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Friday, October 07, 2011

RE: Don Lapre Dead: An Incredible 10 Year Rise Comes To An End

If anyone would like to connect me with Lapres family I would be interested. I have written two books on Amazon.com and would welcome a project to put the record straight.

My contact information is below:

Ted Cantu
248-631-9211

Detroit, Michigan
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Don Lapre took his own life last Sunday, October 2 2011. Apple computer leader Steve Jobs died just a few days later of pancreatic cancer. This is an interesting turn of events. These were two giants in their own respective fields and the attitude toward the two of them could not be any different.

NPR, (National Public Radio) attributed a wide range of innovations to Jobs as it pertains to the Internet. Some of these innovations included things like podcasting, and social media and the entire scope of the web. These grandiose projects and merits are handed upon Jobs without any foundation of truth. The technologies owned by Google were purchased from 3rd party developers and were not the creation of Jobs. Yet, the media, and the public is handing him undue credit in this arena.

Don Lapre, on the other hand introduced the concept of marketing, getting customers, and making profits through a wide range of techniques. He sold courses that he wrote about how to land more business for yourself. I want to point out that he created a substantial amount of wealth through solid marketing ability, (to the tune of $52 million dollars during one of the worst recessions in American history). The public’s attitude toward capitalism is very poor and misguided. This guy is looked down upon for creating wealth. He is also being berated for showing others how to create profits for themselves.

In my mind this is a very warped and uneven reality.

It just shows you how out of touch the average American is when it comes to creating wealth, profits and/or stabilizing one self in such a horrible economy.
There is talk about America becoming a third world nation. It is being projected as such in major media circles. I ask you what are your ideas about money, money management, and making a decent living for yourself?

Who would ever think that these traits are not only despised but also looked down upon. In my mind, that is very Anti American in nature.


Ted Cantu continues to fight for his American values in the streets of Detroit, Michigan - posted Oct. 7, 2011

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Steve Jobs – The Web, And The Rest Of Us

Steve Jobs died yesterday. I am not going to fill this page up with heartfelt memories. I only have a few to share. I am sorry to see that he died so young and there is no doubt that he had a creative mind.

I have owned a few of his computers but this was a long time ago. I used to have an Apple Quadra and it cost me a whopping 4 grand. When I look back on it this thing did very little. I had a monstrous TV monitor to go with it that weight about 1000 pounds. It was heavy and hard to lift and not very portable. I had a $1000 dollar scanner that went along with this ensemble. When you put all of the pieces together they worked very reluctantly. I remember speaking nicely to my equipment several times just to get through a project. Many times I had to reload the thing because of it continually crashing.

Software was incredibly expensive to own back then but I spent all my dough on it. It was a pretty machine that made pretty pictures and sometimes there was sound and music. I got a few jobs out of it after college and it was enough to get things moving. All in all, I never went back to Apple when the bigger machines came out. By this point I was interested in the Internet and the web. I liked PC’s because they were fast.

It was expensive, it was heavy and I remember it being broken down a lot.


THE WEB

Jobs did not create the Internet. Some of the tools he designed were gearing people up for the Interactive living experience but he did not create the web. Google and web video and especially social media came from other sources. So I am not sure why NPR is giving Jobs all the credit for Social Media on the radio this morning.

It ‘s like when I was in the riots of Ann Arbor in the late 80’s. I was there, most definitely I was there. I threw apples at the cops but I certainly didn’t start the riot. I didn’t start the bonfires. I didn’t throw the chairs thru the plate glass windows. I didn’t do any of these things but I was there. Later in life as the riot became legend whenever it was mentioned I would politely nod. I was there. But I didn’t start it.

THE REST OF US
The web is in the hands of the public now and it is up to us to use it. Some of us will become very savvy with it and create wealth. Some will not. The whole spectrum is out of control and a lot of people can call the shots on the web these days and create their own circle of influence. Still, I do not give all of that credit to Steve Jobs. That would be inaccurate.

To me, I still think his stuff is overpriced for what it does. I like it but I am not crazy about it anymore than I am crazy about PC’s.

Ted Cantu used to own a Mac Quadra. Yep. Back in the 90's - OCt. 6, 2011

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Don Lapre Dead: An Incredible 10 Year Rise Comes To An End

Sept. 3, 2011 – Don Lapre, the self made mega millionaire, has died due to his own hand last Sunday in Tempe, Arizona. This marketer has created a company with $52 million dollars in sales in one of the nation’s worst recessions in history. This is the guy who got me thinking about leaving the advertising art cubicle and creating a marketing dynasty for myself.

