How to Help Your Autistic Children Win at Life....

 

Disclaimer: I am not a therapist or neurodivergence expert. I'm an undiagnosed person on the spectrum who has had a severe learning disability since about 9th grade. This article is about my own experiences. 

For the purposes of this article, I'm going to lump in autism, aspergers and being on the spectrum under one umbrella. Always get your children tested by a professional so you can have a better understanding of what you are dealing with. 

As a kid, I had focus issues, but once I hit about 9th grade, it got really bad. My report card was straight Ds and Fs even though I read at a very high level through elementary school. It got worse as I got older and I ended up failing out of high school. Then college. Then another college. I finally joined the military and BARELY and I mean BARELY made it through technical school. 

I started to regress but the weird thing was that as I got more socially distanced, I got smarter. I remember getting a burst of intelligence in my late 20s and another in my mid 30s like John Travolta in Phenomenon. 

I ended up ok. I finished my PhD, founded a PR agency and literally created a job where I can work from home and not have to be around people if I don't feel like it. I'm sensitive to sensory perception stuff, cannot stand crowds and if you get within 2 feet of me, I start getting squeamish, (unless you are Barbara Maisonet. Excellent hugs and she smells good.)

Here are success strategies for your kids if you feel like they might be on the spectrum. 

1. Understand their situation but don't baby them

Being on the spectrum sucks. You literally feel like the stupidest kid in class. You are terrified if the teacher calls you and oh guess what, you probably get bullied every....day.... for....YEARS. Teach your kids to be resilient winners and NEVER let them adopt a victim mentality. If they have ADD, ADHD, dyslexia or any of that shit, there is always a workaround. Have honest talks with them and reassure them that many famous and successful people have been on the spectrum or had learning disabilities. 

2. Encourage friendships and get them a damn pet 

Don't let your kid get addicted to video games and hide out from the world for hours at a time. There's plenty of time to do that as an adult. Getting them a dog or cat gives them a friend and responsibilities of caring for something. Trust me, some of your kids are very lonely. A fur friend will help a ton. 

3. Encourage creativity

Some of your kids are going to be really creative and it might be some shit you find odd, like manga, anime, Marvel, Dungeons and Dragons, art, music, etc. Encourage their interests. I started skateboarding in 9th grade and while my family didn't love it, they supported me when they could and it actually led to a lot of great friendships as I got older. It's ok to have a weird kid. If they want to wear a cape at the dinner table, I can think of much worse things. 

4. Use every asset available

Get them tested early so you know what you are dealing with. Get them an IEP for school so they can get assistance or an aide if needed. Use YT videos like Khan Academy if they need help with math. Kids today have all the good meds that I could've used like Adderol, Ritalin, etc. Don't be scared to try new meds in small doses until finding one that works. 

5. Don't discourage their path even if you disagree with it 

Your kid might NEVER want to go to college because of the tremendous difficulty they see ahead. Could you walk into your garage with a set of tools and take your transmission apart and back together without help? That's literally the Herculean task that college might pose for your kid. If they have a plan that doesn't involve higher education, think twice before dissuading them. I'm not saying to NOT push them to challenge their belief system but the more you force them into things, the more they are going to fight you on it. I had to try college THREE times before getting pissed off enough to finish 6 degrees. 

Hug your kids, remind them its not their fault and they are NOT stupid or slow. They just need to adapt to the wiring in their brain. 

Good luck, 
Rob 

How Richard van der Blom Dominated Linkedin

 

Subtle. 

If you have been on LinkedIn recently, you might have noticed one guy out there SLAYING THE PLATFORM. It's always fun to watch someone that literally creates a following around what they are passionate about. 

Richard van der Blom has all the makings of a LinkedIn influencer (I hope he doesn't punch me in the face for using the dreaded I word, but in this case, its complimentary). 

Richard cracked the "secret sauce" of LinkedIn, and in this article, I'm going to reverse engineer what he does that makes him so good at LinkedIn. (Or what I call, "the platform where fun goes to die") 

Here are the things that I observe him doing: 

Optimized his profile 

If you look at his profile, found here: LINK, you see that he has a custom graphic, hashtags, a very clear message about what he specializes in and contact info. This is a very important step to create positioning in your industry. 

