Business Growth Solutions with Akira Iguchi - I Love Marketing Episode #293

I'm dean jackson, he's joe polish and.

This is the I love marketing podcast.

In this episode you'll learn business business growth solutions with Genius X and Genius Network member Akira Iguchi. Akira is an eight time best selling author, coach and business consultant that is committed to helping you build your business. If you would like access to the full interview, the show notes and the special resources for this episode, please visit ilovemarketing.com 293 that's ilovemarketing.com 293 hello, this.

Is Joe Polish and I've got a great special guest on the phone with me all the way from Japan. Here I am in America and he's in Japan and his name is Akira Eguchi and he is the author of a book called Lifestyle Millionaire. Share your passion, help people build your brand and freedom. And I first met Akira on Necker island and he's part of our genius x 100k group. Just a brilliant entrepreneur and, and one of the top, if not the top personal development expert in the entire country of Japan. So Akira, great to spend this time with you and let's jump into talking about what you do and how you do it. And for people that do not know who you are, this is the first time you're really releasing something in America in a big level which is your book Lifestyle Millionaires. So give us a bio of kind of who you are.

Sure, yeah. Thank you for having me Joe. Absolutely. So my name, yeah, thank you. So my name is Akira Iguchi. I am the eight times international bestselling author. My book has been sold more than 300,000 copies in Japan, all over Asia. Now my ninth book coming out in the US which is lifestyle Millionaire. I've been, this is my, has been 10 years I've been helping more than 100,000 people how to turn their passion into million dollar business by coaching, speaking, writing, online marketing. So I do big live events between like few hundred people to up to 2000 people all over Japan. Also I do online launches that to promote my book and online courses or live event which generate between a million dollar to up to eight figure loans, $10 million loans. So my passion is basically like help people to you know what their passion, what they're passionate about them turn into, you know, the income they can not only help people but make a career or you know, make money out of it so they can keep continue, you know, helping others. So that's my passion that I've been doing the past ten years. Okay, great, great.

And now our friend Brendan Bashar he actually gives you a testimonial that says Akira lays out the path for turning your passions into wealth and a lifestyle you love. It's a must read for anyone hoping to become a thought leader or coach in any topic or industry. And in your newest book you actually talk about business models. And that's one of the things I actually want to get in with you. When we kind of get into this conversation first, I want you to kind of go through, I think it's always fascinating to hear how somebody started as an entrepreneur. So how did your journey start as an entrepreneur? I'd like to see the similarities to how it started for me and how it started for you considering Japan. And I want to see the similarities and the differences between my knowledge of America and of course I know nothing about Japan, although I'm sure there's similarities. So how did your journey start?

Sure. So my journey has begun. Ten years ago, however I was already I studied abroad to the US when I was 21 years old. So 15 years ago then the reason I came to us is that I was a teenager. I was having hard time in Japan. I didn't fit in, you know, my friends culture. So you know, I was bullied. So I have to change the school like five times, you know, junior high and high school. So I, you know, didn't like myself. I felt like, oh, you know, am I the only one I can't do, you know, like other people. So basically I wanted to, you know, start over my life. So that's why I choose to go, you know, us 15 years ago. Then at the time I was really, really like depressed, like lonely, homesick and didn't speak much language about 3, 4 months then I was just depressed, you know, almost suicidal. Then at the time I was listening to the radio. Then one song came by, it's Hero by Mario Kelly. Then the lyrics goes like this. There is a hero if you look inside your heart. So when I listened the song I was impressed. I realized that oh that's so true that I was like looking for answers outside of myself. Like I was looking for like how can I be successful? You know, I could that I didn't like myself, you know. But I got the idea of the I gotta see what my passion is like who I am. So that's my self personal development journey has begun. Then I went to Tony Robbins seminar, learned about marketing, online marketing. Then I knew that that way will come to Japan soon. So 2007, 10 years ago I moved back to Japan then I was 25. I had no money, I had no friends because I didn't stay in Japan for years. And I would send my friend's friend because I didn't have money for free. So I just, I knew that the wave is coming, the wave of the coaching business or personal development seminars or online marketing. So I just started by like one on one coaching for other people that I'll share with my knowledge what I learned in the US from the top expert to help other people to, you know, achieve goals. And it's like life coaching. I just started 101. That's how I started.

It's kind of interesting because it's pretty much the same sort of ways that so many people build and grow their business. I mean, they see something, they see an opportunity and they pursue it. There's a Peter Drucker quote, I don't know exactly how it goes, but it's something along the lines of, you don't get wealthy by solving problems, but by exploiting opportunities. And so, you know, certain. Yeah, you know, and I mean, so you saw an opportunity, you exploited it. Now certainly along the way we have to solve problems. But the, but the real, you know, that's a necessity. But the real wealth is just seeing an opportunity and pursuing it. Why do you think some people have the vision to see a trend and other people don't? I mean, and I say that meaning I'm sure other people see it, but they don't act upon it. Whereas you just, you did.