I bought one of his courses on how to create money off of placing tiny classified ads. I made money with his techniques. I got this at a time when the recession was rising up on this country in 2000. I was in advertising and all I knew was how to cut out digital pictures and animate them. I had no idea how to create money or how to pull in customers. Don kicked the door open for me and showed me how this was possible. I was intrigued and I got an 800 number and went to work.

The money didn’t happen overnight as I made a lot of blunders and errors. I tried different products and services and a lot of them bombed. But I could see how making money using these techniques could really work.



911 And The Aftermath
A week before 911 I did a stupid thing. I went down to Times Square, NYC and started taping flyers to the light poles. Being from Ann Arbor, Michigan and not knowing any better, (that’s how Michigan people market by the way – for the most part) I figured this was the way to go. After all, a lot of people come through Times Square and it was going to be a great way to get my name out there in the public. Well a gigantic Neanderthal built NYC cop grabbed my arm and nearly pulled my shoulder ball joint out of socket and grabbed my flyers. He threatened to give me a fine and offered to put me in jail. He got right in my face and started screaming at me. I grabbed my arm back and went the other direction. I wonder if this cop is still alive today since 911 happened the very next week?

Either case, I figured this was not the way I wanted to market my services. I went back to what Don Lapre was doing and decided to do it right. 911 created such a disturbance in my life that I ended up high tailing it back to Detroit, Michigan. I ended up there for ten years. In that ten years I learned marketing and started to create a little bit of money – NOT MUCH MIND YOU – BUT enough. Don, on the other hand went out and masterminded a phenomenal windfall of $52 million dollars.

That’s genius.

In an age where people are losing their homes, jobs, and peace of mind this guy goes out and creates a fantastic lifestyle for himself. Lapre is accused of a lot of things but he never did wrong by me and if anything I owe him and his family a humungous thank you for getting me out of the corporate grind. I would later go on to study with Dan Kennedy, Jeff Paul, Seth Godin, Tom Hopkins, Derek Ghel, and Orange Beetle.

There should be books on this guy because he was one fascinating character. Wealth came in fast and his company grew. Like me he made some mistakes – most notably for his vitamin, “THE GREATEST VITAMIN IN THE WORLD!”. This drew some unwanted attention from the FDA and created some investigations and he had to hire lawyers. I knew he had some problems with investors and that his cash flow escalated to a whopping $52 million dollars. This is one amazing person. Despite his many mistakes he is worth looking into.

The American Mindset On Wealth and Capitalism
There seems to be an unnerving repulsion to capitalism and wealth. A lot of people have written horrible things about Lapre over the last few 72 hours. But there is a definite difference between fraud and bad results. I had some hit and miss experiences with Lapre’s courses but I would hardly call him a fraud. I paid him for some course materials and CD’s. He delivered them. That is not fraud. There were disclaimers on his products that results may vary. That is not fraud.

Work has to be involved in this process and with that comes various degrees of positive and negative experiences and that is not fraud. People were upset that they did not received a boat load of money from Lapre’s teachings but how many of those people actually went out and tried to create a solid business? Dan Kennedy creates info courses and sells them to the public. He has written informercials for Gunthy Renker which supports late night programming like for the Lapre company. There are lot of people who support Kennedy and a great deal of them are not successful. Believe me, I have met a lot of these types over the course of 10 years when I say they are NOT SUCCESSFUL.

The general consensus on American wealth is very disturbing. Laziness is very attractive in the wealth building process in America. Capitalism has taken some negative hits in the last ten years. As the job market continues to crash through the floor it may be the best friend you have. Yet, it is looked down upon. The “evil corporation” mentality ensures that the Ramen noodle sales will keep afloat for quite some time.

2010: Alternative Health and Kooky Religions Are Big Profit
The new space age – new age – mentality has taken over America and has it locked dead tight in a sleeper hold. The danger here is not very obvious but alternative medicine and new age products pull in $333 million every year. That is rising as we near the dreaded 2012.
Here is how the other – Big Boys – stacked up in comparison to Don Lapre.

ORGANIZED RELIGION - $15 BILLION – Annual Sales
PORNOGRAPHY- $14 BILLION – Annual Sales
ORGANIZED CRIME - $11 TRILLION – Annual Sales
U.S. PHARMACEUTICALS - $2.8 BILLION Annual Sales
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FARMING - $75 BILLION
CREDIT CARD SALES - $612 BILLION


These are some of the biggest criminals in history. Don Lapre is just a small kid on the block next to these ruthless hooligans who sack your health, wealth, and living conditions. I rope in religious leaders into this category too because soul stealing is big business. Pornography ranks just below organized religion and that is definitely noteworthy. Control is a big money maker no matter who calls the shots. You can look at the truth and make a stand for yourself or you can block it out and run away like most Americans. It is a daily truth that none of us are willing to face.

