Interview: Icon builder David T. Fagan

BY AL CARLOS HERNANDEZ ON MAY 7, 2013
From http://www.heralddeparis.com/interview-icon-builder-david-t-fagan/206378

BEVERLY HILLS (Herald de Paris) –  David T. Fagan, a 30 year old business marketing auteur, is considered a “rain maker” and has been branded as the “Icon Builder.” Whether it is working with Inc 500 Infusionsoft or as the former CEO of Guerrilla Marketing, David is heralded as a sales expert. His activities and many attributes have been used to bring opportunities, accounts and profitable relationships to various business organizations.

Fagan has authored and co-authored several books: Cracking the Icon Code, Guerrilla Rainmakers with Jay Conrad Levinson,The Inside Drive with Dr. Haley Perlus, How to Raise an Entrepreneur, Secrets of Peak Performers with Dan Kennedy-Bill Glazer-Lee Milteer, Mad Ads: Madison Avenue Advertising on a Main Street Budget with Aaron Halderman, Zero to Hero in 90 Days or Less. He produces two magazine: 

www.iconbuildermagazine.com and www.jointventuremagazine.com

David has received several industry awards including: 2010 TWC Business Builder of the Year, 2011 AMG Marketing Expert Trainer of the Year, and 2011 TWC Marketing Innovator of the Year. He is best known as an expert in marketing and business development making people and product icons in their respective industries.

Fagan, as the former CEO of Guerilla Marketing, recently acquired Michael Levine’s award winning PR company Levine Communication Office. LCO has been in business for 30 years and has represented 58 Academy Award Winners, 34 Grammy Winners, 42 New York Times Best-Sellers, and has consulted three US Presidents.

Despite the change in ownership, the firm’s name will not be changed and Levine will continue to serve as a consultant. PR guru Levine said, “I love LCO with all my heart, know that its best days lay ahead and the sale feels a bit surreal. I feel like a poor man’s David Geffen after he sold his record company.”

According to Fagan, “Icon Builder Media is quite effective at making people icons in their respective industries through various marketing strategies. To now add PR services from LCO, with a 30 year track record of success, is a dream come true.”

David has eight children and runs his own marketing and media company at www.iconbuildermedia.com.

His organization has regular events across the country and the details can be found at www.iconbootcamp.com.

Herald de Paris Deputy Managing Editor Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez had a unique opportunity to speak with a meteoric media mogul.

AC: Were your parents supportive when you were growing up? What is your socio-cultural background?

DF: I had very supportive parents who told me I could be whatever I wanted as long as I was willing to work for it. My father and grandfather were mill workers in the northwest until the mills were closed and my dad went back to school. We were middle class because my father worked hard and my mother stayed home.

What was high school/college like? How did those experience form your world view?

DF: We moved around a lot. I went to three different high schools and I left high school in the 11th grade and got a GED. Later my employer (Wells Fargo) said they would pay for my school. I went to University of Phoenix but quit after two years. In 2005 I took some Harvard courses. I believe in a very customized education.

When was the moment in life that you realized you were a master salesperson?

DF: When, at age 17 and with no high school diploma, I convinced a company to hire me as a full time sales person with a salary plus commissions.

How did you meet your wife and why did you decide to have such a large family? Eight Kids?

DF: I met my wife in ’97 and we married shortly after. She comes from a family with eight kids and I come from a family with six kids and we both wanted to have that kind of big family.

Was your goal to become wealthy? Have you reached all of your personal financial goals yet?

DF: In the beginning the goal was to be wealthy but over time I have defined success more around peace of mind, freedom and being able to do what I love. People might say I work 60+ hours a week. Actually I work about 20 hours a week doing the things I don’t like to do - the other 40+ hours aren’t really work because I love it.

What was the process in becoming a motivator and what motivates you?

DF: In making a difference and transforming people, products and services - I love seeing the before and after of an extreme makeover.

When did you decide to strike out on your own? What were the risks?

DF: I left home at 16 and I have always been real independent. I worked at Wells Fargo for almost five years and then never really looked back. I like calling the shots, making the gamble and being in control of my own destiny. I’ve been running my owning businesses for 13 years.

Tell us about your first seminar. What was that like?

DF: My first seminars were the ones I put on while I worked at Wells Fargo. I loved the feeling of inspiring action in the audience. Making people laugh is great, making them feel something strong is great, but inspiring people to the point of action is the most rewarding.

What is a guerrilla marketer?

