering presuppositions," which sounds academic but really just means "the core assumptions your brain operates from."

These aren't things you consciously think about.

They're the invisible rules running in the background. The thermostat that keeps your life at a certain temperature whether you like it or not.

You can read all 10 of them here: https://hittheinbox.email/post/why-your-brain-sabotages-your-goals

Number nine is the one that got me.

"There's no failure, only feedback."

Because in 2026, I'm going to try things that make me feel awkward. Like recording more videos, which I've been avoiding because I hate feeling like I'm talking to myself.

I'm going to mess up. Probably a lot.

But I'm done calling it failure. It's just feedback. Data I can use to get better.

That one shift changes how I approach everything.

I'm genuinely curious ... which of the 10 resonated the most with you and why?

Comment below or send me a DM and tell me.

12/23/2025

Many entrepreneurs think the 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 are killing their sales right now.

Sure, people are distracted by holiday parties, family chaos, and last-minute shopping.

But ...

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗟𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀...𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀.

Behavioral scientists call it "present focus bias" - and it's the reason people choose $100 today over $110 next week.

The brain HATES waiting for rewards.

So if you're selling insurance, retirement planning, education, weight loss, or anything that doesn't pay off immediately, you're fighting two battles:

1️⃣ Holiday distraction (temporary)

2️⃣ Present focus bias (permanent)

There's a strategy, though, that can overcome BOTH obstacles...

Stop talking about future benefits and start making people FEEL those benefits RIGHT NOW.

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁:

👉 Mass Mutual doesn't say "save for retirement." They ask: "You control your money now. Do you want retirement to change that?" (Ouch. I can feel that loss TODAY.)

👉 Southern New Hampshire University shows graduation footage and asks: "Can you picture yourself on stage?" (Now I'm not thinking about 4 years of classes. I'm feeling that graduation moment RIGHT NOW.)

👉 Ally Bank states: "We asked future you if you wanted more money. You said yes." (They just made future me real. And present me wants to help him out.)

See how they brought the future reward into the present moment?

If you're sending any promo emails between now and the new year, pick ONE email and rewrite it so people can picture, feel, or imagine themselves enjoying your product TODAY.

Not in 6 months. Not after the holidays.

𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗪.

January won't magically fix this problem. Present focus bias doesn't take a vacation.

Because if someone can't picture themselves using your product, they won't buy it.

Not during the holidays.

Not ever.

12/16/2025

I attended my first high school wrestling match Friday night.

Ryan, my CEO mentee, competes in the 157 weight class. I knew it would mean a lot for him to see me in the stands.

The 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 thing I knew going in was how the weight classes work.

Ryan's lean, quick, and technical. He only wrestles other guys in his weight class.

They don't throw him on the mat with some 285-pound heavyweight and wish him luck. Weight classes exist for a reason.

Most email marketers do the exact opposite.

They send the exact same message to everyone on their list.

👎 Brand new subscribers who just opted in yesterday get the same email as loyal readers who've been around for years.

👎 People who bought something last month get the same pitch as people who signed up for your freebie eight months ago and haven't clicked anything since.

It's like putting Ryan on the mat with a heavyweight and expecting him to win.

When you segment your list and match your message to where people actually are, everything changes.

New subscribers need trust-building. Engaged readers want value mixed with soft pitches. Recent buyers are primed for upsells.

Cold contacts who haven't clicked anything since they opted in need to be re-engaged... or cut loose.

Segment right, win more.

Just like Ryan.

12/09/2025

Your free lead magnet strategy is broken.

And you probably don't even realize it.

Everyone's giving away PDFs and checklists to build their lists. Then they wonder why their subscribers never buy anything.

Here's the problem ... Free stuff attracts people who only want FREE stuff.

Amy Porterfield figured this out. She's built a $120M business over 16 years, so maybe she's worth listening to.

Instead of boring lead magnets...

She runs live 2-hour trainings. She picks ONE problem her audience struggles with and solves it for them.

Although she could offer it for free, she charges a measly $27-$47 for it.

"Won't fewer people sign up?" you're probably thinking.

Yes. That's the point.

