Alyson Lex Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing Alyson Lex
Alyson Lex is today’s guest joining us on the Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots free podcast interview.
She is a lady who is a complete rockstar.
Not in the get up on stage and grind it like Tina Turner type of rock star or perhaps she does that in her spare-time.
But the kind of rock star that can make your marketing, jump out of the page, like Mick Jagger on speed.
As she says “I can take you from “I don’t know” or “This doesn’t work” or even “I’m not having any FUN with this!” to “My Marketing ROCKS!”
Which is of course a very confident statement to make, and one that works on every level.
So who is she?
How The Dots Joined Up For Alyson
She is the former Marketing Manager for Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle – whose first sales-letter generated nearly $9,000.00 in less than 3 days to a list barely over 200 people.
My copy and marketing strategy contributed to a campaign that generated over $1 MILLION at an international event attended by more than 1,000 people.
As she says “When I began working for Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer in 2007, a whole new world was opened up to me in terms of marketing.
I’d always paid attention to advertising, and I always had a strange addiction to infomercials, but I never could have imagined that my life would begin revolving around all things marketing, all the time.
I studied Psychology, English and Creative Writing in college – never once suspecting that perhaps I was setting myself up for a career in marketing.
#I always just loved the English language and the way words could be used to accomplish so many things… and in my Psychology classes, I was learning what made people tick.
Now I have the great pleasure of taking the things that I love and doing them for money!
I get to figure out new ways to make people buy things and it’s quite rewarding to know that my words helped someone increase their bottom line and benefit their bank accounts.
I really do have the best job in the world.”
So what is the difference between creative writing, and great marketing copy?
And does she see that this was something she learnt, or was always in here in some degree?
Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Alyson Lex.
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty subjects such as:
How she fell into the world of copyrighting with no idea of how to make money from
Why you shouldn’t have to worry about being real and authentic and showing you real-self to the world. Be YOU and the kind of people who like people like you will become your customers.
Why being an entrepreneur is great fun, very lucrative but can be difficult when the work needs to be done and you cant escape from it.
And Lastly…..
Why she likes nothing more than belting out a bit of “Loveshack” within a room full of free flowing drinks (and don’t mention the Spice Girls or you wont stop her!)
How To Connect With Alyson lex
Return To The Top Of Alyson Lex
If you were inspired by Alyson Lex on the show why not check out other inspiring talk such as Johnny Berba, Joe De Sena, Rob Moore and the amazing Jack Canfield
You can also of course dive head first into thousands of podcast episodes at the JUD’s archives
Full Transcription Of Alyson Lex Interview
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling. Join Up Dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK. David Ralph.
David Ralph [0:25]
Yes, hello there. Hello, world. Hello, America. Are you enjoying the Trump stuff? I tell you what makes me laugh on this side. What are you doing? What are you doing? Obviously, that will make no sense in 20 years if anyone comes to this podcast, but by then, probably America won’t be around. He would have done some bizarre actions. But hopefully Today’s guest is going to be around because she she’s a little bit snotty. She’s not feeling very well. She’s a little bit sneaky. But she is a complete Rockstar not in the get up on stage and grind it like Tina Turner type of rock star, or perhaps she does in her spare time, but the kind of rock star that can make your marketing jump out of the page, like Mick Jagger on speed, as she says, I can take you from I don’t know, or this doesn’t work or even, I’m not having any fun with this to my marketing rocks, which is, of course, a very competent statement to make and one that works on every level. So who is she? Who is she you asking? Well, she’s the former marketing manager for Glaser Kennedy insider circle, whose first sales letter generated nearly 9000 in less than three days to a list barely over 200 people. As she says her copy and marketing strategy contributed to a campaign that generated over 1 million at an international event attended by more than 1000 people. That story really starts when when she was started working with Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer in 2007. A whole new world was opened up to her in terms of marketing, she’d always paid attention to advertising and I’ve always had a strange addictive addiction to info commercials but she never could have imagined that her life would begin revolving around all things marketing all the time. She studied psychology, English and creative writing in college and never went suspecting that perhaps he was setting herself up for a career in marketing, the clothes were there, the clothes were there. She always just loved the English language and the way words could be used to accomplish so many things. And in her psychology classes, she loved learning what made people tick. And now she says, I have the great pleasure of taking the things that I love and doing them for money, I get to figure out new ways to make people buy things. And it’s quite rewarding to know that my words help someone increase their bottom line and benefit their bank accounts. I really do have the best job in the world slowly. You have the second best job in the world. I think I’ve got that one. So what is the difference between creative writing and great marketing copy? And does she see that this was something she learned, or was it really always in her in some degree? Well, let’s find out as we bring onto the show today. Join Up Dots with the one and only Alyson Lex. How are you Alyson?
Alyson Lex [3:05]
Oh, thank you so much for having me on and for that incredible introduction, although I do have to say you’ve never seen me at karaoke. So you might want to hold on to that that Tina Turner comment. Do you do kind
David Ralph [3:16]
of because I’m on a big karaoke person you
Alyson Lex [3:20]
love karaoke? I think it’s so much fun, but nobody wants to go with me anymore.
David Ralph [3:24]
I’ll do it with you. Allison Weber. I live in Baltimore, don’t you?
Alyson Lex [3:28]
I do. I’m on the east coast. So it’s just a quick little flight right from Heathrow, if that’s your closest airport, just hop on hop on the British Airways for about eight hours and you’re here. I had
David Ralph [3:39]
a lovely shopping trip in a mall outside Baltimore once very, very pleasant went to see a couple of films. There was no karaoke anywhere. So where where was I wrong? Where was I going? Well,
Alyson Lex [3:50]
you got to go to the downtown dive bars. This little hole in the wall bars that don’t look like much from the street but inside they’ve got a karaoke machine and some free flowing drinks. Usually I require a couple of drinks to really get up on that karaoke machine. But sometimes I can do it. Right when I walk in the door.