Mm. I'd say I think everybody has different passion. Right. So I, my passion was personal development. Like I like desperately wanted to change my life, you know, because I was having hard time when I was in teenager, so I thought that would be so awesome that if I could change my life, like my how I feel emotionally, like mentally and physically, that idea of, you know, you can change your life, you can grow yourself, you can find a belief that you don't like, then you can change or you can change the environment you are in. You know, if you don't like the environment you are, you can, you know, change your environment. People who you spend time with. So that, that was my passion. So I think when I found the opportunity of the finding your passion or you can teach others as well, that it resonate my interest, my passion and my, you know, that I, that I felt that, oh, that's, I want to be, you know, that I want to do in my life. So I.

Space.

Yeah. People who felt that way, they take action, you know, they can't like almost Help, you know, taking action. They can't help to learn more about it. You know, they can help to be part of that tribe almost. So that's what I felt at the time.

Gotcha. Yeah. You know, in, on page 12 of your book, there's, there's a part where you say, read this. It says, perhaps as you read this part of my story, you're wondering, what has this to do with passion? The answer is one of the most powerful ways you'll find your passion and struggle, ask yourself. And there's these four questions and there I just thought this was very interesting. The first one was, how have I struggled in life? When were things really difficult for me? What was I up against and how did I overcome it? And, and then you say the last question is the clue for an overcoming the difficulty. You opened the way up, you opened the way to a new phase of your life. I will be shortly suggesting other ways to find your passion. So that actually is a pretty key question and it forces the mind. After I read that, I actually asked someone that was going through a real difficult time yesterday said, you know, what was the most difficult thing you've ever had to struggle with in your life and how did you overcome it? And it was amazing how that question just forced her to think, oh, you know, here's what I did, here's how I did it. And she was going through a really difficult time with a ex husband who the situation was she had children with this man and now this man has another person that he's having a child with. And this, there's like a manipulation of the children and what this guy is saying. And she was just having a really hard time and a lot of resentment. And I was talking her through it. Well, you know, how did you overcome it? And it's amazing. She actually became solution oriented simply by asking herself that question. So why is it that the seed to your future growth and what you refer to as your passion is coming from the difficult areas of your life, the struggles, what the challenges were, and then how you overcame it. Can you kind of walk us through that? Because I think it's really important.

Yeah, absolutely. I would say because we everybody living like kind of comfortable life, when you're comfortable, you know, you are, you know, you live in like good health, you have a good friend, you have, you know, good job. You don't have to figure out, right? You just kind of live everyday life, you know, get. Do what you got to do every day so you don't have to figure out. You don't have to improve yourself. You try to, you know, you don't try much, you know. However, if you are in, you know, like difficult situation or struggling situation, as you said about your friend, I think that's the time people, you know, face their fear and deep, deeply think about, oh, what I want to do now, you know, what I want to get out of it or how can I get away from situation, how can I overcome the situation? So I think that's the time it's all of you are guided to that situation to figure out the way to go to the next level in your life. So I think that if you got. Everybody has a time like that in the life or in the business. Especially if you're in business, you know, entrepreneurs, sometimes you have the difficulty of your financial situation or team members programs or you know, marketing program, sales program, you know, I think when you face the difficulties or difficult time and that makes you to think or deeply think and you, that makes you to grow and find real answers to real answers in your life, then you can, you know, learn something that skills or mindset, then that how you go to the next level. Right.

Gotcha. Okay, well, so you said like the worst times in your life you were suicidal.

Mm. Yeah.

So what did you, what did you do? I mean, what, what got you out of that? Well, what got you there in the first place? Did you just feel like you didn't fit in? I mean, what, what was it that put you in that sort of place? Was it your upbringing? Was it your environment? Was there something happening in school? I mean, I know you describe a lot of the things and what you teach people, but I wanted for people that have never heard of you, I want them to kind of hear a little bit of your story.

Sure. So I was in New York City by myself. That's like first year of the time I came to us then I knew I knew nobody in New York City at the time. I had no friends. And yes, I was student, but I was extremely shy. So I didn't, you know, talk much with friends and other people or I just kind of close my mind because I was bullied in the past and I was hurt. So I didn't want to open myself to the opportunity to meet new people. But of course I was afraid to getting hurt. Right. So then also I was getting feel depressed. That was like first, very first time for me to live in a very different environment. In New York City it's very busy, everybody's busy. So, you know, it's kind of difficult to make friends. And I was so, I would say confused and like worried and didn't know what keeping the classes. I was just by myself in the room and depressed and I barely could get out of the room. You know, maybe once a day I was calling my, you know, the parents at the time. You know, I felt so lonely, I didn't know what to do and just, I felt like no one could help me at the time. So that leaves like three or four months, you know. So that's how I get depressed and almost suicidal.