You filter out freebie seekers and attract actual buyers. People who open emails and purchase your offers.

So before January hits, ask yourself: What's ONE problem you could solve in a 2-hour training?

Then charge for it.

Watch your list quality skyrocket.

P.S. I'm opening 6 spots in my new Inbox Profits Inner Circle in January. We'll cover how to actually monetize your list instead of just growing it. If you're tired of having subscribers who never buy ... DM me and let's see if this program is a fit for you.

12/02/2025

People will throw down over ANYTHING. Even when there's zero chance of being right.

A survey of 4,000 Americans gave a glimpse into some of the tension that surfaces around the Thankgiving feast.

One family got into a screaming match over who Prince winked at during a concert in the 80s.

Another got into a squabble over a broken vase from 35 years ago.

It's no different in the marketing world. Gurus will argue over the silliest things.

Like with email length.

One side swears SHORT is the only way. "Three sentences or they're gone!"

The other camp demands you go LONG. "Tell the whole story or don't bother!"

Both act like they've cracked the code.

Studies show 5 to 125 words get the most opens and clicks.

People are slammed. They skim. They want it fast.

But some audiences will read every single word of a 2,000-word email and beg for more.

Mobile is where it gets brutal.

That "short" email you wrote on your laptop turns into a novel on mobile. Your buy button gets buried deeper than Jimmy Hoffa.

Mobile users scroll like they're on TikTok. Fast. Ruthless. Two seconds to decide if you're worth their time.

So what actually works?

Test both. Run short vs long. Watch your click-through rates. Check how far people scroll before they bail.

Then do more of what wins.

Stop overthinking it.

Write what converts.

And if some guru wants to argue about word counts ... let them fight over imaginary Prince winks while you count your money.

Check out the wild findings about Thanksgiving feuds here: https://www.casino.ca/thanksgiving-family-feud-map/

11/25/2025

What if there was a better way to write your Black Friday/Cyber Monday emails?

Researchers at the B.I. Norwegian School of Business just discovered something fascinating. 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 outperformed declarative sentences by 140%.

While most marketers stick with "Black Friday Sale Inside!" you could be testing a completely different approach.

Think about what happens in your brain when you read these two options:

"𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘦 50% 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘥."

"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳?"

You might care about getting half-off, you might not.

But with the second one, your brain automatically starts calculating. You can't help yourself.

Most holiday emails ask yes/no questions that give customers an easy out. "Ready for Black Friday deals?" gives them permission to say no.

Smart marketers ask questions that force engagement.

E-commerce owners: "Which family member is hardest to shop for?"

Coaches: "What's the one goal you want to crush before 2026?"

Consultants: "How much revenue are you leaving on the table this Q4?"

Course creators: "What skill would change everything for you in 2026?"

Your customers are already thinking about holiday spending. They're already planning for next year.

Your questions tap directly into those existing thoughts.

Try this in your Thanksgiving gratitude emails. Test it in your Black Friday campaigns. Use it in your Cyber Monday follow-ups.

Each question pulls them deeper into buying mode.

The Norwegian researchers proved it works. Holiday emotions make it even more powerful.

What if your next email started with a question instead of an announcement?

Your customers won't be able to help themselves.

P.S. Speaking of questions - are you ready to turn email into your most reliable revenue channel? I'm opening enrollment for a select group of 6 people in my new 𝗜𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲 program.

This isn't for everyone - I only work with serious business owners who are ready to implement expert guidance and see real results. If you'd like to learn more, send me a DM and we'll set up a quick call to see if you're a fit.

11/18/2025

𝟯𝟬𝗞 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝟮 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆

You're attending a party and someone offers you the most incredible-looking slice of chocolate cake you've ever seen.

You take one bite.

Rich chocolate melts across your tongue... followed by this perfect hint of sea salt that makes your eyes roll back.

But then... they take the plate away.

"Want more? You'll have to come to my bakery tomorrow."

Annoying? Maybe.

But are you going to that bakery? You'd probably camp out front if you had to.

This is exactly what Sophie Miller did to grow her email list from zero to 30,000 subscribers in just two years.

I caught her presentation at a recent conference, and I couldn't stop thinking about how simple yet brilliant it was.

