The Money Nerve: Navigating the Emotions of Money by Financial Expert & Motivator, Author & Founder of The Money Nerve Bob Wheeler

Hi, this is Bob Wheeler from TheMoneyNerve.com you're listening to EA Interviews.

EA Interviews, episode 351, inspiration, transformation, success stories and the imperfect action round. Seven days a week, join Mario Ficcini for today's expert Authority effect interview. All right, Expert Authority World. I am genuinely excited about this because I love what I do in bringing you great guests like Bob Wheeler. Today we are going to be talking about money. Now this is a business show, an entrepreneurial show and it's kind of a big part of business. It's one of the reasons you get into it. I would hope to think that it's to serve and help people, but at the end of the day, you do get rewarded for it. So why do so many people have such a giant problem with it?

Why are some people so well off and some people aren't? Why do some people do good things with it and some people don't? If you don't think there's an emotional attachment to money and I don't know, I had a real long O on there. I'm not from whatever anyway, I don't. The emo, the emotional, whatever. The emotional attachment to money is very prevalent. And I'm saying this up front because a lot of people are like, oh, it's just this that we're gonna get into this. So I'm gonna have expert Bob Wheeler right after we thank our sponsor. Every business needs a book, including yours. And that's why I'm launching my new book to help you, regardless of where you think your current writing abilities are. Visit eapublishingmethodbook.com today to learn the seven steps to publish and promote your nonfiction lead and profit generating business book in eight weeks. Once again, that's EA publishingmethodbook.com Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Bob Wheeler. Bob, how are you feeling today?

I'm doing great. Glad to be here.

I'm excited to have you here because like I was saying in the. Can I call it a preamble, the intro, whatever.

Yeah, absolutely.

Guess it's my show, I can say whatever I want.

You call it whatever you want.

Why do people have such an emotional attachment with money?

Well, everything we do is money related from pretty much the minute we're born. We're dealing with money decisions all the time. We're going to buy diapers, we're going to like disposable diapers when we get older. Am I going to bring my lunch? Am I going to have lunch with the guys and be cool? We're making money decisions all the time. Right. And part of it's am I going to fit in? Do I, do I look cool? Am I getting satisfaction? What are the goals that I want to do? So whether you're splitting the bill at a restaurant, whether you're trying to figure out if you should buy gifts for everybody at the office when you take a vacation, like there's always something that involves money. And we like to think of money as non emotional. It's just very black and white. But at the end of the day we're making these micro money decisions all throughout the day.

And money is actually green.

It is. Well, in this country that's true.

That's true. And I'm glad you brought that up because I had to bite my tongue when I made a comment on the long O earlier on because I have people from all over the world and I have nothing against any of them. But I, it was something we were talking about with the, the name that was on here prior from the previous guest and see you get it.

Yeah.

But yeah, the money and currency all around the world. Do you, do you want to touch on that, the difference between money and currency?

Yeah. Well, you know, it's interesting, before we had money, people were trading with bags of salt, right. In some countries they use cow dung. I mean there's like all kinds of things you can use as that exchange. Money is just the exchange. And what's interesting, when I've done workshops in different countries and we've used different currency, I'll use the US Dollar, I'll use Chinese money and people aren't as attached to it when it's not their currency.

Interesting.

Even the Canadians, The Canadians are like, it's us. I know it's more valuable. But we like our money, we like our currency. So it's. And the thing is this, if you close your eyes and hold a $5 bill and $100 bill, you cannot tell the difference. It's an agreement that that one has more value and we get excited when it goes in our wallet, but they don't feel any different.

So I love that you're bringing this up because I have said in my presentations, I'll hold up $100 bill and a $1 bill. Okay. Now from a marketing standpoint, what's the difference between the hundred dollar bill and the $1 bill? The message on the front.

Right.

Because a lot of people overlook the messaging in their marketing and they just go, oh, I'll tell everyone under the sun this and that. If you have A trash message and you're not using the right words. It doesn't matter if you have a horrible ad in the newspaper or, or a horrible ad on video. Now you might pick up a few bonus points for connecting on video, but the point is you, your copy is trash and it's one of the things I help people with is, you know, refining that message. But you're absolutely right about the hundred dollar bill, the $1 bill, the 5 to 10. If you're sitting there blindfolded going, well, which one's which, you know, maybe you could earmark one so we win. But you really can't tell.

