Do you think Shakespeare is boring, Reader? Well, that’s the feeling I was left with after my experience of Shakespeare in school. Having to read page by page out loud in front of the class. Struggling to understand what all these bizarre outdated words and phrases meant. With teachers who were less than enthusiastic and unwilling to make it any more interesting. The only mild enjoyment was when the teacher gave up and let us watch the Franco Zeffirelli versions of Macbeth (super gruesome)...
6 days ago • 4 min read
How now, Reader - how farest thou this day? On his birthday - and indeed St George's Day - it seems only fit that a writer should honour William Shakespeare. For the greatest debt the English-speaking world owes is to him. It shocks me we don’t celebrate it more in the UK. If Shakespeare was American, it would be a national holiday with fireworks and lots of food. But, for us, it slips right under the radar. (In fact, the only reason I ever remember is because it’s also my wife’s nan’s...
7 days ago • 4 min read
I don’t know about you, Reader … … but I f**king hate it when I see someone selling something they’ve not achieved for themselves. You know what I mean: All these pimply teenagers in rented AirBNBs trying to tell you how to think like a millionaire Or telling you’ve they’ve "cracked the code" of making money online (There are more “cracked codes” in internet marketing that in Bletchley Park!) That’s why I won’t sell or promote anything unless I have done it myself. The fact I even have to say...
8 days ago • 6 min read
Hey Cult Leader, Be bold. Ok, that's a weird start to an email but I can't emphasise how important this is. From speaking to future cult leaders in the Academy, on consult calls and speaking with others on podcast interviews or in-person, there is one element that nearly everyone struggles with.Yep, being bold.I get it. It's not in our nature. When people say "you weren't born to fit in", they're absolutely wrong. Everything about the human make-up and human psychology does the opposite. We...
12 days ago • 11 min read
What does it take to grow a cult-like following, Reader? A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with coach Benjamin Owen on his podcast, A Mile Deep. The aim of the podcast is... well... it's in the name, isn't it? We went deep on all aspects of building a cult following, with Benjamin sharing his experience and what has and hasn't worked for him. If you're in the coaching or health and fitness space, you'll find this discussion particularly useful. Heck... regardless of your...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Cult Leader, Before, you head into this Squid Game-themed email, a quick question... Have you ever caught yourself uttering or thinking… “I’ll definitely do this… at some point” “This is important to me… as soon as I have more time/money/other vague thought” “I’m planning to do this in the future… when the time is right” You know how it sounds when you hear other people say stuff like this. I’m not going to judge. Instead, I’m going to do something that will help you take the action you...
4 months ago • 8 min read
Follow simple orders, complete missions and earn points to win one helluva prize...... time to decide whether you're joining Project Rayhem. No, it's not a spelling error. I really am leaning quite heavily on Fox's (now Disney's) IP for this little challenge. But the good news is a) you know what I'm talking about and b) it's completely FREE to play. Here's what Project Rayhem is: I have a bunch of simple, easy to complete missions that members of Project Rayhem are given. Only when they have...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Who will be rewarded, and who will earn rewards? The Cult Leaders New Year's Honours start today. One of the funny quirks of British politics and tradition is our honours system. A few times each year, the government and the monarch announce 'honours' to various 'subjects' – as we are still referred. (Thanks British Americans for failing to overthrow the entire monarchy...) Basically, a bunch of worthy individuals (normal people who do charitable work and significant work in their industries)...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Don’t recruit new followers. Get your followers to recruit for you. “I don’t know who you are or why I should listen to you, but my friend said I should join so I will…” These were the two words utters to me after one of the running shows at which I co-host a stage. Clearly, one of our cult leaders had been busy and was recruiting his friends to the cause. What’s great about getting followers to recruit is the level of built-in trust due to the follower’s relationship with the recruitee. And...
4 months ago • 6 min read
Stories. Know how to tell a story and you can wield a level of influence others can only dream about. In this week’s newsletter, we look at storytelling as a weapon of influence. More specifically, the 'inside' story – the internal narratives that drive rational people to do irrational things. And, by pure coincidence, we have Iron Mike and car manufacturer Jaguar to thank for providing perfect examples. Let's go... Did you have Tyson Delusion Syndrome? Come on, admit it... Were you one of...
5 months ago • 7 min read