David Ralph [4:08]
I don’t require anything. I just get up there and like grind my stuff. So what what is your song? Cuz? Did you know but I’ve actually just now bought in a karaoke section into Join Up Dots.
Alyson Lex [4:23]
Well, you know, it’s a shame that I’m a little under the weather. I don’t think I can hit the high notes today. Um, but I really do love singing love Shaq. Um, obviously that’s a duet. When I need a nice, nice deep, deep voice partner to sing that when I have a good time with that. And that anything really by the Spice Girls is a good time.
David Ralph [4:47]
Right now very much that just burst out of me is that I
Alyson Lex [4:54]
heard it I that must have been the karaoke portion of Join Up Dots for your size. Yeah.
David Ralph [5:00]
That’s what we’re gonna do, I’m gonna create a whole new show. So you are somebody that obviously likes having fun, you like enjoying yourself.
Alyson Lex [5:07]
And it that jumps out
David Ralph [5:09]
on your website, your marketing does rock because I’m very aware now doing this job, I spend a bit of time researching virtually stalking you and bear some websites that are really boring. But I look here, and I’m noticing more and more that the real branding that appeals to me is when the character burst out, you actually get a sense of the person. It’s not like people hide behind it. I’ve been talking about this a lot recently, because it’s really quite relevant how it’s changed over the last few years. Do you see that in your own work? Do the ones that fly and the marketing campaigns that go? Are they the ones that have a bit of humour in it and a bit more personality from the person presenting the product?
Alyson Lex [5:52]
Absolutely. And and it’s, it’s been in, you know, not just stuff that I’ve written but in things that I’ve seen in my swipe file or the stuff that I saw that worked really well Glaser, Kennedy, that sales letter that you mentioned, the first one I ever wrote, it was full of personality. And it was me offering a scholarship if you will an event discount to come back to another event. So it brought in my own college experience and the scholarship aspect of what I did, and presented it to the audience. So they got to know me, they got to know a little bit about my story. But then of course, it also had the nice benefit for them of a really big discount. And if you think about it, it really comes down to the fact that people buy from people. So it doesn’t matter if you’re b2b, b2c, you know, beat a dog beat a cat, whatever it people buy from people. And so your company can have 1000 people in it, but if you’re the face of the company, that’s what people are buying from you can look at something like Dollar Shave Club, for instance, which I’m not sure if you have over there in the UK, but but they’ve done some really, really great personality based marketing and they’ve they’ve blown up really big. They started with some viral videos. And now I think I saw commercial on during the Superbowl. And they it’s all personality driven. And there’s a guy that’s the face of the company and you instantly know him. I don’t know his name, but I know his face. And he’s funny, and people buy from him. And you know, when May I remember seeing something on their Facebook page where they donated, donated some packs and shaped razor packs and things like that overseas to our troops? And the comments on their page were like, yes, this is exactly the kind of company I want to buy from. This is what you know, I mean, that it wasn’t about the product. At that point. It was about the people running the company. And so if you can take that kind of information, and that kind of a relationship with your customers and put it into everything you do. Not only are you going to convert more, but it’s going to feel so much better. You get to be yourself, writing my website copy it was Tough it’s tough for everybody to write copy, I think. But it, it was more fun and easier because I felt like I could just be myself.
David Ralph [8:07]
I think that is when the power comes together, isn’t it? Because I really, you know, I’m not blowing my own trumpet. I’m not blowing my own trumpet, listen, but I have heard many podcasters sing Spice Girls song, you know, I haven’t heard that happen. And so when you can kind of just throw off the shackles and just be yourself, you actually do find the people that like you and the people that think you’re a complete idiot just go off elsewhere, and you don’t have to sort of worry about them. And that’s the kind of message that I try to get in to the show time and time again, but it’s under your nose, the thing that you should be doing is under your nose and you don’t need to try to be somebody else. You just have to try to be unique and authentic. But of course it’s a journey getting there, isn’t it?
Alyson Lex [8:50]
Absolutely. And I think people I mean, it’s we’re all we all want everybody to like us. I think I think most people I don’t want to say everybody because I don’t like to speak in absolutes. If I I can help it but most people want to be well liked. Right? And so that’s I mean, you know, high school, middle school, it definitely showed there. But even as adults and in business, we want everybody to want what we have. And we’re afraid that people are gonna think we’re idiots and walk the other way because they won’t like us. What do you mean, you don’t like what I’ve got? And it’s okay, not everybody’s gonna like you and some of them aren’t even going to have a good reason. So, focus on making the people who do like you really, really, really like you and give them more of what they like if they like you for who you are, then be more of who you are.
David Ralph [9:39]
Did you know what you want? Because I tell you what I want what I really really want now something I
Alyson Lex [9:46]
think there is a video floating around cyberspace somewhere of, of a friend of mine, and I singing that song very,
very earnestly at a karaoke night.
David Ralph [10:00]
Google, Google it.
Alyson Lex [10:03]
Google may may bring that up.
David Ralph [10:06]
I’m gonna try my hardest to find it. But But do you know do you know what you want? Do you know where it started coming together for you when your superpower really started to shine?
Alyson Lex [10:18]
I completely fell into it. I like to it’s probably not my dirty little secret anymore because I’ve talked about it on a couple of podcasts. But I totally fell into this marketing thing. I had no idea what I wanted to do. When I took the job at Glaser, Kennedy. I got in there as the admin assistant by the time I left I was running the marketing department. So I moved up through the ranks and it was once I really got a handle on what it was and what they were doing. I like to say that the real dirty little secret is I didn’t know who Dan Kennedy was before I took the job.
Unknown Speaker [10:55]
I still use
Alyson Lex [10:58]
Dan Kennedy is one of the Most most respected direct response copywriters in the industry. And so a lot of the really smart marketing people that you hear about today have gotten their start either in his mastermind groups on his stage or by using his products. So he is who a lot of people learn from.