Consistent Content

Richard is REALLY good at eye catching content and his carousels are always easy to dive into and high value stuff. I feel like Richard's strength is not oversaturation, but carefully meted out INTENSE training material that leaves you walking away with new skills and ideas. 

Audience Engagement

He also takes the time to have conversations with people and to connect with them. This is a lot more important that people think. Just spamming an inbox of cold leads with sales pitches is a terrible LinkedIn strategy embraced by too many. Follow this example and get some dialogue going! 

Variety

Although his carousels are my favorite content, he mixes it up with questions, polls, informational content and more. His strategy is pretty simplistic yet yields strong engagement and makes him sound like someone you would want to have a beer with in your living room. 

Attitude

Richard is a professional that doesn't take himself too seriously. He can unwind, be fun, and still deliver some of the most valuable content you'll ever see. Too many professionals are so consumed by ego that they forget to be likable. Richard doesn't have that problem. 

Keep crushing it Richard, thanks for all the great content and for helping us little guys grow our businesses! - Rob 

How Digital Marketers Can Earn Trust Again

 

#marketers, #fraud, #grifters, #clickfunnels, #liars 

I had a stunning revelation this week. 

I will never hire a digital marketer. Ever. 

Years of duplicitous ads, my friends being lied to and swindled over and over and Russel Brunson churning out thousands of hypebeast assclowns with fake 2 Comma Club Awards have completely soured me. 

I work in PR. I realize what its like to have a job where you don't have everything under your control and sometimes things go to shit even when you do your best stuff. 

That's still not good enough. 

Digital marketers now have less trust than 

*Politicians
*Used car salesmen
*Military recruiters 

"Bro, just sign right there, we totes won't send 
you to the Middle East" 

Scrolling through IG ads and seeing digital marketers on Facebook begging for sales like Dean Graziosi doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. 

"HEY ARE YOU A COACH, LAWYER, DAYCARE OWNER, SOCCER PLAYER, OR TEACHER?"

Seriously, what the fuck kind of ads are these? Did Russell teach you guys to scream into a video and cast the widest net ever to find some desperate fuck that's stupid enough to hire you? 

I mean lets be honest, remember the Cardone/Kern Agency? Was supposed to change the game right? Two of the biggest names in marketing/sales getting together and blah blah blah. 

My buddy hired them. Paid 8 grand for ZERO sales. ZERO. Couldnt reach a rep, never got any refund, nothing. Whole process was outsourced and performed about as well as FTX. 

You guys are feeling the pinch of desperation because people aren't falling for "the 7 figure blueprint" anymore. Tai Lopez pretty much muscled in and took most of the people that fall for Mouthbreather Marketing. 

So what can you do to recover? 

1. Get good at what you do.  

It took me years to get good at PR. I got in the trenches and learned how to get baseline results for clients. I didn't spam Facebook with ads talking shit like Ric Flair in the 80s. I kept my head down and DEVELOPED PROCESSES. 

2. Keep your marketing hype to the level of your marketing results. 

Don't promise people 7 figure results when you can't even get them 4 figure sales. This is the MAIN issue people have with DMs. A ton of hype to make the initial sale and a blank stare when its time to review results. Stop claiming to be the "fastest growing agency" when you can't be Googled, asshat. 

3. Develop your results and have legit case studies for future clients

This is the harsh truth. If you don't have strong client results, you don't have what it takes to be a digital marketer. Start small. Build your way up. But you HAVE to have results if you want to survive. You're in an oversaturated market and 90% of your competitors are bragging like Pitbull while riding the bus to a WeWork cubicle. 

I started off with a single email PR course. I focused on making it strong and developing the client results. This led to a bigger course. I got 25x sales from this one with no ads. Why? I focused on techniques that got stronger results. Clients got on TV, they got more interviews, their social media got stronger. This built my reputation. 