Ray Charles used to get paid in fives because he didn't know if he was getting a 20 or a 1 or whatever. So at least he minimized the amount of money he was losing.

Oh, wow.

So when people are talking about money in business.

Let'S talk about the differentiation from the ultra successful company to the ones who, you know, I don't want to put anyone down because I've been at many various points and I like one of them better. But I know what it's like to be, let's say, starting up and it's just like everything is a tougher decision. Why do you think, why do you think some of them make it and some of them just kind of stay in the same place forever?

Well, I think it's certainly a combination of factors. But one of those factors might be the person that's still just in the same place didn't actually have a plan. They just said, hey, it's a great idea, let's just go with it and then hope the universe supports me. And they haven't really actually thought about a budget. They actually haven't thought about capital funding or filling the orders or whatever might be required of that particular business. So I think that's one component where people are just like, ah, it's a great idea, I'm just going to run with it without any thought. I also have people that have a great idea, they've done the research, they have a limiting belief that everybody but myself can be successful, but I'm going to do it anyway. And so I'm going to go through the motions, but I'm probably never going to get any traction. And we have this way of loving to be right. And so I think it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy where we just don't quite get the traction that we deserve.

Yeah, it's interesting. I've heard a few key words in there. One of them, budget is budget and the other is limiting beliefs. So let's first address the budget.

It.

Why do some people think it's a bad thing and what are your thoughts on it?

So I look at budgets as information, and to me, it lets me know where I want to spend or where I need to cut back. So to me, a budget, super exciting. I look at that and I'm. I've got information. I can make decisions. And I think a lot of people in business look at budgets and. And whether you want to call it money management or give it a different name, if budget freaks you out, that information is critical. It is super critical, especially if you're in for the long haul and cash flow is tight up front. You've got to be able to look at your numbers and manage that and manage the cash flow. But some people think that when I say budget, I'm saying, you can't have anything. You must give up your whole life. You must scrimp and eat macaroni and cheese for all the days of your lives. And that's not what we're saying. We're just saying, let's take this information and be effective and efficient with it. Let's. Let's plan and move accordingly instead of just, oh, I hope it all works out, which is what some people do. And sometimes it does. I don't know that that's the greatest business plan. Like, let's just roll with it. And so for me, I really try to encourage people to get over their fear of the word budget and really look at it as a resource, because budgets, they're great.

I would say budgets are freeing because I grew up with the, oh, geez, I like the word how you said the fear of the budget. And I would say, personally, the fear came from. It was so restricted for me because I'm kind of. Despite how all this looks and punctual and this and that and to the T, like everything for businesses, my core is. Is kind of just fun. So it took a while to get it organized where I could discipline myself close to a decade. Just saying. But the budget freaked me out years, decades ago because it was so restrictive. It's like, well, I want to do this, this, this, and this. I want to go to dinner with you and the movies and the thing. And the thing. It's like, what do you mean? I'm on a budget.

Yeah.

When really it's, hey, you have enough to cover all that's cool. Just take a look at it maybe once a year or month or week. I'd recommend now but being honest.

Yeah. It's amazing how many people don't have conversations. I asked so many of my clients, couples, how often do you talk about the budget and money? What? You know, maybe once a year when they scream at each other because they consider a conversation about the budget a fight.

Tax season. Oh, so that's where it all went. Nice.

Yeah. There you go. I told you. You know, it's. It's. It's always fun. I have to often ask my clients, are you on the same team? Because they come in ready to take each other out. Right. I'm like, you are married, right? I mean, I know there's battles, but, like, you're on the same team. But yeah, I think that there is so much fear that it's restrictive and it's taking away. And the reality is it's just helping you pace and monitor. And it. To me, it is very freeing because you can look and say, yeah, that's possible today. Oh, it's not possible today, but here's what I can do so that it will be possible at a certain point.