David Ralph [11:19]
He was one of the Spice Girls, which one would he be good give me a flavour because I don’t notice going,
Alyson Lex [11:25]
Oh, well, he’d be Scary Spice because he is a little grouchy. And he can make you a little nervous. If you don’t have that confidence built up. He can be he’s very tall man and he can be a little grouchy and his reputation precedes him and he can be intimidating. So Scary Spice for sure.
David Ralph [11:44]
Right. Okay. So what was it about the job that made you want to go entrepreneurial because obviously, if you fell into it, you was corporate journey.
Alyson Lex [11:56]
I got good at it and so Glaser, Kennedy. It was was very much as a small business in attitude, right big business in revenue, big business and operations, small business in attitude. So I got to see a lot of of how a business is run. Bill Glazer is somebody that I worked with on a daily basis and he really kind of taught me the ins and outs of copywriting and marketing. And he was a really tough boss, but I learned so much from him. And I just, I guess I just realised that I could do it. When I was younger, I didn’t think I had a mind for business. And I realised that I did, I got this marketing thing I was good at writing copy, like I was good at it. And I got to use my creativity in a way that I never, never realised was gonna be fun for me. It was it was almost like I you know, like you mentioned earlier that I’ve been training for it and I have no idea
David Ralph [12:53]
because well, what about the introduction and it’s all of really struck home to me was the fact that can take you from I don’t know, which is fair enough. Or this doesn’t work. That’s fair enough. Or even I’m not having any fun with this. That screams to me because yeah, in business, there’s so much that you don’t like doing. You know, there’s certain bits that you really love doing and you’re very good at it. But the other bits that yes, boring. And as I’m proceeding through with growing this show, I’m getting rid of literally everything that I don’t think is fun. I become a bit of a spoiled child. And if I don’t like doing it, I’m not gonna do it. And I’m just sort of passing on to people.
Alyson Lex [13:33]
That way, too. Yeah, you
David Ralph [13:34]
feel that because you get to a certain point, don’t you that you think yourself? I didn’t go the entrepreneurial route to be doing sales funnels and opt ins and mail marketing. That’s what adults do. I just want to play
Alyson Lex [13:48]
and see I’m like, oh, sales funnels sound fun. I’m like, Oh, I don’t want to do all the social media stuff or, or the admin stuff or you know, I need to hire an accountant or a cleaning lady. I didn’t. Yeah, that’s what I wanted to so do you do
David Ralph [14:01]
like salesman? Oh, because that they’re one of the things that I know are vitally important. But like for me,
Alyson Lex [14:08]
I do, I love putting them together and figuring out how they can work together and putting the products together and writing the copy. And I have a good time with it.
David Ralph [14:16]
So if somebody is out there, and they are starting the journey, they they’re in leap of faith time, and they’ve got this idea of a product. And as we will discover on the journey, it’s all about having a product but if nobody knows about it, it’s a little bit of a problem. Is it a good idea for them to just go through the pain barrier and try to learn the nuts and bolts? Or is it a good idea to farm it off and hire somebody instantly, but they never really get a grasp of what they’re doing. What would you say is a good way to sort of learn the nuts and bolts or hand it straight off?
Alyson Lex [14:51]
You know, I can see the I can see the benefit of both sides to be honest with you, I I’m the kind of person that I think like to know how to do it right? So what if I handed off and then that person gets sick? Or disappears off the face of the planet? And then I’ve got to finish this project on my own. And if I don’t know how to do it, I’m, for lack of a better word. I’m screwed. Yeah. And so knowing how to do at least some of the stuff that you’re outsourcing I think is really important. And I think a lot of people who teach outsourcing I think some of them teach that you should know how to do some of it and some of them teach, just get it off your plate. There are some things that I’m never going to really want to know how to do. Um, you know, and so having an accountant for instance, I, I like to say I’m a writer for a reason, that’s my own hashtag writer for a reason. Because numbers are not my thing. So I should really just let the accountant handle that. But I also don’t want to check out to the point where I don’t know what my numbers are. Right? That’s how people get embezzled from and get into trouble or have just no idea where their business is. So I think that outsourcing is awesome. But you still need to make sure you’ve got a hand in it. And if you know how to do something, you’re not going to find yourself in that middle of the night situation, begging somebody on Facebook to help you out when everybody’s asleep. Because your launches tomorrow and your website’s not up and you don’t know how to deal with it. Because that is the problem. I have a mindset now. But there’s certain things that I can do. I can build websites, but mentally I’ve started to switch off from them because they bore me. And I know that I can do it. I just do it.
David Ralph [16:42]
And the other thing that I don’t like doing is solo networking too much. If people say to me, Oh, are you going to conferences? Are you going to base I think I can’t be bothered. I can Skype and then you can you can have people come to you.
Alyson Lex [16:58]
Yeah, well and so the networking thing you know, like, there are a tonne of Facebook groups, I’m in a bunch of different Facebook groups where I can network and talk back and forth and there’s some for podcasters. And there’s some for coaches and there’s some for women and there’s some for men and all that. And so that’s a really great place to network, I think it can be important to kind of go to I like to try and do at least a couple of conferences a year just so I can get out there and, and meet people. I think there’s really not much that can replace face to face interaction with some entrepreneurs. Whether it’s a big international conference like the Glaser Kennedy conferences, or the digital marketer, traffic and conversion or I know there’s the the the podcasting conference with that pot podcast conference.
David Ralph [17:46]
Name, if it is the podcast conference, let’s call it what should we call it, this podcast conference.
Alyson Lex [17:54]
Um, you know, there are a tonne of those big international ones, but even if it’s just a local Meetup group, that’s in your area get out. I mean, I work from my house with my way too many cats and my husband comes home from work and finds me sitting in my sweatpants. And so it’s like, get out of the house situation, go see other people and, and just be around people who have a business growth mindset like you do even just to recharge and kind of get that motivation back. Did you I’ll be honest with you and listen, do you let yourself go? Do you stay on ammonia at home? Nobody’s gonna see me and then when you have to Skype think oh my god. Oh my god, they can see me dude, you panic. Oh, yeah. So if I’m on a podcast, and it’s a video podcast, it actually I had an interview scheduled for earlier this week. And she called me on Skype and she’s like, Oh, I can’t see you. And I was like, what you want to see me? Uh, we’re gonna need to reschedule. Like, my hair wasn’t done. I was in my hot pink sweatpants. Um, you know, that kind of thing. So I think Do you need to prepare a little bit to be presentable? Um, and I joke that my poor husband comes home to find me and my hot pink sweatpants, or some variation thereof every day.