Yeah, that's a, that's a, that's a bad place to be in. What advice would you give to people that have. Either are there have gotten in those places or deal with depression? What, what would you say to them?

I'd say definitely talk to someone. My case, I, you know, call my parents in Japan like, you know, or somebody has, you know, a friend or, or even had calling lines, you know, for the, you know, ask for the help. So definitely encourage all those people to ask help. That's not easy if, you know, get used to it. So I think at the time my lesson is that, oh, I need to ask help. You know, if you can't figure out by yourself, you need to ask help. You can say, oh, I'm not okay right now. Like, you know, thanks for your situation. Then like ask for advice, ask for the help. That, that's what I did. And yeah, it felt just sometimes, you know, they give you answer advice, but more likely you can share your.

You.

Know, emotion and feeling that makes you feel so much better. Even in, you know, life struggle or business struggle. I always do that. If you struggle in the business, if I ask somebody else, otherwise will help. Yeah, right.

My friend Ned Hallowell, who's a one of the top ADD ADHD doctors, has written a whole bunch of books. You know, he has a three step worry plan which is don't worry alone. Get the facts and have a plan. That's his three step, you know, worry system is if you, you know, don't worry alone. If you're, if you're freaking out, if you're in pain, reach out to someone. The second is get the facts. He's like, if someone a disease as an example, instead of hiding in the sand, you know, try to get the facts of what's going on and then create a plan. And you know, it's, it's simple advice, but it's, it's something that I use all the time whenever I'm in a situation that I don't know how to deal with. And I believe people get very depressed. And as you know, I work a lot in the field of addiction, which is one of my latest passion projects. And for me, you know, the addiction was the artificial connection, you know, the drugs and the behaviors, because I just felt incredibly disconnected. So the more you can connect with people, the better. And if you stay connected that within that, I think that's where you start developing the skills and you start developing the, you know, the, you know, the pursuits and the ambitions. And so in your book Lifestyle Millionaire, you talk about, you know, follow your real passion. And I wanted, you know, how. I want you to talk about how you recommend this. Someone does this because I. And you've heard me talk about this in Genius Network. I mean, I'm not sold on the find your passion and everything's gonna work out. I mean, I tend to agree with, like, what a guy like Cal Newport talks about. You know, you want to develop a skill that's rare and valuable and offer it to the world. And within that, you can, you know, develop, you know, passion around that. So I'd love to hear your take on how someone does follow their, you know, their real passion and, you know, turn that into usefulness, money, and amongst other things in their life.

Absolutely. So I got to share this story, how I found my passion. So I was reading the books, you know, personal development books such as Think and grow rich, seven habits. That I think I was, like, 18 or 19. The reason I picked up those book, because I think I was, like, struggling. You know, how can I. I think I was still in Japan then, trying to figure out, how can I change my life. I felt like I was stuck. So I pick up those books and read it, like, several times because I was hooked, you know, then I like that idea of, oh, I. You know, you can change your life by following the step or change your mind, change your, you know, physiology, change your mindset. Because I was struggling. That's why I think I would hook those ideas or concepts. So if you want to find your passion, like, just. I recommend that just finding what you struggle with or. Because if you struggle with something you want to. You want to solve, you want to overcome, right? Then you're going to go books or audios or videos or seminars, then you're going to find a way then if I'm sure if you struggle with something that's not only about you and millions of other people struggle with the same thing. That's my case. That was like, depression or next will be. I Was struggling with my business when I started the business, so that I went, I learned more about marketing, right? So if you struggle with something, try to find a solution or learn more about that, then how you can overcome the program. That's how you're gonna, how you're gonna learn your skills. Then you can teach that skill to other people. Because many people just struggle, then they wouldn't do anything. But they are happy to, you know, solve their problem by, you know, asking somebody's help or, you know, somebody, I'll pay money. Like that's why people go doctors and lawyers, those professionals and experts, right? So yeah, that's, Everyone can do the same thing.