Yeah. And also, well, this is possible today. This is possible tomorrow. That's possible this weekend. But if I want to get here in the future, I might have to. It's not that you can't do any of it, but maybe I should do these one, one or two. So I have extra for that. So that way, when the big thing that, you know, if all of these are just going to dinners and this is like a new milestone in business, maybe invest in the long term, because that's going to pay dividends for years on end, and you're going to be hungry within 24 hours no matter what you eat.

Yeah, that's. That's exactly true. And one of the things what I talk with people about is if you know what your goals are long term, if you know what your life values are, and you know what's important to you, that in the moment, when I'm spending $25 on a lobster sandwich, is it serving the fact that I want to buy a house, or is it serving the fact that I'm trying to expand my business? And if not, maybe I just have the tuna fish. Right. And to actually make my intentional conscious spending now to be in alignment with what I say my bigger goals are.

I love that you bring up that example. Albacore and ranch. Very good. Lobster is good, too. But I mean, it's probably not the healthiest to even be eating every day, even if you can afford it. You know what I mean? Some of these things are, oh, I'd love to eat this every day. It's like, well, I would, too, but I want to live to next year as well.

Exactly.

Speaking of the sea and boats and stuff, and, you know, I appreciate you talking about the budget, but let's move to that limiting belief. I was, Reese, I love boating, like I mentioned to you, love the aquarium, love the water, the ocean, doing all that. I was recently looking at boats, and I watched this movie. It had a yacht. And I was like, let's look at yachts, right? And come to find out this one. I was like, well, that's a lot less than I thought it would be. And if you charter them, I'm like, well, this is a business opportunity. So, long story short, I look into all this stuff, but it was a little inspiring and also sad and to the point of limiting beliefs. There were comments on this one. It was gorgeous. Just saying. But there is people going, wow, this thing's beautiful. This thing's great. This thing's wonderful. This one's fantastic. But this is what's wrong with the world. And it just kind of struck me as like, everyone in their brother or sister is trying to be better off. Why is it the people who get to the point and actually achieve it, they're the bad guys? Because everyone's going for it.

Yeah. You know, it's so interesting that you mentioned that when I do workshops, I'll say, who wants to be rich? Everybody's like, me, me, me. What do you think? Rich people hate them.

Right. So we're living with this paradox. Like, we have this belief that rich people are evil. They're not. I know lots of amazing, compassionate, wonderful rich people. They're super cool. They're my friends. I like rich people. But we have this belief that, oh, if we get there, I'm going to be a bad person. It's going to. My badness will be amplified. Which, if you're a good person or a bad person, money is going to amplify that. It just is. If you're a jerk, you're going to be just a bigger jerk. But I do. I think we, you know, we get mixed messages. If we grow up in a religious background or a conservative family, they're telling us, don't be big. Don't be big, but be successful. Like. And we're trying to find that balance of being big enough to accommodate everybody, but not too big that we're. We lose our humility. And I think throughout life, we're trying to find that balance of am I enough without being too much so that people don't judge me?

So do you think that comes strictly from a religious background or do you think that comes from family, society? Do you think it's a combination of all?

It's a, it's a combination. You know, if your family has lots of baggage, you're probably going to have a lot of baggage. But you can travel well, you've got lots of baggage. Yeah, I think it's all of those things. It's not necessarily just religion. It could be cultural, it could just be your own family's slightly warped sense of the world and money that you've taken on. Because we take this on early, we take this on when we're young.

Yeah, I'm glad you bring that up because I grew up Catholic, but I'm a born again Christian now. And you know, with tithing, no matter what the denomination, tithing is a huge part of it. And I wholeheartedly agree and have no doubt there's stuff that stems from, like you said, as you grow up, where it's like, well, you don't want too much. But I always challenge people when I'm in what professional speaker and I'm sitting here stumbling my words, when I'm speaking to the audience, I'm thinking in real life, because it's a treat now, but I challenge them and I go, okay, so you're a good hearted person, right? Yeah. Well, you know, 10% of a million is a lot more than 10% of 100,000.