David Ralph [19:13]
Well, my my wife basically lives in Flint. And she didn’t live like this when I first met her lately, and I’ve had five children and I don’t know how this look ever worked. But she just basically is like a large fluffy pillow. She’s got fluffy slippers on fluffy pyjamas and a fluffy dressing gown and she’d be sitting on the sofa as we speak at the moment, probably under a fluffy blanket. She is like a large marshmallow. It’s not conducive to having any more kids. So I say to all you business ladies out there. Remember, remember you’ve got standards. You had standards when you first met your husbands keep them up.
Alyson Lex [19:52]
Well, you know, it’s so funny I was I was making that joke in a clothing store. Talking in line with with other ladies in line while we were waiting I said, Oh yeah, I’m usually at home in my hot pink sweatpants. And one of the ladies turned around and said, You need to put something nice on for your husband. When he comes home from work. I said, I do put something nice on I put on dinner. Yeah, so that’s the way it was. Yeah, right through the stomach, right?
David Ralph [20:18]
works every time. So if we go back, and as I’m going back through your journey, I’ve just seen a picture of Dan Kennedy. And for people that struggle to know what he looks like, just think of one of the guys in the Muppets who sit in the balcony that the two old guys I don’t know if it’s walled off or Statler, but he looks just like one of those. I don’t think he’s ever gonna come on this show. But if you do, Mr. Kennedy, you will be welcome. Of course you will.
Alyson Lex [20:43]
But he’s smart.
David Ralph [20:45]
Yeah, he’s too smart for me. Um, you you had a few jobs that weren’t sort of connected in your early days you was the administrative assistant at REMAX American dream and then you went to Glaser, Kennedy and what was it As most of us did you take a while to find yourself was it literally as you say, you went to Glaser, Kennedy, you found copywriting. Oh my god, this is my thing. What were what was in your head at school or college when he was going through that?
Alyson Lex [21:13]
Yes. So I went to school for a really long time because I changed majors. A few times, I used to be an education major. So I wanted to be a teacher. And I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little kid, and we would play pretend and I would be the teacher and give them funnily enough math homework because I don’t know I would make up make up math homework, and I, you know, I was the teacher, and all the little tests that they give you in school for career day, I showed up as teacher and I just wanted to be a teacher and then one semester in college, I accidentally accidentally took a class that was a continuing education class. So it was meant for people who were already teaching to continue their education and, and get up to speed on some new developments rather than a degree. class, which is what I needed to take. And so I ended up in this class. And I thought, well, I’ll take it anyway, I’m in it, it’ll be good, good information for me. I’ve always been a big learner. So it wasn’t an issue. And it was me and maybe 20 other 20 people who were already teaching, and I tell you what, not one person in this classroom was happy. I was the only person in this classroom was happy. And I looked around and I just thought, I can’t do this to myself. This is not I can’t sign up for this life, where in in 10 years, I’m going to be jaded and thinking that the world sucks. And that was my first semester as an education major.
David Ralph [22:42]
And that’s where isn’t it? That’s quite where to realise because I think most of us in those early days, we just couldn’t get a job, get money, get a nice car, go off on nice vacations and sort of job done really. So you’re aware that you were going to be jaded.
Alyson Lex [22:57]
Well, I mean, I was I was kind of really hit in the face. Uh, you know, I mean, all of the I was in this class, eventually I stopped just stopped going because it was actually painful for me to go, but they just complained all the time. It was just, it was a big complaining session and, and it just sounded awful. And I just, I guess I thought like, I don’t have time for like, I don’t have time to sign up for this life and put in 20 or 30 years and hope that by the time I get out, I’ve got the energy to do everything I want to do. I guess I I just always wanted more for myself than that. And so I you know, I stayed in school for a little while and I took a bunch of different classes that interested me trying to figure out where I might want to go and I just didn’t have any ideas. You know, I thought maybe I would end up in the psychology field but it didn’t sound exciting. And and that’s when I decided okay, it’s time to go ahead and get a big girl job. That’s actually what I think I told my mom I said, I think It’s time for me to go get a big girl job. Because I was in school full time I was trying to work as much as I could I needed to go get a job that had like, you know, health insurance and vacation, paid vacation time. And all of those things that big girls have, you know, and that’s where Glaser Kennedy came in.
David Ralph [24:18]
But But now you obviously have seen the death but the opposite side of the coin really where you realise you don’t actually have to have paid vacation. You can just fit it around your life being an entrepreneur, sort of vacations and Windows go on weekends, go out the window, Don’t lie.
Alyson Lex [24:32]
Yeah, you know, there’s a quote I saw a long time ago. That’s like, the entrepreneur is the only person who refuses to work 40 hours a week but chooses to work at something like along those lines. I’m probably butchering it. But yeah, you’re right. I mean, I I work all the time.
David Ralph [24:48]
Yeah, I love it.
Alyson Lex [24:48]
I have fun, but I love it right? It doesn’t feel like work. I’m like, you know, I take my tablet with me on vacation. Because my husband won’t let me take the laptop anymore and I you know, write a blog post sit on the balcony or sit on a beach
David Ralph [25:02]
and do your pink trackies with you as well.
Alyson Lex [25:05]
I do take my hot pink sweatpants they have actually I was I was feeding the seagulls on a beach it was wintertime or you know late fall and so it was chilly and I definitely too cold for swimming and my husband dared me to run into the water and I you know rolled up the hot pink sweat pants ran into the water it was very cold I got hit by a wave a soaked and I’m trudging back up to the hotel change my clothes coming back down in the elevator and this nice older couple said oh you are the one on the beach in the hot pink sweatpants. Lesson their main their mainstay.