You know, I mean, it's, you said if you're struggling, find a solution. And so many people, you know, I mean, it sounds so obvious, but it's, you know how often people are struggling and they just don't, they're just not solution oriented. It's almost as if their, their brains don't know how to find or get to something. And I believe in many cases, you know, that's true. I mean, if you don't know how to solve a problem, then you are stuck with it. And if you live in that problem long enough, if you don't have a person, a environment, a method to get out of it, you're going to continue to stay stuck. And I think that's why reading and seminars and courses and interacting and learning is more available now than it ever has been. I mean, you can literally, if you have access to a computer, oh my God. I mean, the level of stuff you can just find solutions to is endless. And yet so many people just don't take all of the ingredients that are readily available to them. I mean, we're no longer living in a world where, you know, there was a cliche for many years, you know, that nothing, you can't receive anything, you know, free of charge, that's worth anything. And of course, that's pointless today because this podcast is an example. I mean, all of the. Yeah, I mean, there's tons of free shit that is really helpful. And if someone doesn't, either they don't have access to it or they do and they still, you know, they still don't somehow piece it together, right? So you actually have formulas, you know, such as being a successful, you know, writing successful books because you done that, you know, you're eight time, I believe, best selling author. I mean, there's lots of stuff that you do. So talk about business models, talk about formulas, because, you know, like for instance, you know, in the book, you talk about the five key areas of personal development. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of different ways that you put it together. So what I'd like to. More so it's most interesting about you is just you take the language barrier. I mean, you know, you're, you're already a very successful guy in Japan. I mean, you don't need to come to America in order to, quote, unquote, be successful. I mean, you already are successful. But you, you came here, you are putting more stuff out there. You certainly have a language barrier, having to learn another language. So you're a guy that just challenges yourself all the time. And if there's anything I'd like people to get out of listening to this more than all of the good stuff that you're talking about is just look at you as an example and say, how do I get a little bit of a care. How do I put more of that into me? So talk about some of your formulas, talk about some of the ways you go about making it all work.

Yeah, sure. Exactly. I always try to have the bigger challenge, what I call the big challenge. So I always ask myself, you know, every beginning of the year or every three months that, oh, what is my bigger, you know, big challenge this year? So back in, like, I have the bigger big challenge every year. So first year in my business is like, okay, I said, I want to set up the business. I want to make $100,000, right? Like, the point is you set the goal or challenge is a little bit bigger than yourself. If you be better and you want to grow, then two years later, I set the goal of, okay, I want to publish the book this year. Then I did that, and next year I want to make it the bestseller, you know. And then like some year I had the, okay, TCI went up, hit the goals of million dollar sales. This year I wanna go, you know, Neck island something. So it's just, you know, you said the goal, bigger goal, just a little bit bigger than yourself right now. So if you, if the goal is too big, it's unrealistic and just, you don't know how to get it. It's just then you don't take any action. But if your bigger challenge, your big challenge is a little bit bigger than yourself, it just, you can find ways or. I always see that who got the result I want to get, you know, so I can ask them, I can learn from them, I can connect with them and give a value to them. Then I can learn from them that I always do. So I think the first step is to set the big challenge and second is find the person who already got the result. And third step is that, you know, plan and do it, then ask for the help others or just proceed the process that I always do. So that a few years ago I fit the goal to, you know, publishing the book in the US and you know, do a live events and launches and sharing my message in, you know, more bigger scale. But that wasn't easy. Yes, as you said, I had the language for years and I have to, you know, get the deal with publishers. I have to, you know, set myself up in the US I had to build my social, you know, online presence. So it took few years to, you know, get my book out in the US but if you set the goal and also you gotta follow the, you know, find somebody who done it. I found it, then I figured out the plan, I took action. Even it's little by little. Many people imagine that oh, I can achieve the goal in a year, they know I move on the next. Sometimes achieving the goal takes two years, three years. But if you stick with the goal that you know, that's worth it to, you know, to achieve it. Also I would say the environment so important. That's why I'm in your mastermind, I think five years, fifth year, six years, you know, like who you with, who you become. Right. So if I want to achieve, if I achieve the bigger goal or if I go next level, you always want to put yourself in the environment that people think the same people want to go to the next level. So that I always do. That's my formula. Yeah, I love it.

I mean there's nothing that you describe there that most people are not capable of just following what you just said. You know, set a big challenge, find the person who's already done it and you know, I mean it's just connecting with other people, learning and educating about yourself. And you know what I always respect a lot are people that live in another country and fly to America in order to learn something. Or someone who lives in America and flies to another country. I mean they will do what is needed in order to meet with the people they want to meet with, learn what it is they want to do, put their own money on the line. And I have people that are locally that will not get off their ass and drive down the street in order to go sit in, be at my group or someone else's group, or go to an event or seminar. You know, they have, you know, they have these problems that could immediately be solved that they'd be willing to spend time, money and energy to solve them. And the pain that they will endure and go through not solving that problem or not pursuing that thing that they say they want just never goes away because they just don't have the drive. And I don't know how you make someone thirsty.