4. Dont follow the herd. 

"We get you 100 qualified leads a month or YOU DONT PAY" 

I will never fucking take one of these deals. It means you are desperately casting a line and trying to get the lowest pond scum clients you can find. Seriously, just be yourself without gimmicks, a fake 2 Comma Club award you paid Russell to get, a neon lit room or a fuckboy haircut. 

Be yourself. It works surprisingly well. 

This is my Google search. I have always been myself. No gimmicks, lies, or inflated results. 

In hindsight, if you need a good digital marketer that actually can provide results and expertise, talk to my buddy Justin Charpentier. Strong reviews, great client results and a solid performer. 

 Contact Justin here: LINK

Now if you'll excuse me, Tai Lopez just dropped his latest NFT and a branded Kangen Water deal from his jail cell in Florida. 

How to Win at Entrepreneurship

 

After failing out of high school and two colleges, I tried to enter corporate America after my Air Force enlistment was up. 

I was a technical writer and realized that cubicle life felt like a slow death. I was wildly creative and reporting every day to do a job I hated, surrounded by miserable people that had given up on their dreams was a fate worse than death. 

Oh, and I was supposed to be GRATEFUL for a 2% raise each year? No thanks. 

So I did it. I rolled the dice and six years later, am a visibility consultant, own a magazine and wrote 8 books. I have no boss, can pay my bills, and have complete time freedom. I work from home, can choose my clients, and am rapidly growing in my niche. 

Entrepreneurship is a double edged sword. 

Advantages: 
*Unlimited income cap. You can make as much money as you want 

*Time freedom, you literally create your own schedule and can take a 2 hour lunch if you want, including margaritas (I have done this and its awesome) 

*Can create the workspace of your dreams 

*You no longer have to worry about appeasing management. You are management. 

*You can create side hustles that HELP bring in more income. I derive income from advertising, 1:1 consulting, membership sites, press releases, ebooks, etc 

This is my balcony in San Diego. Its a perfect place to sip coffee and ponder my 
future marriage to Arianna Grande. 

Disadvantages:
*You have to make EVERY decision. Even the stupid shit. Its all in your hands 

*You have to create your systems, your business model and uplevel your skillset constantly

*Your first year will be a shitshow. If you don't grow and improve, your first FEW years will be a shitshow 

*You will need to face your worst internal fears head on. Poverty syndrome, imposter syndrome, fear of success, fear of failure, fear of judgement, all this shit will constantly rear its ugly head and strike at inopportune moments 

*You have to do the not fun shit like taxes, paperwork, W-9s etc. 

Here are some tips that will help you get what you need if you despise your job and every fiber of your being wants career independence:

Stay the FUCK away from the gurus. 

Most of them couldn't run a lemonade stand and will upsell you into poverty. Buy from experts only. People that are actually talented. Ever notice how the people in FB and IG ads rarely show client results? BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE ANY. 

Invest in your business. 

Mentors, business coaches, masterminds, business groups, software, contractors are all good investments but do your due diligence. 

Get your DIY business education from TikTok, Amazon and Youtube
You can find amazing business advice from actual experts in these three places. HIGHLY recommend Rachel Pederson on Tiktok, her advice is solid. 

Work on you. 

I've interviewed a lot of millionaires. They journal, practice gratitude, have a fitness plan, work on their shortcomings and are VULNERABLE. Plus they give back to their audiences and community. 

Grow a thick skin. 

You're going to get advice from everyone. There is no shortage of untalented, do nothing losers that have nothing better to do than criticize you out of sheer jealousy. Only heed advice from legit experts and high IQ friends. Remember that every shitty comment online actually helps keep you in the spotlight. I always respond "TFTV." This serves a dual purpose of eliciting a response, AND confusing trolls. It stands for Thanks For The Visibility and makes me laugh every time. 

Switch from selling to solving. (THIS)

This is more for my service based business owners out there. No one wants to be sold to. Its grimy and feels gross. LOTS of people have a problem that you can help them solve for a fee. Once you make that mindset shift, you'll stop doing stupid shit like cold calling, pitching strangers in their Linkedin DMs, and desperately spamming for sales. (remember Itworks? UGH). 