Here's how it works:

Every Friday on LinkedIn (where she has 200K+ followers), Sophie posts marketing insights. But she only gives PART of the story.

She'll share 3-4 key points about a new Instagram algorithm change or TikTok trend. Enough to be genuinely helpful. Enough to make you think "this girl knows her stuff."

But not enough to satisfy your curiosity completely.

Then, at the end of her post, she makes her invite - "Want the full analysis? Get it in my Thursday newsletter."

It's psychological genius.

She's not withholding value to be a jerk. She's giving you a taste that makes you crave the whole meal.

As a result, her email newsletter gets 20,000 readers every single week. And 500 of those readers became paying members of her community.

Here's how you can steal this strategy:

🌐 Pick your best content platform (where your audience hangs out)

💡 Share 60-70% of your insight - enough to be helpful, not enough to be complete

🤔 Save the "so what does this mean for YOU or YOUR business?" part for your email

🗞️ End with a simple call-to-action pointing to your newsletter

The beauty is you're building trust with EVERYONE who sees your content, not just your subscribers. But you're giving your email community the VIP treatment.

Sophie calls it her "bite of cake" strategy.

I call it brilliant.

What's your best insight this week that you could turn into a "bite of cake" post?

11/11/2025

Think about the last 10 emails you opened today.

How many of them actually asked you to 𝘋𝘖 something?

Not just "click here to buy" ... but something that made you think, engage, and participate?

I'm betting it was maybe one. Or zero.

Here's the thing...

91% of people actually WANT interactive content in their emails. They want to click, vote, rate things, and participate.

Yet only 17% of businesses are actually doing it, according to Litmus.

Which means there's a massive opportunity just sitting there.

𝗦𝗼 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 When You Start Making Your Emails Interactive?

First, your emails land in inboxes.

When people click polls, rate products, or engage with your content, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Yahoo see that engagement. They think "people actually WANT this stuff" and move your emails to the primary inbox.

No more promotions tab. No more spam folder.

But here's where it gets interesting...

Interactive emails don't just get better delivery. They literally tell you what to sell.

🤩 When someone rates your service 5 stars ... they're ready to give you a killer testimonial (and primed for your next offer).

🛒 When they add something to their cart from your email ... they're ready to buy NOW.

📝 When they complete a quick survey about their biggest challenge ... you know exactly what product to pitch them next.

It's like having a direct line to your market's wallet.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸:

Pick ONE of these and add it to your next email:

• 5-star rating system - "How would you rate yesterday's training?"
• Add to cart button - Let them buy without leaving their inbox
• Quick survey - "What's your #1 challenge?" with 3 clickable options
• Countdown timer - Add urgency to any offer or deadline
• Spin wheel - "Spin for your discount" (link to landing page)
• Simple quiz - "Are you a beginner or advanced?" for better segmentation

Most email platforms have these features built-in. You just need to activate and USE them.

Pick one. Add it to your email going out this week.

Watch what happens to your clicks. And your sales.

Because when your subscribers participate ... they buy.

10/28/2025

I read a story about a guy named Roger who hung wallpaper for a living.

Roger was always happy. Bouncing around worksites, singing under his breath, annoying everyone with his relentless positivity.

Someone finally asked him what he'd do if he could do anything in the world.

Without hesitation, he exclaimed, "I would go to Hawaii ... and hang wallpaper!"

"But you'd be stuck inside looking at wallpaper all day. How would you even know you were in Hawaii?" his friend protested.

Roger's response said everything: "But I would be 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙞."

Roger found joy in his work because he understood something most people miss. When you love what you do, everything changes.

I find my joy working with clients like Tanner who see email as a revenue engine that funds their goals and dreams - not as another evil task on their to-do list.

Six weeks ago, she came to me with a domain reputation so bad that Google buried her emails in spam folders.

Tanner understood the investment of time, effort, and money she would have to make. And she knew it would pay off.

She happily followed my guidance. Every single suggestion I made, she implemented immediately. No pushback and no excuses.

Then something incredible happened on day 28.