I mean.

You know, if usually it's going to be some really adverse situation. I mean, you know, you needed to get suicidal and that somehow you know, need, you know, cause some sort of thirst. The same with me. You know, people like what was it? It's like shit man. You know, I'm, you know, I have a drive, I have a desire, I was hungry, but I don't, I don't know how you make someone hungry that isn't hungry. I mean, do you have any, do you have any thoughts on that? Sure.

I would say yes. If someone had that moment in their life, you know, suicidal addiction or like extremely poor situation, you know that I think also drives that person or you know, I think not many people face that kind of situation. You know, I think many, many people just born with like kind of outside middle class families just go school and you know, get a job. However, I think that who you spend time with, who you become. So if even you're not hungry, but even you are not had the difficult situation in your life in the past. But if you hang out with people who is hungry, people who you know are thirsty, people who want to go next level, that inspires you, right? Because many people think as many things is impossible in their life. So they don't even try, they don't even challenge, you know. But if you funded by the people who wanna, you know, go to next level or to humanity program or doing something making, you know, they want to making big impact in their life or in the world, you know, you are inspired. It's not if you're surrounded by these people, it's not. It's hard not to be inspired. You know, definitely that those environment make you think like oh what can I, what else can I do? You know what, how can I do more? You know, how can I in any way, you know you are inspired. So I say choose the environment. Maybe you in the local you can find entrepreneurs meeting or meetup or you know, or you can travel. But just put yourself in the environment because you are inspired. You know, there's energy, there's opportunity, there is you know, fun, there's excitement and that I recommend that I think only way to make you hungry or thirsty.

Yeah, no, that's great. That's great. It's what I, what I like is your, your advice is, it's pretty, it's pretty simple, but it's also obvious and it's also very useful because it's like if you aren't inspired, you know, hang around inspiring people.

I mean.

Yeah. You know, and I often think about how people want to be confident and they just want to be confident. So they may stand in front of a mirror and they may say things about affirmations and stuff where I'm more of like, you know, that's probably better than doing nothing. But at the same time, go out and do things that actually give you confidence. If you feel low self worth or low self esteem, go out and do something that is going to give you that. If you are bored, go do something that's going to take boredom away. If you are negative, hang around people that are positive. If you're unhealthy, then, you know, go to a place where healthy people are. Go to, you know, a healthy environment. I mean, there's so much that rubs off. You know, it's at a Genius Network event. As an example, Dan Sullivan has this great line where he says more is caught than taught. So if you go to an event, you're going to catch more from the people that you're sitting next to. You're going to catch more from the breaks, you're going to catch more from just being around these relationships than you will by what's being per se taught at the groups. And so it's actually both. And so that's why I think it's so important to just put yourself out there. Well, I want to ask you about your formula for writing successful books, especially having to learn an entirely different language and then having to not only write it and describe what it is you've learned and you're already on stages all the time and you're speaking to lots of people, but you're doing it, you know, in Japan, you're now, you know, in America, which is your newest venture, which is awesome and you know your book. But there's a lot of people that are great writers but they don't know how to sell their writing. They don't know how to sell their books. And you have learned and developed the skill of marketing, which of course is my favorite subject. And I think everything is contingent upon it. So how do you, you know, it's not just about writing books, but it's writing books that become very successful. And having, you know, learning from the very best people, which you have. Have done. So how, how would, what advice would you give to people that want to develop that skill?

