"Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail."

- Charles F. Kettering

Taking the Big Leap

By Michael Masterson

Sometime in your business career, you will have a chance to do something or sell something - and it will be obvious to you that you are looking at a great opportunity. However, you will realize that you simply don't have the time, the knowledge, or the resources to meet that challenge. If you are sensible, you will probably say "No thanks," and bow out. But - if the opportunity is really extraordinary - you might want to try the Grand Canyon Jump.

I'm thinking of Evel Knievel's now-famous motorcycle jump over the Grand Canyon.

The story I heard was that the idea was suggested as a joke. Evel and company needed to do something dramatic to regain media interest. Adding another bus to the umpteen buses he had leaped before was no longer interesting.

It was a joke - no one remotely thought that it could be done - but Evel woke up the next morning, called his publicity agent, and announced that he was going to do it. When asked how, he said, "I'll figure that out later. Make the announcement now."

I remember one of the very first times I took a "Grand Canyon Jump" - albeit in a much less bold way. It was nearly 10 years ago. Early to Rise was brand-new, and I was still learning how to apply my direct-marketing background to the Internet. I got an invitation to speak at a seminar about Internet marketing. Trouble was, I knew next to nothing about the subject. Certainly not enough to make a speech about it. (Number One Rule of Effective Speaking: Know what you're talking about.)

But I agreed to make the presentation, because I figured it would force me to think about this important and growing part of my business. Not only did I agree to talk, I agreed to a title for my speech ("7 Myths About the Internet and 7 Ways to Profit From It") that was - given my experience at the time - audacious.

Since then, I have made the leap many times. (This is what's behind my "Ready, Fire, Aim" philosophy.)

When I really want to do something but have no idea how to do it, I don't just agree to do it - I promise myself that I will do it very well. I set a high hurdle for myself. I suppose what I'm doing is fueling my drive with the fear of humiliation.

But it works. Most of the time.

In the case of my "7 Myths About the Internet" speech, I pushed myself because I had to. By reading about what others have done. Observing what my own employees were doing - what was working and what was failing miserably. Trying some stuff on my own. And I made remarkable progress. In fact, after only two months, I had gotten to the point where 80 percent of what I read about Internet marketing either (1) bored me because it was so simple, or (2) infuriated me because it was so obviously wrong.

As the weeks passed and the day of the presentation grew nearer, I found myself thinking harder about the subject. More than ever, I was aware of how other media (direct mail, print advertising, etc.) reminded me of the Internet. Bit by bit, ideas were coming together.

When the event finally took place, I had come up with about a dozen useful ideas and observations that felt right. Many of these defied conventional wisdom. Then, when I heard what other presenters were saying - their accounts of what succeeded and failed for them - it all made sense.

My presentation worked. It felt good. I was full of energy when I gave it, thinking, "Hey, this really is important!" And I got a good reaction from the audience. Most important, I got what I hoped to get: a foundation of ideas that have helped me - and will continue to help me - make money on the Internet.

These days, trying to do anything in addition to holding onto your job may seem like an enormous challenge. And rightly so. But that's all the more reason to make the Grand Canyon Jump.

Think about one thing that you have not done or declined to do that could be very good for your career long term. It could be something general, like learning how to sell on the Internet... or something more specific, like making your next sales presentation or pay-per-click campaign work.

Next step is to announce your intention. Contact the appropriate parties and let them know what you've decided to do.

Finally, set a high standard for yourself. Set the standard so high that it seems foolish or pretentious - and then start thinking about how you can actually achieve it.

You can't change the laws of physics. Evel used a rocket-powered engine to get over the canyon and, if memory serves, a parachute to land. But he got over it nevertheless. And it gave him not only the temporary career boost he was looking for but also a stunt that he will always be remembered for.

So what's it going to be? When - and how - are you going to make your Grand Canyon Jump?

Is Your Fish Color-Finished?

By Kelley Herring

If you think eating farmed salmon is a good way to get your protein, think again. Farmed salmon can do you more harm than good. Artificial color is one reason why.

Because wild salmon dine on crustaceans, plankton, and algae, their flesh takes on a beautiful, rich pink-red hue. But farmed salmon - fed toxin-rich fishmeal, corn, soy, and other foods not in their natural diet - have an insipid color that's unappealing to consumers.

So what's a salmon farmer to do? Simply pick a hue!

Using the Hoffman LaRoche Salmofan - a kind of artist's wheel - salmon farmers pick the "perfect shade" (Carophyll Pink) to color-finish their second-rate salmon.

Of course, the dye is derived from petrochemicals. But Hoffman doesn't have a corner on the market. Agricultural behemoth Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and others create coloring agents with methods that include growing red yeast on corn byproducts and gene-cloning utilizing E. coli.

Artificial color is just one of the harmful aspects of farmed salmon. To read more about it, check out my article "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is."

If you haven't made the switch to real fish - wild fish, that is - the time is now. Wild fish is widely available and is surprisingly affordable. Try SuperTarget, Whole Foods, or VitalChoice and start eating real fish today.

It's Good to Know: Why Flu Season Is in Winter

Winter brings not just cold weather but flu season. And until recently, nobody knew why.

But medical researchers from Oregon State University may have solved the mystery. They found that due to a combination of cold temperatures and low humidity, influenza germs live longer and pass more easily from one person to another.

(Source: National Geographic)

Word to the Wise: Tutelage

"Tutelage" (TOO- tuhl-ij) - from the Latin for "to watch" - is (1) the act of guarding or protecting, or (2) individualized instruction or guidance.

Example (as used by Da Chen in Colors of the Mountain): "Many years under my grandfather's tutelage had made me the best calligrapher in the entire school."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2599, 02-23-09], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.