David Ralph [25:46]
You could have really made their day by skinny dipping or something Kenya that
Alyson Lex [25:49]
I don’t know if it would have made their day or you know,
David Ralph [25:52]
well the old guy he would love the old guys love all that kind of stuff. Even young guys level that it doesn’t matter a bit of nudity on the beach. We have right there doesn’t matter what it is,
Alyson Lex [26:02]
it might have might have had me put in the jail for a little bit,
David Ralph [26:05]
but I would have come and visited here. Well, I’m gonna play some words. Now that’s gonna take us to the next stage of the conversation. And I love these. So I’m gonna play him again. Jim Carrey.
Jim Carrey [26:15]
My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. And our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
David Ralph [26:42]
Now, the question that always comes out after that really is did you just find copywriting and think yeah, I think I could do this, or did you think I love this? This is all I want to do for the rest of my life, or have you moved into that area of love because it almost seems a bit simplistic but Jim says it but way, but I understand exactly what you’re saying.
Alyson Lex [27:03]
So I started writing copy freelance, actually, while I was at GCSE, because I had some debt that I wanted to pay off. And it was a really lucrative way to do that. And after I left gic, I was at another position. And then after that position, I was at another position and I actually got laid off from a job a week before I got married and looked at my soon to be husband and said, I think I’m gonna do this business thing. And he was on board. God love him. And it was copywriting because I’m good. I mean, I’m good at it. And I do I like it. It can be tough. Just like anything can be tough if you do it enough, right. Something that. I think I’ve heard people say if you have a hobby, don’t do it as a business. Yeah, because it won’t be your hobby anymore.
David Ralph [27:55]
The way I think it’s a complete crock. Anyone who says that I’d much rather buy hobby that’s a business man go to a business that I hate. Surely there’s some element of fun if it’s a hobby.
Alyson Lex [28:06]
Exactly. Um, but it does make it it does sometimes when you’re especially in a creative field. You kind of got to always be on with it. You know, I’ve kind of always got to get the ideas going and get them flowing and get
David Ralph [28:21]
on that. Listen, isn’t it? Don’t don’t happen. Oh, it
Alyson Lex [28:23]
is fun. Don’t get me wrong. I’m trying. I’m trying to be humble.
David Ralph [28:27]
Don’t be humble. That’s not what I do here. We have the Spice Girls here and there was one humble one of them. Come on.
Alyson Lex [28:37]
Um, I’m really good at copywriting. And I really enjoy it. And let’s face it, it’s really good for my bank account. And so when I after I got laid off, I turned a copy and I sometimes love it. I sometimes hate it mostly I love it. Sometimes I’m just like, Yeah, I’d like to do something else. But I think that maybe some of that is also me just wondering, because this has been my career for the majority of my adult life has been marketing and it’s almost wondering if I made the right decision and second guessing myself right because that’s what people do you second guess your decisions.
David Ralph [29:20]
Yeah. But yeah, Allison, if you compare, you always come up with a negative nobody ever compares to make themselves feel better. They’re like, you know now, right you’re doing with somebody digging ditches, you wouldn’t go, oh, maybe that would be good. You’re just looking at great stuff, thinking maybe I should be doing that to make yourself feel miserable. But you happy with what you’re doing? You’ve got a nice bank account. You’ve got a husband who doesn’t care what you look like. And you’re running down beaches, naked and exciting old people. It’s a great life.
Alyson Lex [29:52]
No, it’s it’s definitely I’m definitely in the I love what I do stage of my life. My life and I’m building some really great businesses that that are going to take me where I want to go and my future so I am always looking ahead and and setting really big but achievable goals for myself and I’m totally on the way there it’s super exciting.
David Ralph [30:17]
So do you buy into what Jim Carrey says that you might as well take a chance and doing something that you love when? I don’t know have you got kids?
Alyson Lex [30:25]
I don’t have kids. We actually my husband and I have just been approved to adopt a baby.
David Ralph [30:31]
Oh, brilliant. Congratulations
Alyson Lex [30:32]
on that. So we’re that’s one of the goals right up there.
David Ralph [30:38]
Yes, don’t lie in more copyright don’t do these podcasts. Just get out there writing stuff makes you money. That’s what you need to do. So when the kids are grows up and says, Mommy, I don’t know what to do with myself. Sounds vaguely Chinese. I’ve got no idea why you’re adopting Chinese kids. But anyway. Would you say to them, Look, don’t worry about what you do. Just enjoy yourself. Oh, would you say no, you know, you’ve got to get a good career get a pension, what would you go?
Alyson Lex [31:07]
I, you know what I would I, my husband are so different on this too. He is very college career pension. And I’m like, do whatever. Um, but what I advise my clients to do when they are building their info products, or trying to figure out a business or any of that is look at where your passion and your profit intersect. You know, I mean, if you really, really like banging on plastic pickle tubs in the middle of the street, I don’t know that a lot of people are going to pay you for that. However, if you’re out, they might pay depending on how good you are. There are some of those street performers that they bang on those plastic five gallon drums and they’re amazing, but, I mean, they wouldn’t pay me to play those. They want me to stop. I’m terrible. But you know if you can find something that you really love doing People are going to pay you to do then yes, go do what you love. If If my children say, you know what, I really love computers, and I want to fix them perfect that plenty of people will pay you to do that. If my children say I really like, you know, the military, and I think that that’s great, go for it. If they say I’d like to go to college and be a doctor perfect like, but don’t just pick something because it’s what’s expected. Pick something because it’s going to make you go where you want to go. Because the last thing you want is in 20 or 30 years to realise that it’s too late to do what you’ve always wanted to do. You know?
