MasterMind - Ron Davis

This months MasterMind is Internet Entrepreneur Ron Davis. I am sure you all have had a time in your life when you have run across a new business in your area, or perhaps online, or maybe you just met someone who seems totally commit ed to some goal and you think to yourself, "Wow, they are doing this right!"(Like the staff at Softrak hosting the AOC, yes?) I know for myself, I have run across people or businesses several times that seem to have everything covered and are run in, not just an efficient way, but in a very progressive forward-looking way, and I have thought to myself that I am seeing/meeting the next big thing before anyone else knows about it. One of those people who have inspired me in the recent past is Ron! I ran across Ron about a year ago, perhaps a little more than that, in a forum for a training course I was attending. I was eagerly trying to absorb everything that I could in the shortest amount of time, and checking out Ron's work was the equivalent of putting a sponge on the wrong side of a Fire hose!

Ron is the first person that I ran into that was really effectively using video, not only as a way of promoting his businesses but also as a way of delivering content. I would suggest anyone wanting to know how to effectively deliver video should look no further for examples that Ron's Site Distinctions for Life. On this site, Ron's Master Stroke was providing his content downloadable in .m4v format! For those of you out there who are non-technical, this means that Ron's video is I-Pod and I-phone ready! So Download Ron's content and view it on the go...genius. (I hope you listening out there!)

Ron is also one of the first people I will be including in this Blog who will place the appropriate emphasis on building your email list! More on this later...but for now, here's Ron!

Q. Ron, I have followed you through your “Distinctions for Life,” and
now into “Glamour Apprentice.” Can you talk about your inspiration for
starting these sites, and I am really interested in learning how the
feedback has been from you audience.

I actually started with Glamour Apprentice because I've been doing photography of models for a number of years now and I know a lot about the process of finding them and shooting them that other people don't.
I also had a partner at the time who knows a lot about it too. It was the natural product because we were both hooked into the community as well. But then there were problems with execution on my partners part and I decided to shelve the whole thing.

That was probably a mistake. When you have an obstacle, don't quit, solve the problem.

So I decided to do personal development because I've always been interested in it and thought I had something to say. I like video and decided to do that as a differentiator. After a few months I was burned out on DFL and decided to go back to my passion for photography and resurrected GA.

Q. One thing that pops out immediately to me about your sites is the
prominence of the Email Newsletter Sign-Up box. Can you talk a bit
about the importance of the email newsletter sign-up and building the email lists?
Additionally, how has your experience been with A-Webber?

You list is simply the most important thing in your business. It is the only way you have to push your content to your customers. It also allows you to give them content they is valuable to them, and then they like you better. I have an auto responder series on GlamourApprentice.com that teachs a number of lessons on model photography and I get lots of positive feedback from it. Matter of fact about 6 lessons in my auto responder includes a request for feedback and questions, which comes directly to me.

Q. Another signature Ron Davis Site feature is video. What are your
thoughts on having videos on your sites and how they increase a sites success?

People love video. Most content providers think it is hard and therefore don't do it, so you can stand out by doing video. I think people like video more and it raises your value in the eyes of your people.

I remember showing DFL to a co-worker and she was awed. "Wow, you have your own TV show."

Q. I get the impression that you participate in a great deal of
online communities, as well as being the proprietor of your own. Can
we get your thoughts on the importance of building community when marketing online?

I'm actually torn on building community. You have to build a following, and they have to bond to you. That is some kind of community, but there are lots of very successful people who don't have much actual interaction with their followers. Where it is more of a broadcast model, than an interactive one. I think there is a balance there, because if you have 100,000 people on your list, you could easily get 1000 requests a day that require interaction and that's just impossible.

But when you are starting out there is no substitute for building community.

Q. What has been one of your most memorable experiences that have come
as a result of owning your online marketing efforts?

The co-worker's response above was memorable. Having a high school friend be the first purchaser of my life planning retreat guide. The emails I get from people going through the mini-course.

Q. Finally, if your were talking to a “Brick and Mortar,” business
owner who was thinking of marketing online, what one piece of advice
would you give them to get them started in the right direction?

I'd say start building an email list. Ask people in your store at the point of sale if they'd like to be added to your email list. Offer them a special offer or coupon for doing so. Then regularly email them special offers. This is the basics now, even my favorite wings place does this.

Many thanks to Ron Davis for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions! For those of you interested to see what Ron is up to, I am including some links to a few of his sites. I would recommend signing up for some of his email lists to see a master at work, and to find out how to add email marketing to your repertoire for your business. Until next time...

Find Ron @

http://www.glamourapprentice.com
http://www.pinupphotographyhowto.com
http://www.distinctionsforlife.tv