Focus on two things: The problem and the person. Here are some examples: 

My buddy Gunny Gonzalez helps people get fitter. He will market to someone that doesnt have a healthy lifestyle and solves the issue of obesity 

My friend Sarah Max specializes in getting insurance for hard to insure clients. She will market to people that have been rejected in the past and solves the problem of uninsurability 

My buddy Cory Thompson helps mid level business owners that are up to their ears in tasks and have gaping areas of business weakness. His target market is six figure business owners that know a few areas of their business need help. The problem he solves if poor time management and lack of skillset

When you niche down on WHO you serve and WHAT problem you solve, you'll start attracting more clients. Learn the "language of pain" for your audience and create content that helps people trust you and explains HOW you solve problems. 

Ill leave you with the two best pieces of advice that I ever gave. These literally changed my life and one of them helped Dr. Loren Michaels Harris earn over $50,000. (seriously)

"Give away WHAT and sell HOW" 

"Stop pricing things at what YOU can afford" 

Good luck, if you have questions, email me at editor@shiftlifedesign.com - Rob 

Kyle Wentworth: How to Get Visibility When The Client is in a Rare Niche

 

#tech, #kylewentworth, #ciso, #cto, #cio, #business

I feel like Sherlock Holmes sometimes. As a visibility expert, people bring me "cases" and I have to creatively figure out how to get them more visible and seen online. 

It's easy when they have a simple industry. 

Ted Fox? Fixes Pontiacs and classic cars. Simple 

Mike Peterson? Creates handmade knives on a forge. Piece of cake.

Doug Berry? Writes awesome kid's books about Jasper the Rabbit. Voila, on the news three times. 

Kyle? Provides fractional technology department staffing for the roles of CIO, CTO, CISO, as well as stays abreast of software optimization and ever evolving tech needs over the duration of a company's business growth. 

Huh? 

It took four phone calls just for my autistic brain to wrap my head around this. No wonder he reached out. 

Kyle is literally so advanced that it's difficult to speak the language of his customer. 

Fortunately, I was a technical writer for ten years. I essentially took documents at the scientist/engineering level and translated them to about a 10th grade level so they could be understood by 18 year old Army troops or foreign nationals. (Not a dig at the US Army, you guys are awesome, that was literally the instructions given by my boss). 

So here is what we did and this can be used for ANY niche that is unique. 

1. Isolate what the client does in about 2-3 sentences even if its hard. 

This will help for marketing materials, articles, media interviews, and general communication. No matter how complicated someone's niche is: DUMB IT DOWN. PLAIN ENGLISH. 

2. Find out where the clients are. 

Kyle's clients will come from 2 places: Tech media and Linkedin. He has a FB too, but that's a secondary. Over time, Kyle will build an audience and optimize social media. If we can create strong content that's eye catching and well written, eventually Kyle will attract his dream clients. 

3. Create an online presence.

We created a multi step workup for Kyle's online presence. We featured him in SHIFT Magazine, then interviewed him on the Brett Davis Podcast so people can read and listen to his story. We have started a database of tech reporters and magazines plus we are creating tech articles to get his name out there. 

This Reddit article we cowrote got 1.4k views already: LINK 

Odds are slim for regular news coverage because of the uniqueness of the niche BUT that means that he's far more likely to get on the tech section of higher end media shows or in a tech mag like Wired. 

This won't happen overnight. But we are off to a good start. Remember that the MORE niche your client is, the more creativity will be required to get them highly visible. 

To find out more about Kyle's service, here is his latest press release: 

5 #PR Strategies For Your Business

 

#pr, #media, #interviews, #prtips, #sandiego, #warriorstrategist 

Most PR clients will come to me and immediately rattle off their laundry list of what they think their PR plan should be. 

"Bro, I need your help. If you can just get me on Fox News and in Entrepreneur, my tactical beagle vest company will be 7 figures by summer. I also want to be featured in Military Times and Task and Purpose. Oh get me on Joe Rogan too."