David Ralph [32:39]
Yeah, it does. Doesn’t really does go quick. All I’m now pondering and I’m 45 years old, and I spend all my time thinking, I could be dead when I’m 20, you know, another 20 years or 30 years, I’ve already started thinking that way. And it’s terrible because we’ve had a lot of celebrities recently die in their 60s and I’m thinking myself My god, that’s only 20 years time. I can’t get going, you know, David Bowie was what 67 or something? Oh, awful. Yeah, if and it was such a sort of shock and a surprise, so you don’t need God. So when you’re on the planet listeners, you know, enjoy yourself, have fun, and go out and make money and make love on the beach and do whatever you want to do. That’s not illegal.
Unknown Speaker [33:22]
Right? But
David Ralph [33:23]
just be aware that time runs out really quickly. And as you get older, it goes even quicker for some reason.
Alyson Lex [33:28]
Yeah, Yeah, it does. And, and I again, I saw a study on that, that I think it’s all about relative. So the older you are, the more time you have. So it feels like it goes faster because it takes up a less percentage or smaller percentage of your life.
David Ralph [33:41]
I think he’s just that you have more fun when you get older. I
Alyson Lex [33:45]
you know what i think i think that’s the case.
David Ralph [33:47]
Yeah, I’m looking forward with my dad. He’s now 78. And he just started well a couple of years ago as opposed just saying what’s in his head, and it just comes out and half the time he’s moderately offensive, but he just doesn’t He doesn’t care. And I just think, you know, when we’re all talking about on these shows about being authentically you, he’s he’s totally into that. But you get to that age that people allow it to happen as well. And I quite like the thought of that just walking around, deciding, I basically do it on the podcast anyway. But there is some kind of restrained, but he’s got no restraint at all.
Alyson Lex [34:23]
Well, and I think, you know, I mean, in my personal life in my, in my day, when I, when I do go out of the house, as seldom as that might be, I try to be, quote, unquote, that person, like, my goal is to try and send one person home talking about me that day, you know, telling a funny story, or oh my gosh, I met that person in the store today, like you would not believe this person I met at, you know, just having a good time. And sometimes it ends up that I’ve built businesses in the grocery store checkout line. I’ve done that a number of times, because I have so much fun with it, but sometimes I’m just, you know, friendly and having a good time and laughing at myself and inviting others to join in.
David Ralph [35:02]
Did you think it’s interesting when you look back at your life and you started by wanting to be a teacher, now you basically teach people to make more money with their marketing? Yeah, it’s always the same that the tiny little person, feelings that we have what we want to be is really quite spot on. It may not be exactly as we perceive it, but it’s close enough. If you like teaching, when you’re a little kid, you’re gonna want to teach and when you’re older, you just have to find an environment that you like doing it in.
Alyson Lex [35:31]
Yeah, I don’t find it surprising at all. Actually, it’s it’s been a goal of mine to figure out how to incorporate more teaching and education based stuff into my business. And it just it makes sense for me to teach other people how to do it, or to help people teach what they know in the info product creation space. So I help people kind of figure out how to use some of the the education background that I have on how to teach certain things and how to outline things and some of the The stuff that I learned and use it actually in the info space.
David Ralph [36:04]
Because it’s really interesting though that on every single episode people, you know, as you say, it’s not surprising, but the world is surprising. That’s why this show everyone should listen to this show when they’re little Well yeah, because hopefully they would get that kind of vibe of actually these these grown ups are actually doing stuff like doing how has this work? Because it’s, it’s in here, if you like to be outside, climbing trees as a kid, then work in a forest when you get older, you know, if you want to be fiddling around with cars, then be a mechanic, but don’t go and work in an office or just it’s bizarre how time and time again, we do really strange stuff just because other people tell us to do it.
Alyson Lex [36:46]
Well, and I you know, I remember my mom was telling me at one point we were talking about school, the schooling and this is about the time that I stopped studying education and, and she said that when she was in school, you could choose the classes. that you wanted to take based on your aptitude. Like you could, you could say, Hey, I really like taking shop classes, I want to take more of those. Whereas when I went to school, I didn’t have time, I had so many core classes that I had to take in high school that I didn’t have time to take all those quote unquote, fun classes. I had to take my English and my math and my history and, and so I feel like, you know, I’m gonna really try not to get on the education system soapbox, but I feel like it’s been moving toward this very regimented way of being and it’s it is it’s prescribing a future for someone. And that’s, well, that’s not any fun. I don’t want you to tell me what my future is gonna be. I want to do it myself.
David Ralph [37:40]
I think you know, I’ve said this on numerous podcasts. So I do get on the education bandwagon, but it’s Sunday afternoon is hell in my house, and my daughter has to do her homework. It’s some stupid maps which, okay, it might be clever to know it. But as an adult, he Don’t use it. You really don’t. And for the last few weeks, it’s been fractions into decimals and decimals into fractions. Why did you ever use that now that there might be scientists and people out there that go? No, actually, I do that on a daily basis. But the most of us once you get to a core level of reading, writing, you know, and you should then move on to the fun stuff, you should say, yeah, I’ve learned enough of that. I need to develop my hustle muscle. I need to develop my creativity and muscle. Yeah, so that you can get out and do VUDU and yeah, just enjoy so
Alyson Lex [38:36]
well, and it would be nice. Yeah, we’re just totally going to run on this bandwagon for a minute. But I would be nice if if maybe the kids were taught how mortgages work and how to balance a budget and how to grocery shop and how to do you know, some of the stuff that I really wish I would have known when it was time for me to be aggressive.
David Ralph [38:56]
Do you know what I believe when it comes to kids?
Alyson Lex [38:59]
I’m going to I bet you’re gonna tell me,
David Ralph [39:01]
I believe but children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them every beauty that they possess inside. And it’s true Whitney Houston was a visionary.
Alyson Lex [39:12]
But she’s gonna start singing it again. I thought it was joined up karaoke all over again. I could do it for you. I could
David Ralph [39:17]
do you have you haven’t done it once and I’ve done about six, seven because I’m sick.
Unknown Speaker [39:21]
You’re not sick? how
Alyson Lex [39:24]
old I am. Listen, can you hear my voice getting all crackly? If
David Ralph [39:27]
you were sick, you would have cancelled this podcast, you wouldn’t be on here. presenting your best self. You’re slightly ashamed.