Sure. Yeah. Writing is definitely not my natural skill. You know, now I like writing and I love writing, but I had to develop in the past. I wasn't born with, you know, as a good writer. So what I did is that first, like anything I learned is I think the input is so important. So I read tons of books, like hundreds book and thousands of past ten years. I read one book a week. Especially the theme of the book, you love to write in the future. At first I didn't think I want to be a writer, you know, but I just love reading. You know, that gave me inspirational knowledge or, you know, the new ideas. So I was, I love reading, you know, so you need to get good input. At least like 10 books, 20 books of the topic. Then second, I tried to figure how can I write? So I just start writing little by little. I start write my blog, you know, I start write email newsletter to my people. I write on the Facebook, right? So you can, you don't have to write whole book, you know, in the day, but you can start write one email, one blog post, one, you know, the Facebook post. Then that I did like every single day. You know, some people can do once a week, blog post once in two weeks. But I was, you know, I was kept doing that. It's very. Not like, you know, oh, when I feel like it, I write. But it's every single day for me. Then after, you know, years doing that, I felt, oh, wouldn't that be the same process to write the book? You know, it's just difference between you write something online or something you write the book and gonna publish in the future. So I then the step three is that I got the idea of what kind of book I want to write, you know, so what. Since I always wrote something online, blog posts or emails on Facebook, I knew what people struggle with. So if you start writing something online, people start responding, right? Like, oh, that's this is awesome. But what should I do if I'm in this type of situation? You know, if you have a good content, people respond to you and ask you questions, right? So that's. I got the idea of, oh, that's what people want. Then the step three is that I write the index of the book. You know, so especially other. When I wrote the Lifestyle Millionaires, I was asked that question, type of question, such as, oh, how can I find my passion? Or If I find my passion, how can I find a person who I can help? Or oh, I already know my passion but I don't know how to make money out of it. Or I'm already doing what I love, but I don't know how to scale my business, you know, so don't. These are type of questions I got asked. So I'm like, okay, I can answer these questions separately. However I can write a book on it then. So I made an index and I was kind of answering my question those questions and put my story and strategies and example. Then that's how I wrote the book. And also not only writing the book, but how you can sell the book. Right. My experience from the writing and selling the best selling book is that definitely I need to have the followers I had past 10 years. I was, you know, building my email list more than now. It's more than 100,000 people. But I was, you know, giving the good content online for free so that many people wanted to read my emails, Facebook and YouTube about giving a good content, quality content. Then I already have the readers even before selling the book, right. So before the publishing the book, I announced that, oh, I'm writing the book. And you know, do you like the idea? So it's not, I think that many people think, oh, if you have something the products in your hand you can sell. But I encourage people to, my people to join the process of writing the book. I always ask that, oh, I'm writing this kind of book. Do you write this title, do you write this index, what you want me to write? It's kind of I was creating my tribe online while I, I was writing my book, you know, then of course people know about it already. I was writing my new book. So when my book is coming now, people already excited because they joined the process. They felt like that's my book, you know, that's our book, you know, not only out writing by myself in you know, country or somewhere, you know. So that's, I would say one of the most important process. I just ask somebody, ask your people, you know, to what they want to know and ask them to join the process of writing the book. Then you gonna build, you know, the list. Then when you release the book, you can at least have the, you know, few people or few hundred people, few thousand people to let them know your book is coming up. Right?

Yeah, I mean it's, it goes back to that line. People support what they help to create. And you just described how you do it and see you, you made a really important point, which is so obvious, but there's leverage in the way that you have approached it. I mean, the way that I think of what you have done is you could just answer questions one on one and you could write someone back. But you look at this and saying, okay, if I can solve this problem or answer this question or direct this person, there's probably thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people that this question, if I answered it or wrote about it on a blog or put it out there, I could start recruiting and pulling people in and start building a list. And then when I write a book, you know, I'm thinking of it as a book. And that's, that's how a person that really thinks in terms of how to scale and how to leverage identifies opportunities is they see, you know, don't just solve it for one person. If you can solve it for one person, you can solve it for many. And when you, when you're able to see these universal desires and these universal challenges and these questions and these, you know, things that people want to know the answer to and want to build and want to grow, and you think of it from that perspective, you can help tons of people. I mean, no different than here. Me and you are having a conversation with each other. I'm asking you questions, you're answering them, and we're going to put them out there and thousands and thousands of people are going to listen to this. And it's a way to create leverage. And, you know, I say it all the time, if you want to do the same thing, what's stopping you? I mean, everybody, everybody can do this. So in your book, you write about coaching. And so from your perspective, what are the key skills someone should have as a coach or even look for in a coach? If you're going to quote, unquote, coach people, because so many people call themselves coaches that I don't think have any qualification to coach anybody. And there's other people that are enormously good at it. So what would you say to that?

Absolutely. I say if someone want to be a coach, he or she experienced some struggle or some problem in the past, then you learn from it. Then you need to learn the skills or knowledge about the situation. For example, my case now, I help people how to start the business, how to turn their passion into, you know, medium data business. I have to have the, you know, I had a struggle, you know, the. When I started the business, how can I get clients, you know, how can I get more people in my seminar? So I had to travel Then I learned a lot. I had so many researches, not only by reading books, going seminars and listening audio, but myself did for myself. I think that's the most important qualification for the coach. It doesn't matter you have the, you know, MBA or doctor, but if you've done that, you know, did you practice by yourself? Did you practice your case, your situation? That's the biggest difference between someone just talk about it or just somebody did it. So I think you practice on yourself. That's one of the most important qualifications as a coach. Also teaching other people, somebody just good at doing, you know, something by themselves. But if you teach other people, you found.

New.