And some people are like, like, is he allowed to say that? But the reality is if you make a hundred million a year and you have a good heart, wouldn't you be, I mean, look what Carnegie did, Carnegie hall, you know, all these different things. And.

What if people just started thinking to that degree, like, I want to make so much, so I only live on 1%. How, how much better would the world be if everyone was just like giving freely?

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I, you know, I think it's our responsibility to be financially successful. Right. The universe, God, they're rooting for us. Like, that's my take. So, like to not do that if you have opportunity. Because.

For me, the key of life is service. I think we all want to be in connection. I think we all want to be in community. I think we all, deep down, even if we don't admit it, we all want to have an impact on the world, a good impact on the world. We want to know that we matter. And I think that being of Service is the number one thing that we are here to be, is to be of service. And the more that I can bring in money to be able to help be of service, the better the world's going to be. My perspective.

Well, I love your perspective. And I knew when I. When I saw your info, the one sheet, I was like, I got to have them on the show. Because I just. I just felt that I got to be honest, because I get so many people that want to come on, and there's a wait list, truthfully. But I was just like, absolutely. And not only are you knowledgeable, and I thank you for that, but I know you have some interesting stories, so why don't you tell us about Base Camp of Mount Everest?

Base Camp? Well, so, you know, going to Base Camp is not cheap. It's a little expensive. I think it costs about, I think, eight or nine thousand bucks to get over there and do all the stuff. And I was. It was my second time there, and I was with a group of people and friends, and we hiked the first day, and you have to. When you get to the park, you have to go down and up, and it's hard, and it's just a preview of what's to come. And all of my friends said, we're done. We are like, let's go back to Kathmandu. Let's just get massages for the next 15 days. Like, not doing this hike. And of course, me being frugal, I already paid for the trip. I'm getting my money's worth. So I'm. What do I do? I say, okay, here's what we'll do. Let's negotiate to hike an hour, and at the end of an hour, we'll renegotiate and see if we want to hike another hour. And so what I did was I broke it down into baby steps, and we hiked an hour, and then we all voted, and we hiked another hour, and then we voted, and we did that for the first five days. And then I was able to say, let's hike for three hours. And what happened was, by breaking it up in one or two hours, we weren't looking and saying, oh, my God, we have to get to that mountain that's three peaks over. It was just, oh, we just have to get to that waterfall. Oh, we just have to get to that glacier. And it just made it much more manageable. And so, for me, that lesson in life is don't take huge steps. Like, only take digestible bites, only take baby steps. Let's just get from A to B. Everybody in this.

World right now wants.

To get to Z.

We want to get from A to Z. Let's just get to B. Let's just get to C. It's coming, it's coming. I know Z is coming, but let's do it in in digestible baby steps so that we can actually get there.

Not get overwhelmed as a great lesson. And it sounds like a fun adventure too. I have never attempted anything like that yet. I got to be honest though, the spa, swimming, relaxing, the massages for two weeks doesn't sound horrible if you. We can throw in a boat ride in there or two. Not bad. But I love the mindset because I do the same thing in business, going through, you know, like when I'm having my author clients launch their books, it's like, you know, that can seem like climbing Mount Everest, but it's like, hey, all we need is the title. You know, now we just need the subtitle. Now we just need the COVID Now we just need this. Now we just need that. And by the time you're done, you're like, oh my gosh, I did it.

Yeah.

So how happy were your friends with you?

Well, they were ecstatic. I actually had one friend, a female friend who we had. We had hiked it the previous like 10 years earlier and we didn't make it. There was this Canadian English guy who did not like Americans and he purposely delayed us and so we couldn't make the track. And I'm sort of going to outer here. But she sort of made a fake picture of her being at base camp for her Christmas card. She's like, I made it. But she did. So she felt horrible that she didn't make it. I'm like, I'm getting you to base camp. And she literally five hours before we got there, she, she said, oh, I'm tired, I can't make it. My. And I turned into this just crazy militant, get up, get up the hill. And I just. People were like, God, he's such a jerk. I And I just literally screamed her up to the, to the base camp. And afterwards she just said, I am so grateful. Thank you for pushing me. I was so ready to self sabotage and I so wanted to really make this happen. And so it was really beautiful because like I knew how bad she wanted it and I could see how much she was trying to self sabotage. Right, right at the. Just 98%, which a lot of us do. And to like push through that even with a little bit of screaming to push through it and the reward and knowing how, like, that was like a life goal of hers and she got to accomplish it. So that was. It was just a beautiful thing.