Alyson Lex [39:38]
Now. Now you’ll have to look up the YouTube video of the Spice Girls performance. I’m gonna do it. I’ll tell you what
David Ralph [39:43]
I’m gonna do. There’s a there’s a guy in our save. I can link it when I was in Washington. And there was a guy and he’s name was something like a man American rock star or something. Uh huh. And he would get up and he do karaoke, he was terrible, absolutely terrible.
Alyson Lex [40:03]
And I loved him.
David Ralph [40:04]
Yeah, he had his own shirts and he would sell his own shirts. And I came back and it became a sort of private joke between me and my mates that this guy was there. And we found his website. And I contacted him and I pretended I was a promoter from England and I was looking for the new Bon Jovi, and I was trying to book him in. Now, if he’s listening, I bet he realises that it was him, but um, he was just a complete lunatic, but I loved his lunacy. But he actually had a tour dates on this website. And it was every first day at this one bar in Washington just outside and he said, you know, and you can come and buy merchandise and he set up a little store outside to play. Now that is karaoke as best isn’t it, but he’s actually creating marketing around it.
Alyson Lex [40:52]
Well, and there’s a perfect example of what we’ve been talking about. Here’s a guy that found a way to get paid to do something he loved. He couldn’t get paid through the Traditional routes, he wasn’t getting a record deal. So he made his own shirts and started selling them. And I bet people bought them just for even just for the novelty of the thing.
David Ralph [41:08]
Yeah, his name was Rockstar, Eddie or Rockstar, Billy or, or something like that. I will Google him as well. And I will send it across because this guy had no talent at all. But he had, he had, I don’t know, he had something. He had a quality that I liked, right? And that’s what you want in life, isn’t it? You want people to get up there and it doesn’t matter about the consequences. He enjoyed himself, you know, and he was putting his best foot forward. And that’s that’s what you need. Really, isn’t it? Allison?
Alyson Lex [41:38]
Yeah. Oh, yeah, absolutely. 100%.
David Ralph [41:42]
So when do you know that enough is enough? When you’re doing your stuff, and it’s going very well and you’re successful? When do you sort of go Ah, I’m gonna have three weeks off, I’m just gonna relax. I earned it because that’s one of the problems that entrepreneurs have, as you touched on earlier, is knowing when to Just let it go for a while.
Alyson Lex [42:02]
Yeah, that is it’s a continual struggle for me. And the way that I’ve found that I actually stick to it is I get to a place where I have no internet or cell phone connection. So I’ll go on a cruise to the Bahamas or my husband are thinking about a trip, actually over to your side of the pond to take a cruise down the Danube River, we’re just tossing that one back and forth today. So I go to a place where where I just don’t have access, and I take the time off. Um, but I also you know, I might work until nine or 10 at night some nights. But then I go and I maybe catch a TV show with my husband and the phone is down and I’m, I’m present with him. And so I you know, the work life balance thing that I think everybody chases and nobody really gets it. I don’t like it. I don’t like the whole idea of it because I think that by nature, we’re going to To be out of balance all the time, work is going to be a priority. Some days and personal or life, if you will, is going to be a priority other days. And so rather than being a delicate scale, you’re going to just jump back and forth. And, and that’s okay. And what I what I really work to do is be 100% present, where I need to be when I need to be there. So when I’m out to dinner with my husband, I’ve really been taking a stronger stand at putting the phone down. And when I’m at work, I work to keep my personal my personal life, if you will, outside of my home office, um, obviously worlds collide. And so it’s not always 100% but it is a very concerted effort to make that happen.
David Ralph [43:46]
Because I do yeah, I found when I left my corporate gig, I thought I was gonna have all this free time it was gonna be amazing. And for the first year, I had no free time I just right. Aged very, very quickly and easily. It was a dreadful time. It really was. I look back on it. Yeah. And I think, Okay, fair enough, I had to go through that. But now I’ve got loads of free time. But what I didn’t realise was number one, my kids go off to school. Number two, my wife goes off to work, and all my mates are in corporate gigs. So you’re either going to be an entrepreneur walking around the fields, talking to the cows, when you go back to work, and so I kind of work all the time. But as you said about the hobby business, I think that’s rubbish. Because even when I’m not doing it, I go Oh, we’re just gonna come and do 10 minutes I’ll run up you know, I’m just want to get back to it because it’s, it’s inspiring to be able to create something and in the, in the corporate world, you never truly create Do you You’re always just being dictated to by by idiots. That’s, that’s my experience.
Alyson Lex [44:48]
Yeah, well, and I think that was what made Glaser Kennedy different than, than my jobs after that. So I like to joke that they ruin me for other companies, and made me unemployable. Because I think did get to create there I did get to take ownership of things. And it it kind of helped me learn to love that like I liked being in charge, if you will. I like being the boss. It’s kind of fun. I mean, it’s totally stressful Don’t get me wrong it’s totally stressful to be responsible for the financial and if this goes out and it’s wrong, it’s it’s on me and if the client hates it that’s on me which they don’t usually hate it so that works out well for me. Like it’s stressful there. But man, is it liberating to not have to answer to somebody else’s brain it’s just, I get to create
David Ralph [45:34]
your right. I can imagine you like to be the boss, though I really can. I can, I can sense but
Alyson Lex [45:41]
I am a little type A. I do have a little bit of a type A personality as laid back as I try to be as good natured as I am and as friendly and all that. I am. I’m a little bit of a control freak.
David Ralph [45:54]
Now we can see it. We can see it all the way through. We really can. Well I’m gonna play the words of Somebody that was kind of like a control freak. And then he learned his ways and came back strong. This is Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs [46:07]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [46:42]
Now we’ve had a very sort of light hearted conversation and one of the things that Steve Jobs sort of says on the end, stay young and stay foolish or be foolish or whatever. Do you think that is how life should be going forward? You say stressful but you think is always going to be stressful? Do you think there’s always going to be pressure Or will you get to the point where it is totally play?