New way of looking at the stuff. So for example, I was just coaching other. I was just starting my business, you know, start making money by coaching people, getting clients. So, you know, if I was doing well as a coach, many people, sir, ask me like, how you get your clients? That I how to think, you know, how I do it. Then I made a profit. Right. For example, I wrote, oh, you're gonna write something online, you give free content. And second, you do the preview event, you teach something. Then step three is you do the session so they can experience your coaching and so they may buy your coaching packages. So that I never thought that way until I teach somebody else. Right? So not only you doing practicing yourself, but you teach. If you teach something to others, you have better way to explain to other people or you have better way to think. Oh, I. If I do this, you know, the process faster or if I do step, if I have this extra step that helps me to do better, you know, that put yourself in a situation that you think more, then you can be better teacher. So if I say someone want to be coaches, I'll definitely do it by yourself and then start teaching others, sharing your experience and knowledge to other people. That's the important, still important factors for their coaches. Great. Great.

No, that's awesome. Well, one thing I want to definitely want to ask you about before we wrap up here. What are some of the best and most successful coaching models that you discovered in the way that people set it up and in the way that you even talk about models in your book.

Mm, you mean the business model or like coaching?

Yeah, like the business model.

Yep. Okay. I say it's from online, obviously. Nowadays I do lots of online launches. So just step it very simple. Like direct marketing. First step is you get the list of the people who is interested in your products or services or coaching. So I usually get by, you know, either ads or affiliates or you know, you already have the followers, you can, you can get them. Then step two is like building a relationship that sending the video, sending audio, sending free book. So giving the value to them, right. Then that way you can build a relationship they want to learn from you. Then step three is making the offer. You know that after a week or two weeks giving your value, people already like you. The people already got the value from you. Then okay, here's my coaching package or here's my seminar, here's my online program. Then you're going to offer to them. So that's the best way so far. And also nowadays, like many people do, like online launches, seminars and masterminds. So I think it's important to ask yourself what's unique about what's better my what my offer is? What's the unique about how it's better than other people's. What's the unique method? You know, nobody else talk about but you talk about. So it's always improving your offer. That way people are going to find the value. Then they buy from you and also building a relationship of you and the people. If you can meet them, if you can answer their question on webcast or webinar or anything, just even before the day, even before buying anything from you. So that's important. So always about building the relationship and giving the value and creating unique offer to them. That's. I think that's the best model. Yeah.

Okay, well, what are in your opinion the keys to say building and creating an irresistible offer?

My opinion. The creating offer, right? Yes. Yeah. I say I always if for example, I gonna sell my online course. I always ask myself that because there is already market. If there is already market, you know, for example, like entrepreneurship or coaching or personal development or investment, you know, I always ask myself if there is a big enough market, then second, is that what they people already. I think the many people already bought the program or you know, attend the seminar, bought the book in the past. But what does their frustration, you know, even people bought, you know, other people's book or seminars or coaching program. They, I'm sure they still got the frustration or if they solve the one program, you know, guess what? There's always another problem, always another new challenges, right? So you're gonna find them, you know, what they still frustrate with or what their new challenge. Then you gonna create the program or program or you know, coaching or seminar to help them to solve those frustration or bring them to the new level. You know, I think, I believe that people either they want when they're gonna pay money. You know, either they want to solve their problems or they want to experience new new lifestyle, new trend. You know, some when somebody buy iPhone, they don't want to solve their problem. They just want to kind of experience new lifestyle. Right. New opportunity, new knowledge. So that I always create the better offer is like I always find what they still struggling or what they want, what they want more what they think is possible for the future. What's their new lifestyle? I can introduce to the people. That's how I think. Gotcha.

Okay, well, let me ask you about and then we'll wrap up and I'll have you give some recommendations on what people can do to go deeper with your work and anything else. So your book Lifestyle Millionaire. There's a lot of books out there that are teaching people a lot of personal development. So why the book Lifestyle Millionaire?

Mm, I'll say my book is unique because I have helped thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand people, ten years. I also create many people already become the expert in their own industry. Such as my one of my mastermind members. He was working for the direct marketing company. Then he wanted to do his own, you know, so I encouraged him. Oh, you can be direct marketing expert. Then he started his own certification, his own program. Then after three years he became, he makes millions of dollars. He became one of the top guys in that industry. So I created not only, you know, myself made me that the expert in my field, but I created so many experts in the other field as well. Also I have the unique experience of doing business in not only in Japan or other Asian countries, Taiwan, Singapore and now in the US So that gives you the unique point of view that how you can turn your passion into a business. Also it's already proven model that I've done it. Millions and millions of people done it already. So that way you can, you know, find a way also, especially if you already coaches or you know, the consultants or solo entrepreneurs. I have the same experience. I share how to scale your business from solo entrepreneurs to go next level, you know, to from 1 million to 2 million, 3 million, $10 million business. So that I could teach not only how you start the business, but how to scale your business. So that I would say that's the unique idea new concept in this book. Yeah.