Capitalism on its own is not necessarily a bad thing. How and who uses it for what end offers up a whole slew of unsavory industries.

Don Lapre brought marketing to the masses. His courses were based on his own luck and experience. He introduced it to you on a late night informercial. Capitalism is an American institution. The mere idea is not evil and practicing it just may save your neck.

Regardless of what you may think of him and others who strive for something better in life – he is one of the catalysts in my life that pushed me further. He is gone now and may he rest in peace. Lapre offers a simple goodbye on one of his websites. He wanted to thank the people who supported him in his short life. He hopes that his experience has somehow made a small difference in their lives. I can speak for myself and say that this guy was pretty awesome.

Most of you will never achieve the kind of wealth that he masterminded. You will never have the kinds of companies that he has created for himself or work as diligently. His money came fast and his fame took off quickly and his life became more difficult to manage. He killed himself violently and is no longer among us. Before you attack him you owe it to yourself to study him. He is a fascinating character in American history.

Posted by Ted Cantu - Oct. 5, 2011 - Detroit Michigan

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Online Publisher Takes On A New Vision For Post 911 American Businesses

Detroit, Michigan – This Friday marks the 10th Anniversary or 911. The tragic and horrific events have forever changed the way America looks at itself and at the world at large. So much has happened to this country since then and you can feel the impact on the way business is done and how we contact one another. This is never been more so true in Michigan. In recent years Michigan has lost several outstanding news sources including The Ann Arbor News, Eccentric, and niche papers such as the Phenomenews. The distribution of essential news and advertising has reached a cliffhanger. Recently an online publisher is about to open the flood gates of opportunity.

Ted Cantu, an Ex-Art Director in advertising, sat in many Internet web studios prior the events of 911. He was part of the ill-fated “Dot Com Era” which was an age when search engine technology was yet in its infancy. As you may recall a lot of investment dollars from venture capital funding was fumbled and lost during this time period. As a result of that experience Cantu has led his team into developing web presence that works and delivers first page visibility on search engines. This is something many business owners have tried in vain to do over the years without paying a small fortune in paid search marketing.

Putting service based companies and professionals on page 1 of Google, Bing and Yahoo is only part of the big picture. A recent problem that has come up has centered around the effectiveness of direct mail. The U.S. Post Office is losing billions of dollars of revenue per year and there has been more participation on the Internet. The popular view of the clients that Cantu serves has been in favor of more aggressive campaigns on the Internet. They have expressed a great disinterest in the traditional media channels including billboards, radio, television, postage and newspapers. The client list includes doctors, home remodeling companies and other professional positions.

Cantu and his team have been developing direct contact with the right prospects online thanks to social media tools like Twitter, and Facebook. They have been creating lead generation through this type of intimate high touch environment. In addition, they are finding financing for their professional clientele to create more positive economic outcomes in Michigan.
To get more information on Cantu and Co. contact them at http://www.1seomichigan.com and at 248-631-9211.

DAN KENNEDY - Best Book In Years !! Price Guide Offers Powerful Advice



No B.S. Price Strategy - by Dan Kennedy
Okay - I admit - Kennedy and I are pretty hard on eachother. Keep in mind that I have studied in the lions den with a lot of his students. The last post I did on him I more or less trashed his book about marketing in the new economy. I said it was a rehash. I have read a ton of his books and newsletters and can speak his language. But lets forget all that.... His points are valid and if you are not already a convert you should get all of his stuff. Lets move on....

This new book, "Price Strategy" is dead on. I have gotten a lot of useful insight out of this book and to be quite honest a lot of the view points are powerful. I see a lot of businesses I consult for ask for ridiculously low fees. I think a lot of them suffer from low self esteem. This can stem from depression era thinking. On the other hand a lot of them think in the commodity mindset. If Kennedy didn't write this book than someone had to do it and come forward because it really lays it on the line. By that I mean that it speaks from real world experience. If you are used to talking nicely to your boss or live in a cube and live in a world of permission you may not relate. Its a must read for every street guy who is out there fighting for a living and selling to put food on the table and to keep the bills paid. Its blunt, its offensive to some, but accurate.

How Can This Book Help You?
If nothing else it can help you cut through the clutter. By that I mean that you can save a lot of time on the phone haggling over price. You can also use it to sniff out weakness. I was able to sharp shoot some potential clients on the phone to find out if they are broke or not and saved myself 4 hours of meeting them in person, (including the drive over to the meeting location etc.). This sort of habitual meeting policy can criple your financial health. This is a fundamental that I am constantly trying to improve on. I do not take on every Tom, Dick and Harry I meet on the street as a client. That sort of thinking can bring your business to a grinding halt. You also let in a lot of Yo Yo's who can fly apart without a minutes notice and bring in an extroadinary source of unwanted drama.