Alyson Lex [47:04]
I think there’s, I think there’s always going to be stress, I think there’s always going to be pressure as long as you’re pushing yourself. Because if there’s not, if there’s not stress, if there’s not movement, there’s no growth. And I think that, you know, for me, one of the things that I really, really strive to do is continually grow continually be better at my at my job at my business and what I do and who I am and how I, you know, what kind of wife I am, my goal was always to be a better person. And without that pain, there is no growth. But I think that that’s, I mean, that’s okay. Because it allows you to enjoy the play even more. Think about it. If you didn’t have stress, if you didn’t have, quote, unquote, work if you didn’t have responsibilities, isn’t play just boring. Isn’t it isn’t there nothing to compare it to that that is its foil is the counter act to The play it’s you know, it’s just like, you know, somebody said death makes life worth living. Because if you live forever Are you really living or you just existing? And so I think that that’s that is is what makes it okay but there’s going to be nobody’s life is ever perfect they might look at look that way from the outside but nobody’s ever got it all. And so if you had it all it wouldn’t feel that great because you wouldn’t have not had it all. I feel like I’m not making sense and maybe the day coils kicking in but
David Ralph [48:34]
you come you’re making perfect sense and it makes me realise I saw a picture the other day that said it every day was perfect. It would just be average. And that’s right up. Oh, that’s true. You see you you’re crystal clear. I understood totally.
Alyson Lex [48:49]
Well, that I need more data. Well, no.
David Ralph [48:52]
I have no idea what this is you’re taking what is this some kind of weird underground drug.
Alyson Lex [48:57]
Take well is a date Time cold and flu relief. So and then there’s also NyQuil, which is nighttime cold and flu relief. And I use the generic version from the corner drugstore,
David Ralph [49:11]
I had this image it was like crystal meth or something like that.
Alyson Lex [49:14]
Um, no, I think now there is. There’s one brand called robots huson. And I’ve, I really do swear I’ve never actually done this, but I have friends that have, there’s something called Robo tripping, which is where you chug an entire bottle of robot toxin in order to take advantage of the very small drug and alcohol content.
David Ralph [49:36]
Now, if you pee in life, you don’t need to do about the
Alyson Lex [49:39]
That’s right. I’m good. No, I’m just doing the day quote to keep the cough at bay.
David Ralph [49:45]
You’re doing well, you’re doing well. Well, we’re gonna push you to the very last part now, which is the Sermon on the mind when we send you back in time to have a one on one with your younger self. And if you could go back in time and speak to the young Allison, what age would you choose and what advice would you give what We’re gonna find out because I’m going to play the theme too. And when it fades you up, this is the Sermon on the mic.
Alyson Lex [50:30]
All right. So picture it.
I am 21 years old, I’m working at a bar. And I am spending the good majority of my my weekends not remembering them, because that’s what you do at a bar. And I have no idea that I’m totally about to be thrown for a loop in this school career thing. And what would I say? I would say, first of all, all of this heartbreak and pain, or whatever you think you’re about to go through, it is not that serious, that trust me, in just a few years, it’s gonna be just great. Your life is going to be great. But I think we all need to say that to our younger selves, what I would really say is, you know, that you’re awesome at who you are, and what you do. And you need a little bit of time to finish growing up. And then you’re going to have it, you’re gonna have the thing that’s going to set you up for a really, really great life. And it’s going to take some work, and it’s going to take some long hours, and it’s gonna be a little stressful from time to time. And yeah, you’re gonna have to grow up and deal with some money. But just push your push your way through it and don’t give up and you’re gonna get there.
Unknown Speaker [52:00]
Don’t
Alyson Lex [52:01]
let other people
make you feel like you are insignificant. I think that’s the biggest thing that I would say to myself at any point in my life Even now, to not let other people make me feel like I am insignificant.
David Ralph [52:18]
Right advice what’s the number one best way better audience can connect with you Allison?
Alyson Lex [52:24]
I am on social just about everywhere you can catch my website at Rock your marketing comm You can also find me at ask a copy experts calm I have an amazing business partner who’s also a Glaser Kennedy alum. And so either one of those websites you can connect with me through there. With me through there to our socials, my social my Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, you can see pictures of my cats everywhere.
And that’s really the best way rock your marketing.com or ask a copy expert. com
David Ralph [52:58]
We will have over links on the show. Show Notes. And while you were talking, I must admit, I googled one of my friends who met Rockstar Gary, that’s his name. He’s the guy from Washington. And you can go over to Rockstar gary.com and watch the glory of this man perform. It’s quite amazing. So we have that on the show. I might get him on the show. I might be
Alyson Lex [53:23]
amazing.
David Ralph [53:24]
We could do a combined one that we all sing different parts. And so
Alyson Lex [53:28]
you could have the join up karaoke Special Edition. I think it would be like a holiday edition.
David Ralph [53:33]
Absolutely. Hosted by Allison and Rockstar, Gary.
Unknown Speaker [53:37]
Yeah.
David Ralph [53:39]
That will be perfect. I just sit back going. It’s nothing to do with me. I don’t know where they’ve come from. But thank you so much for spending time with us today. joining up those dots. Please come back again. When you have more dots to join up, Allison because I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Allison Lex Thank you so much.
Alyson Lex [54:00]
Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed it.
David Ralph [54:04]
When I never thought I’d do a show where I spend more time talking about the Spice Girls than anything else, but she she was great. She was great fun, and she wasn’t well bless her, but she still got up and she came to the mic with a big box of tissues all around. And she delivered and the reason she did that is because she wants to do that. It’s very different, very different from being into a corporate than when you found out we can’t come into work today. Totally different because you’re doing the thing that you enjoy doing. Just like Rockstar Gary does, might get him on the show. Who knows I might invite him on. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much for being a part of it. And we will connect with you again. On the next episode of Join Up Dots. Thanks very much.
Outro [54:48]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you or wants to become. So he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices including The two that changed his life. Head over to Join Up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on Join Up Dots.
