When I was a kid I LOVED playing Monopoly.

There was a strategy I would use that would completely demoralize my opponents – usually my brother and neighborhood boys – but always resulted in my win.

And the occasional overturned table (my wins didn’t always go over well).

Throughout the game, when nobody was looking, I would stash some of my money in my socks (fortunately tube socks were “in” back then).

Then, late in the game, when I would have to pay rent on a high end property, and my opponent started rubbing his hands together with excitement because it looked like I was too low in funds to pay, I would nonchalantly whip out a stash of $500s and $100s.

This was very satisfying to me, of course.

I didn’t use this strategy every game because I wanted the boys to be on their toes.

Besides, I had other Monopoly strategies I used as well (maybe I’ll share those in upcoming posts, as they are applicable to business too).

What are the “money in your socks” aspects of your business?

I’m not necessarily talking about literal money (although that helps too)… or things that make competitors overturn their tables (although that could be fun too)… but things like:

* Colleagues you know you can call on at a moment’s notice to get help with a problem.

* Authors, speakers, bloggers who, when you take a break and spend some time with their material, leave you inspired and energized.

* A key piece of software or a never-fail strategy that will help your website rise in the rankings past your competitors.

* An email copywriter on hand who can quick write up some awesome emails for you.

If you have anything to add to that list, let me know.

Wishing you many “money in the socks” moments in your business and the satisfied feelings that come with them.

My daughter had her first tennis practice of the season yesterday and the coach asked each girl to pick a word to use to help them focus whenever they feel tired or like giving up.

She chose the word “engage” from Star Trek.

“Engage” is what the captain says when he or she wants the ship to move forward.

Below is a clip of Captain Picard saying “engage!”

I see they included some other words in this clip. I noticed how these words are so applicable to everyday copywriting situations and I like how pithy they are:

“Let’s see what’s out there.”

“I’ve lost contact.”

“Make it so.”

“Red alert!”

“Report.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Get it done.”

“Aye.”

I think it’s a great idea to have a word like that so I’ve swiped “engage.” I think I’ll start swiping all the above phrases too.

“Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.” –Andy Warhol

As an email copywriter there is much I appreciate about Andy Warhol.

He made the above statement during the latter part of his career, when his goal was to cement his legacy as a “business artist.” Unlike many artists, he was a meticulous businessman and made a lot of money.

In that way he was adept in both left and right brain activities, much like us copywriters who have to be both creative and able to do research and know about things like split testing.

Warhol started out as a commercial artist in the 1950s. He had success on that front but, as a result, he wasn’t taken seriously when he would having showings of his paintings.

It wasn’t until the 1960s, when he showed his series of Campbell soup paintings to the public, that he finally gained acceptance as an artist.

Warhol was able to see the beauty in everyday things like soup cans, Pepsi bottle caps, and Brillo pad boxes.

As an email copywriter, I’ve learned to do the same. I can look at a story in Google news about, say, the metabolism of orangutans, and find an analogy that works for an email in almost any niche.

Or look at an artist like Warhol and find the inspiration for my own life and work.

My pre-written email pack for Panic Away has been our bestselling pack the past few months, even outselling the weight loss packs.

So I was pondering today why that is.

What’s with all the anxiety?

Well, money is part of it, if these blog posts titles I came across today are any
indication:

“The crisis of middle-class America.”

“As rich get richer, everybody else stagnates, and middle-class dreams die.”

“22 Statistics That Prove The Middle Class Is Being Systematically Wiped Out Of Existence In America.”

I typed “anxiety” into Google News and these were the most recent stories on
the front page:

*There’s a “persistent and overwhelming” level of anxiety among families living near the Gulf coast.

*The National Institute of Mental Health reports that anxiety disorders affect
about 40 million adults every year.

*Last month’s retail sales reflects “new anxiety.”

*Anxiety about undergoing anesthesia leads 1 in 4 to postpone surgeries.

Anxiety is everywhere. 40 million people.

I think all of us know someone who struggles with it or has experienced it ourselves.

So what does this have to do with your business?

No matter what type of list you have, the chances are great that many of the people suffer from anxiety and would benefit from a product like Panic Away.

Panic Away has been a bestselling product for 6 years, so it’s not a flash in the pan.

So if you haven’t checked out my Panic Away email pack yet – or any of the other pre-written email packs I have for sale there, now would be a great time.

And as you read the emails, who knows…maybe you’ll even pick up a tip or two about how to minimize your own anxiety, if you struggle with that.