![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.lwlworldwide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/Konan-19mos-Barry05-crop.jpg\" "\\"Konan-19mos-Barry05-crop\\"")
<\/a>You get the gist… working FOR entrepreneurs who owned their own products and who were in the business, presumably, of ADDING value to people’s lives through those products.<\/p>\nSure, it was nice to be able to work from my home-office… the work allowed me to be autonomous, self-reliant, and in control of my schedule and, most importantly, my association with people who I felt were like-minded, ethical, and in business for all the right reasons<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n While those reasons are another conversation for another time, the short version of that phrase (“right reasons”) is this:<\/p>\n Is the business associate, vendor, JV partner, or client doing what they’re doing for the love of the game (to use an expression often associated with Michael Jordan) — for their genuin<\/em>e<\/strong> interest and fascination with their niche, product line, or topic ?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n = = = = = = = = =<\/p>\n Not only is KNOWING this answer essential when dealing with others, it’s what you should ask yourself anytime you think<\/span> you’re supposed to be<\/em> selling or marketing something.<\/p>\n When your interests are MORE rooted in exploration, truth, and ever-expanding knowledge, and less in what others say is trendy, profitable, and mainstream, you’ll naturally surround yourself with curious, open-minded, authentic people.<\/p>\n Now, here’s some million-dollar advice<\/span><\/strong>: when you find those people \u2014 and you will if you come from a place of inquisitive-fascination about a topic \u2014 HAVE A CONVERSATION with them.<\/p>\n Better yet, tell them that you’d like to record it, and share the recording with fellow like-minded people. Explain to the interviewee \/ teacher \/ fellow explorer that you”ll end up packaging up various interviews on the same topic and sell ’em. Give away a few interviews in exchange for somebody’s email \/ name, and then sell them (don’t worry about the word “sell” — your integrity, purpose and passion will shine through your “pitch”) on more of your interviews.<\/p>\n Tell the interviewee that you want the vibe and the energy of the interview to be like you’re both sitting in an empty coffee shop, on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Tell them to expect unbridled and raw conversation and questioning about the topic, their experiences, successes, failures, etc. (However, DO NOTE<\/span><\/strong> that true blue professional interviewing requires you to have the skills to be much more than a conversationalist.)<\/p>\n How do I know this is a good business model to follow?<\/strong> (Assuming you want to create, own, and sell your own product):<\/p>\n Because I’ve been living it for the past\u00a05 years full time!<\/p>\n It started in early 2005 when I had (and still do, but in different degrees and depths) a fascination for “manifestation \/ conscious creation”. 14 mentors later, The World’s First Multi-Media Manifestation Portal was born (i.e. ManifestLife.com — er, don’t try and go to that site. The content is being re-purposed).<\/p>\n For nearly 20 months, that first interview-driven product was an honest exchange of MY energy… My time, interests, and hard work in putting it together for people’s investment (money) in themselves. I collected their investment, and they collected valuable content (my investment). Win-Win!<\/p>\n When I was operating solo, interviewing solo, and being a solo entrepreneur, Heather was doing the same thing (well, until that one day when we met. LOA in action, baby).<\/p>\n Since then, of course, we’ve expanded, added products, and re-configured processes, brands, etc. Yet, still to this day, Heather and I know that interviewing will always be the foundation of what we do.<\/p>\n Why ?<\/strong><\/p>\n Life is part of a continual process of exploration with not just ourselves, but with \u201cothers\u201d too.<\/p>\n Like Heather has said many times before here (it’s so important, I’m going to repeat it):<\/p>\n When you strip away all the fluff, hyperbole, and timid behind-the-computer communication, you\u2019re only left with fresh, candid, uncensored conversation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That basis is the root for nearly everything we do — and that\u2019s because secrets are discovered, ideas are created, thoughts are provoked, and answers are revealed during the course of asking the right questions of the right people.<\/p>\n How you ask those questions, how you find and make an offer to an interviewee in the first place, and how you then make the arrangements to create a product out of it (and other interviewers) is discussed inside:<\/p>\n