That is inspiring. And I wouldn't call you a jerk. I'd call you encouraging.

I like that better.

That's how I reframe it when I've gotten a little bit encouraging with my own clients. You know, you have to be in a position where it's like you have their best interest and you do want them. But you're right, so many people do stop right at the finish line. It's like you just did all the training. You've trained for years, you've made it here. It's like, now you're going to take a break. You can sleep the next month. You're not taking a break right now.

Exactly. And I think so many of us, we can't see. And that's why it's great having support or having coaches and having people to help give us a little lift on both sides to just to push us over.

Well, I'm loving what you're sharing, and I know there's more of it, but I do want to ask you about your book, Money Nerve. What inspired you to publish your book?

So a couple things happened. I was working with clients who they turned into. They were supposed to be tax sessions. They turned into therapy sessions, and people were breaking down. I was giving people what I thought was sound practical advice, and they were doing the exact opposite.

At the same time. I was a CPA and I wasn't doing the right things. I had people in lesser job titles in my firm that were making better financial decisions than me. And so I had to do this my own self journey about, wait a minute, I've got all the tools. I know what to do. Why am I not doing it? And so really had to explore my own personal journey. And at the same time, I was. I'm still CFO at the Comedy Store. The Comedy Store. And a lot of my friends are comics. And one of my friends had come in and she was in. We were talking in the main room and she was crying. And she's like, my brothers and my sisters, they're all doctors. My dad's a doctor. I'm such a loser. I'm the only person on the planet that doesn't know anything about finances. I'm so ashamed. And I went, ah.

Everybody'S so ashamed. And everybody feels all alone. And I wanted to write this book to start conversations about money to just help remove that stigma and to Let people know you're not alone. We're all figuring it out and it's okay wherever you are in the process.

Well, I'm glad you did. And I'm glad you are helping people with this because like I said, there's so many people that have these things going on with them. And it's always fascinating me ever since I was younger. And it's one of the reasons I started facilitating Financial Peace University through my church, because myself, it was like, I want to be here, but I'm really over here. Like this lady. I always reframed it. I'm following my dreams and pursuing my passion. It's taken a little bit longer than, you know, I never put that on me that I'm a loser, because I'm not. But I get it. You just. It's like, you look around, it's like, wow, everyone else is doing cool stuff. But you know what? I really am doing what I enjoy and I love it. I wouldn't trade it. But at the same time, I was going, I want to do this for me and be a better example for others. And then just seeing what it was doing for families and other people, I was like, this is fantastic. So thank you for doing your book to be able to reach more people. And you mentioned the Comedy Store. I love comedy. One of my goals is to do a standup routine. I actually have notes on it. I incorporate it into the show here and there. I've thought about even doing just straight up comedy episodes, but tell us about that. How did you get involved in that world?

Well, I was actually doing stand up comedy because that pays more than, you know, being a cpa. Gotta, gotta pay the rent. So I got into stand up. And actually what happened was I was running a show at the Comedy Store. I was doing all my comedy. And actually Mitzi, the owner of the Comedy Store, who's since passed, but she called me up, she's like, bob, you're a cpa. You gotta help us out. We're in trouble. And I'm like, I just want to be a comic.