Price is a complicated issue. Its more than numbers. Its more than what you think your product is worth. It has everything to do with the people you are trying to service. This includes a lot about perception on price and what it is that you are really selling. This could be about saving someone time. This could also be about selling money at a discount, (a big concept in all of Kennedy's teachings).

If you never thought about your prices you need to take a closer look at it. Find out why you come up with your numbers. Find out if these numbers speak about your business or if you are following someone else's defination of your industry. Here is my spin on it....

I have the tendency to take things to another level and I will touch upon just a few points.

RELIGION
This is a deal killer for me. Often prospects will ask me for information regarding my spiritual beliefs during a presentation which I find severly off topic. I usually blow off the question. But I find that a lot of people who bring this issue into a business offering have very poor wealth attraction. They will often use the God element to defend their price position and often will drag in scripture into the negotiation process. This is bad news and you should be aware of it.

GOVERNMENT FEARS
I get a lot of people in the medical community that talk about the horrors of chem trails, conspiracies, and poisoned water supplies. While I find this sort of talk unnerving and highly disturbing I do not find it nearly as disturbing as the amount these prospects are willing to cough up for my services. To put it politely these fragile souls can barely come up with a fraction of my current fee schedule. They also make THE WORST clients and quite honestly should leave business altogether.

There was a really good article a few months back on USA Today regarding the different types of God people believe in. Some of these versions judge harshly and hand out intense punishments in the form of hurricanes and destruction. Another version of God is more Universal and is more balanced in the aspect of karma. All in all there was roughly 12 different types of God people subscribe to. This can also bring into play how people view money and prosperity.

Now I know Kennedy did not go into all of these aspects in his book but I am merely elaborating on past concepts that I have heard in his circles. I draw my own personal experiences into this as well. I want to also mention the importance of NLP, Neuro Linguistic Programming, which is the study of human communication, (verbal and non verbal) into the price and sales process. These things should be studied closely when you deal with the whole spectrum of the sale.

This has everything to do with trust and building adequate raport. This will enable one participant to deliver money from his account directly into yours.

There are parts of this book that have already been dog eared. Within just a few pages I sensed fresh material and honestly I haven't enjoyed a Kennedy book this good in years. I can hold it up to his No B.S. Sales Guide.

The Book Has My Vote
Years ago I dabbled into the GKIC groups, (Kennedy's Marketing Groups) and met a lot of his herd toe to toe. While those meetings were very influential upon my marketing growth I have found getting the straight source from the author himself to be the best experience. Although getting the straight dope can be a bit of a challenge. A lot of Kennedy's top students will often contribute to the books, ( yes, there are guest authors in this book too) as well as some of his courses. I have found that getting Kennedy to open up with some solid and fresh content to be somewhat of a rarity these days.

Part of the reason for this is that his corporate partner, Bill Glazier, oversees the course material and the publishing aspect of his business. I am hungry from the real source from the man himself. I was fortunate to spend a day with him in a closed room session in Nashville, TN a few years back. I can tell you that this book touches upon some of that magic and it is worth picking up.

Its the best thing he's written in years.

Nuff said on that.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Borders Bookstore Succombs To E-Culture

THE SILENCE OF A GIANT

What was the blame for the recent closing of so many Borders book stores? The speculation that surrounds it is interesting. Years ago when digital media was making a huge headway there was a lot of talk about digital books, (back then they were called Titles) and companies like Voyager Media were just coming up and around. Borders Books actually had a section for this new type of media. This little tech wave occured right before the web so many of you may not remember this.... it was very short lived.

I had hopes that this type of thing would make a comeback. There was a lot of great visual titles like, The Residents, "Freakshow", and Laurie Andersons, "Puppet Motel". I wanted to see more of this type of media come out. Thanks to the web I guess this request has been answered but to me it is not the same. With the coming of the new Kindle Readers I had no idea that this type of media would bring a crushing blow to physical reading material. I never thought it would crush a giant book store chain like Borders.

I wanted at least a few of these stores to remain open because they have an aweseome collection. But as of this week all of the remaining stores are to close.

IS DIGITAL MEDIA KILLING OUR CURRENT CULTURE?

I still miss Tower Records. Even though Itunes has replaced it for the most part I still miss going to a record store just to look around. I don't miss the snappy young twerps at the counter who thought THEY were rock stars. I never championed the culture that surrounded record retail. I also never thought that the digital market would completely crush the record giant - Tower.

I am going to miss some of the newspapers too out there such as The Ann Arbor News, and some defunct magazines.

Are we to become the new publishers?

Posted Sunday June 24, 2011

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