I respond the same way as when my Bumble match immediately demands a fancy dinner downtown for our first date:

"I'm not doing any of that shit."

PR plans should not involve spray and pray towards the biggest media outlets out there. There are a few reasons for this. Cost, time, effort, and percentage of success factor in. Plus, when I start a strategy, I base it on the business model and type. You'll see why in a minute. 

So here are five plans that are realistic for early to mid stage businesses. 

1. Local Celeb Strategy - This is for businesses that can only service within about a 30 mile radius OR brick and mortars that rely on foot traffic. 

Local News
Largest Newspapers
Local Influencers
Nextdoor App 
Sell anything FB groups

2. Industry Strategy - This is if your business has a specific niche. There are a lot of resources available that fall under the niche umbrella.

Industry Magazines
Industry Influencers
Industry Youtube Shows 
Industry Bloggers

3. TV Strategy - This is an aggressive strategy that is just based off getting your client on the news. 

Morning News
Independent TV Shows
Morning News Shows
Reality TV (niche)
Talk Shows

4. Podcast Strategy - This is the easiest one to implement. Make a list of podcasts in niche or with commonalities of your client/business model and apply 

Business podcasts 
Niche podcasts 
Matching background podcasts (veteran/black owned/female/minority, etc)

5. State Based Strategy - If your business is state certified (lawyer, real estate agent, doctor, finance professional, etc), you need media from your region or state only. Any PR placement out of state is only for positioning. 

News stations in your state
Newspaper in state
State based magazines

Circling back to why you should NOT chase the larger outlets immediately:

Can you afford the $12k/month price tag that most PR firms charge for that level of placement?
Can your business handle a HUGE surge of traffic if you DO get one of those outlets?
Is the audience comprised of YOUR client/customer avatars? 

People that think PR happens overnight are kidding themselves. A strong PR plan grows with your business and eventually you WILL get there but trust me, don't try and cut the line. It doesn't work out well for unprepared business owners. 

Need help with your #PR? Feel free to reach out to me at editor@shiftlifedesign.com! 

- Rob the Warrior Strategist 

I skipped Military Influencer Conference this year. Here is why:

 

I'm Rob Garcia, a veteran magazine owner and visibility consultant. This year, I was scheduled to attend Military Influencer Conference in Las Vegas. Its an amazing event that brings veterans together from around the country. I went to one a few years ago and it was life changing. 

As the date approached, I started to realize that several events were starting to appear around the same timeframe and eventually it got too intense. 

I had a sleep deprived nervous breakdown in 2018 after a combat support deployment and my mom's death halfway through it. I walked out of my job on my 5th day and ended up in a park crying under a tree. I started to recognize symptoms of overload. 

*An Air Force PT test  was due by Oct 23rd that would require me to drive to base on a Sunday and lose weight before it so that I could run at a decent pace

*MIC itself, a five hour drive, taking me offline for business for four days. Gas and Air B and B costs.

*Put in charge of a 120 person social for my Reserve unit requiring donations, logistics, coordinating 30 people scattered around the country

*Being named a co host at a large business event in San Diego 

*A last minute print request for my magazine that cost me hundreds of dollars, required 2 designers and 20 hours of unpaid work 

All of this is on top of running a bi monthly magazine, 3 FB groups, a press release agency, and having a full portfolio of clients. 

I have had WEEKS of anxiety, sleep issues, and even weight gain from juggling all this in my head. 

I finally made the decision to cancel my MIC trip. It was just too much on my plate and its important to know limitations. 

Veterans are awesomely resilient. They push through when the country needs us and perform at amazing levels. That being said, this isn't an urgent combat situation. People shouldn't be giving me shit for saying, "ENOUGH" Veterans shouldn't be writing me telling me how soft the Air Force is, and that I'm breaking up business relationships by not going. (That person apologized later, which I appreciate.)

I will not apologize for putting my own mental health and life first. I think more veterans should forgive themselves and move on. There will be other events. Right now, I'm in a better place and I'm happy for my friends that CAN attend. I'll be back soon but right now, it's just too much. 

Rob