Pretend you don't know that I'm a cpa. And, you know, what happened was all my friends were comics. The Comedy Store has three showrooms. I thought, we all need a place to perform. I'll do what I can to keep this place open. I'll do my part. And, you know, they had a bunch of payroll tax liens they hadn't paid, and things had gotten a little bit messy. And being a cpa, I was able to Come in with my credentials to the bank, secure a loan, work out a payment plan and sort of help get them back on track. But you know, comedy is a big passion of mine. I love doing stand up. It's hard to do stand up and get off the stage and they're like, go sign the checks or hey, the health department's here. And I'm like, I just want to do comedy. But, you know, so I love the Comedy Store. I've gotten to meet a lot of amazing people. I've gotten to do a lot of amazing shows. And I think comedy, for me, it really helped me to. It's, it's very disarming. So when I've got clients that are in crisis and if I can make light of something or I can tell a story that illustrates their point and then they see themselves in it, I'm not making a judgment, I'm just trying to hold a space and, and try. And life's so serious. Like, we gotta lighten up a little bit here and there. So comedy has served me in a lot of ways and I love a good joke. And yeah, life's too short to not be able to laugh.

I am glad you're mentioning it. It's going to be real segued in for something I'm about to do. But I have one more question for you before that and thank you for sharing that because I would, I want, I wanted to know myself. Like I said, I've always enjoyed comedy and you have a fascinating background in how you've intertwined all of this. Because no, I don't generally know CPAs that are going on Everest treks or that do comedy or do this, that the other thing. And a lot of them just never even do a book. So kudos to you. Thanks for being well rounded and entertaining as well. But I do want to ask you something.

Serious. It's not overly serious, but I want to know about your biggest transformation you were able to give to a client. I mean, it's a serious thing, but we're so lighthearted right now. I don't want to make it sound.

Like, well, you know what, I'll tell you, I've got a few, but the one that actually comes to mind because it also involves budget. I was doing a 10 week workshop with about 25 people and we do a lot of emotional stuff. But I do practical because I want to ground the two. I don't want to just be, oh, I'm going to see my future. Be my future. That's important. But I Also need to ground it with practical. And there was a gentleman, he was in his 50s. And I said to everybody, I want you to work on this budget, and I want you to go home. And whether you have a wife, a husband, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, or you live with your kids or you live with your parents, I want you to just ask them what they think of your budget and if there's anything that they think you might be missing.

And so the guy. The next week, the guy comes back and he's got his hand up and he's like. And he's a little teary eyed. He's like, I got to share, I got to share, I got to share. And I said, okay, what? Tell me, tell me. He goes, so I did what you said. I went home and I asked my wife if there was anything else in the budget. And she said, thank you for finally letting me into the marriage.

And what had happened was he had taken his projection of his first wife and put him on a second wife. And she had just been waiting patiently for a few years to be included as a partner. And he was just so filled with, like, oh, my God, I didn't see this. And so it really changed their relationship. And there wasn't a dry eye in the room. I mean, people were just crying because, like, like, it gave him something. It gave, like, to me, that is like, wow, that's priceless. That's the kind of stuff I love seeing happen.

Wow. Well, thank you for sharing that. That. That's is.

Inspiring.

Yeah.

So I have one more question before we go to the imperfect action round. And it is.

The wheel of whatever. All right, see all those questions on it right there?

It was a trick question. There are none. Yellow or black?

Yellow.

Nice. It's gonna say it's one of my branding colors. So I have a multifaceted question for you. And the one part of the one question, I actually have two things that came to mind. So you seem to like adventure. Would you like to hel. Ski down Everest.

Dive the Titanic, or have your own comedy show on Comedy Central? Now, here's the caveat. Part one. The hell is ski down Everest if you don't like skiing? I've had this crazy idea for years. Take a giant. You know, those little giant bouncy balls that you go inside, you could roll down?

I've only told two people on earth that. And one of them was in the car driving with me, and I was like, what if we did this? He's like, is that safe? I'm like, it Sounds like fun to me. So where do you fall?

I would, I'd pick the comedy. I pick the comedy show. Yeah, I would definitely pick. Yeah. You know what? I love the water, but I'm terrified of sharks.

And punch them in the nose. It disarms them.

Yeah, but what if I miss? I. I have just a ridiculous fear.

Of sharks.

Going down. Everest is pretty. It's like 27,000ft. It's pretty high. You know, if it was like a 14 or maybe I'd do the. Do the skiing down, but that's a long way. I think I'll do the show.

Okay, that's fair. I was like, ooh, this one going to be fun.