Google upgraded her domain reputation from low to medium - a transformation that typically takes months, not weeks. Her engagement rates started climbing steadily. More emails were landing in inboxes.

Last week, I analyzed her daily emails and gave her detailed feedback on content strategy.

Her response tells you everything about why she's succeeding:

"Hey Scott, this is super helpful. I love these ideas for mixing up the content. I can definitely see how keeping things too similar might cause people to tune out.

"I'm excited to try some of these suggestions and see how they perform. Thanks for digging into this and providing such actionable feedback."

Can you see why I'm exhilarated to work with clients like Tanner?

If you're serious about optimizing your email revenue before year-end, or if you know someone who is, I've opened 2 spots for private clients between now and December. My DM's are open.

10/21/2025

Last week was an incredible week at the LevelUp Summit in Dallas.

And man... they weren't kidding about the "level up" part.

After visiting Dealey Plaza where JFK was shot, I went to grab some food when I stumbled across this massive sculpture called "The Eye."

It's literally a 30-foot eyeball just sitting there. Staring at you.

Felt oddly fitting for a week that was all about seeing things differently.

Throughout the event, we heard from Jesse Itzler, Nick Santonastasso, Billy Gene, and other incredible speakers. All challenging us to step up our game.

Billy dropped this truth bomb: "𝘐𝘯 2025, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 ... 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯-𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴."

Here's my email marketing version:

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁 ... 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻-𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀.

When you consistently show up ...

When you provide value (like using the story framework Nick taught) ...

When you monitor the metrics and manage it like an investment portfolio ...

The more money you make.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗔𝗡'𝗧 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 ... 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲?

10/16/2025

"Class clown."

Those two words on Barry Walton's third-grade report card haunted him for decades.

He thought it was a compliment. Until that moment he had to watch all his friends move on to fourth grade without him.

He failed third grade. Had to repeat it. And he let that failure define him for far too long.

Maybe you've got your own story. That moment from childhood that still makes your stomach turn when you think about it.

The one that planted seeds of doubt that grew into a forest of fear.

But Barry turned that same failure into rocket fuel for his success.

Today, he's an Emmy Award-winning producer who's created content for NatGeo, Animal Planet, the NBA, and NHL.

His path from failing student to business success wasn't easy. But it taught him crucial lessons about turning pain into power:

There's a massive difference between supporters and enablers. One pushes you forward, the other holds you back.

Your "why" matters more than your "what." When you lose sight of purpose, even success feels empty.

You must face your "abyss moments" alone. That's where transformation happens.

In this raw and real episode of From the Trenches, Barry shares exactly how he turned his deepest childhood wound into his greatest business advantage.

Listen now to discover how to harness your past pain into future wins.

https://fromthetrenchespodcast.com/episode/transforming-your-darkest-moments-into-your-greatest-strengths/

10/14/2025

My buddy thought he was just peeling off some ugly wallpaper two years ago.

Instead, he found termite galleries carved straight through the wood. Mud-filled tunnels everywhere. Years of silent destruction happening right behind what looked like a perfectly normal wall.

Last week, I showed three business owners a screenshot about their emails - just like the one in the image.

They were SHOCKED.

Inside their email software, everything looked fine. Their open and click rates appeared "normal."

But Google was quietly trashing their emails.

A 20% rejection rate one day. 36.84% refused another. One day it hit 100% - not a single email got delivered!

These business owners had NO CLUE they were losing sales every single day. Just like my buddy had no idea termites were eating his house from the inside out.

Google's done playing games with senders who have:
🚫 Dirty lists packed with dead emails
🙈 Subscribers who haven't opened anything in months (or years)
📈 Spam complaints through the roof

And just like those termites, this damage is happening RIGHT NOW behind the scenes while your email software shows everything's "fine."

If you're planning holiday promotions later this year, every email that doesn't get delivered is money straight out of your pocket.

And if Google's already flagging you as a problem sender, the holiday rush is going to be a bloodbath.

The clock's ticking. The longer you wait, the worse this gets.

Don't let Google keep stealing your sales.

Request your Hit The Inbox™ Audit today and find out exactly how much this hidden damage is costing you.

https://HitTheInboxAudit.com

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