Great, great, awesome. So that being said, what I'd like to do, what was funny that a lot of our listeners don't know is we're going to actually originally have Dean Jackson join us on this interview, but his plane got delayed by 90 minutes. And he unfortunately couldn't make the time because it's a completely different, you know, time, you know, time zone in Japan and trying to match up our schedules in order to make this work. And you're getting ready to go to, you know, Necker island with Richard Branson, which is where we first originally met on one of, you know, our Necker island trips. And I'd like to do a future interview with you with Dean so that Dean has an opportunity to ask you a bunch of questions. And I'd like to kind of see how, you know, how people respond to this. And so I'd like all of the listeners to, you know, share the feedback. And I think what's really inspiring is to see someone who is just applying success principles in a completely different country, but seeing that there's just so much similarities. And so where can people go to get your new book and to work with you and your company if they'd like to go to one of your events or, or work with you? Sure.

The just Google Lifestyle Millionaire free book, then my website coming up, then you can get this free book just paying, shipping and handling. So you make sure that you can get the book in your hand for free. Yeah, that's the best way.

I always like telling people that when, you know, when you're watching marketers that are doing their campaigns, you not only will get, will sign up and start getting emails and start getting offers, but what we tell people on I love marketing all the time is that sometimes the best things that you can learn from somebody that has a book to sell or seminar to sell to watch what they do and how they do it. I mean, you literally pay attention to how they do successful launches. And if someone like you has done, you know, literally 10 figure launches, you obviously know what the hell you're doing because you've done it before. And so I think it's, there's a lot to be said. Just watch your selling. Well, you know, when someone goes to Lifestyle Millionaire, you know, you said type in Lifestyle Millionaire free book and you sign up for that and you pay shipping and handling, you're obviously going to start, you know, promoting some of the things that you offer to people. And people should pay attention to that and say, okay, you know, how is this person doing this? Why are they doing and watch the stuff that they do because you'll learn just as much about business marketing and business processes and engagement and building and growing a tribe just as much as you will by, you know, reading your stuff. So any famous Last words occur. Anything that I should have asked you that I didn't.

You asked many amazing questions so thank you for that. I'd say yeah. This book is all about from people who don't know their passion so they're gonna start from scratch like me or if you already have the business, if you already have successful business but you want to go next level, this is the book for you I wrote how to scale your business, how to hire high level people I call genius team. How you gonna work with other top experts in your industry. I wrote everything my experience past 10 years from nothing to the eight figure business. So I you know, highly encourage you to get the book for free. And I just going to send you the book in the hand also as Joe said that I going to send you valuable videos and how to actually do it. Not only reading the book but you know I can show you exactly step by step in the videos how you're going to find a passion, how you're going to turn into the first cash then next to the first million dollars and even more. I going to show everything for free by the in a video. So just you know, get the book of the lifestyle millionaire free book and you step from there. Yep, love it.

Awesome. Well, thank you Akira, always a pleasure to talk with you. And so everyone that's listening to this, just remember this is a guy who actually you know, is a byproduct of, he is a convert of his own system. And very much the same way that when I was a dead broke carpet cleaner living off credit cards and struggling, I jumped into books and reading and everything because I didn't have anyone to mentor me, I didn't have the money to hire coaches, I didn't have the money to go to seminars and I had to figure that stuff out. So I first started learning through the experiences of other people with their books and their courses. And then I more importantly applied it because an idea useless if you do not apply it. And so get a copy of Akira's book, Lifestyle Millionaire. And also people in America that are hearing this, although we have listeners all over the world. You know what I always again am inspired by is when someone has to, you know, go through a language barrier and figure stuff out, but they do it anyway. To me that's, that's inspiring and I always utilize that to say whenever I'm making excuses, I'm like give me a break. I mean here's a care figuring out how to, you know, do this stuff. That, that's always very inspiring. So we'll do a follow up episode in the future with Dean Jackson. And so I wish everyone the very best and thank you again, Akira and give us your comments and share this interview with anyone that you think could benefit from listening to it. And that's it. Make yourself more successful and have a great day.

Thanks for listening to this episode of I Love Marketing. If you'd like to learn more about the Genius Network Annual event, please visit geniusnetworkevents.com that's geniusnetworkevents dot com if you would like access to the full interview, the show notes, and the special resources for this episode, please visit ilovemarketing.com 293 that's ilovemarketing.com/293.