All right, we're going to thank our sponsor and come back for the imperfect action round. You've heard me say every business needs a book, including yours, and it's true. And that's why I'm launching my new book@eapublishingmethodbook.com so you can learn the seven steps to publish and promote your nonfiction lead and profit generating business book in eight weeks. But you know what, don't take my word for it. Take it from a few of my authors like Lori, I went from having.

An idea and a possibility to actual getting my book published. Or Catherine, thank you for making my mom number one best selling author.

Or Mary Alice, what he got done for me in three days regarding my book launch.

Unmanageable. John Cody.

I've worked with Mario over the phone and online and he's been very helpful in getting me where I needed to go with promoting my books. Rocio, there's no way in the world I would have been able to do this with somebody else again. I've attempted it in the past. It didn't serve me. As a matter of fact, I ended up more frustrated than anything. So this has been a very seamless process. Adele, if you're looking for an amazing business coach, I highly recommend Mario Ficini or Bill Benner. I can't make a higher recommendation than to work with Mario Ficini. He has been great for me and right now I won't work with anybody else except for Mario.

Hey, their words, not mine. Visit eapublishingmethodbook.com to get your copy and I look forward to hearing your transformation as our next video success story. Once again, that's eapublishingmethodbook.com and we are back with the imperfect action round. Bob, are you ready to take imperfect action?

I'm ready.

All right, I got three questions for you rapid fire answers. The first one is, and you're going to love this, what is the fastest path to the cash?

Fastest path to the cash?

Intentional spending and saving.

I like that. Number two, what is the biggest problem you see your prospects making and the fastest way for them to fix it?

I think the biggest problem I see people making is they move too quickly without stopping to take a breath and checking out the landscape.

I like that too.

One of my favorite questions that will probably never leave the show because everyone goes, oh, wow, that's a good one. What is the best way to maximize customer lifetime value?

Invest in relationships.

Great answers, great answers. What books would you recommend to Expert Authority World?

The.

Oh, my God, the.

I have this amazing book and I read it all the time and now all of a sudden I can't even think of the name of it. Oh my God, the Power of Focus.

I can't even focus. I love the Power of Focus. It's an amazing, amazing, amazing book. I also love Rich Dad, Poor dad. And there's also a great book out there. It's not financial, it's called Presence. And it's an amazing, amazing book as well.

And that's about gift giving around the holidays.

Absolutely. And a few more things. You know, it's really about how we're all connected and it's really about the world and our impact. And for me, that's a big part of what I do and why I'm here.

Same here. And I love that you had the, you saw the irony in the comedy of it. The pearl of focus.

Oh my God, the power of focus. Jesus.

No, I've done it on when I'm guesting on shows, it's like, oh my gosh, you want books? Well, I've published for 10 years. I've read hundreds of them, if not thousands. There's so many good ones.

No, that's a good problem. Same thing with the Tell me your biggest success story. I love when everyone goes or majority of people go, oh my gosh, I have so many. Which one can I give you five? Like, yeah, these are good problems. You know, if you have one total, that's better than none, but keep doing it. Well, I've thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you so much, Bob. It's been a pleasure.

Yeah, it's been awesome. And yeah, I appreciate it and I hope that everybody benefited from this conversation. I certainly had a great time. Thank you so much.

Same here. Expert Authority World. We have another great episode here today. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a great day. And God bless.

You're already the expert, but have you transformed your expertise into a tangible asset that will generate qualified leads while increasing profit for you 247 and if so, how well are you promoting it? With my new book, the Expert Authority Effect Publishing Method, I take you through my process step by step. Visit eapublishingmethodbook.com today to learn the seven steps to publish and promote your nonfiction, lead and profit generating business book in eight weeks. Visit eapublishingmethodbook.com to get started now. Once again, that's eapublishing method book.com thanks for listening to today's episode. I would love to know what you enjoyed most from it if you haven't done so already. I invite you to connect with me on my new LinkedIn. You can go to it directly at eainterviews.com LinkedIn Once again, that's eainterviews.com LinkedIn. Lastly, check out the full eainterviews.com site for complete show notes, the full interview video experience, links to the resources we mentioned, and more. Have a blessed day and I'll see you on the next one.