DF: It’s the unconventional way to reach conventional goals in the world of marketing. Sometimes what was once unconventional becomes conventional and vice versa. A good GM understands the difference and knows when to be the effective contrarian.

Can you give us a sentence or two on each of the books you have co-authored and why folks should read them?

DF: Cracking the Icon Code - Cracking the Icon Code is essentially a step by step guide on how to become an ‘icon’ in your industry utilizing one’s image, expertise and advice. Being an icon in your industry gives an individual an unfair advantage over the rest because an icon has more influence, exposure and credibility than his or her competitors.

The Inside Drive: 9 Ways Champion Athletes Achieve Greatness & How You Can Too In Your Business - sport and exercise psychology expert Dr. Haley Perlus and myself teamed up for this book which is centered around being driven. You will read uplifting and empowering stories of athletes who found how important being driven is and how they accomplished their goals as a result of their passion and determination. Anyone who wants more out of life should read this workbook style book.

Mad Ads: Madison Ave Advertising on a Main Street Budget - co-authored with Aaron 

Halderman: every way you could ever imagine to advertise is explained and shared in this comprehensive book…except TV. Everything from park benches to taxis to bill boards to the back of receipts is discussed in this book. Those interested in learning more also receive a great resource guide for finding people who provide the various marketing services.

Guerrilla Rainmakers: How to Make Your Business Rain Profits through the Law of Multiplication - co-authored with Jay Levinson, is a practical, hands-on book that develops the tools a business leader, owner or manager needs to not just survive in any economy, but excel in any economy. Those interested should check out the book because what you learn here can really help you make a significant breakthrough in your career, in your company, in your income, and in your life.

Zero to Hero in 90 Days or Less - Positive results and transformation have never been easier than with the contents of this book. The co-authors are true industry experts. Whether you want more transformation in your personal life or better results in your business this is the book for you. Just about every chapter is from a different author. Check this book out for a quick and easy read guaranteed to have something for everyone at every stage in life.

What is an icon, who are your icons and how can one become an icon?

DF: An icon is an individual who is not only successful and admired by others, but also has an unfair advantage over all others in their industry. This unfair advantage stems from having not just “admirers” but fanatics because of your immense amount of influence, credibility and exposure. These fanatics are enthusiastic about absolutely everything you stand for and therefore put you ahead of the rest, solidifying your iconic status in your industry.

How does one become an expert business marketer and business developer? Is the benchmark of success only money?

DF: It has almost nothing to do with money. Having a certain kind of website that positions you in a certain way, being an author, being featured in the media, having video testimonials, having major endorsements, winning awards and having degrees and certificates of completion can all raise your icon status. Most importantly you need to have fans and you get those through strategically giving, serving and sharing.

Is there any spiritual or moral undercurrent in your training philosophy?

DF: I personally look for clients that meet three criteria: 1) They have money 2) They have a way to make more money and 3) They have enough pain that they are willing to change the way they do business.

Do you consider yourself a post modern Norman Vincent Peale or more of a social media skewed Tony Roberts?

DF: I’m more of a cross between Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg.

I am a friend of Michael Levine. Why did you purchase his media company, LCO?

DF: My clients need PR services and LCO clients might just need my other services. In addition, LCO gave me a seat at the Hollywood table and increased my visibility ultimately raising my icon status. Michael says today visibility equals credibility and I agree.

What does ML bring to the table? What will his responsibilities be?

DF: He is an advisor, a mentor, a champion of my companies and the most connected guy I know.

How has new and social media changed the way to advise your clients on how to market themselves?

DF: Everyone in the advice business will make more money by having an icon status. Fans will help you get or raise that status. Social media is the easiest and most affordable way to build the audience that can become your fan base.

What does I.C.E mean?

DF: Would you be more successful if you were more INFLUENTIAL? Would you be more successful if you had more CREDIBILITY? Would you be more influential if you had more EXPOSURE? This is my I.C.E. acronym. It’s changing lives and making people a lot of money. There is nothing like having even a little ice in your veins. It’s at the core of any icon and it’s paramount for people in the advice business.

What kind of testimonials have honored you the most?

DF: Ted Wentworth and Diana Wentworth are clients who have given me great testimonials plus they bought me a Lexus ES 350 a year ago. That was pretty cool.

How is it that you have attained so much success at such a young age?

DF: I surround myself with successful people. I believe that we are the average income and success of the five closest people we hang out with.

What are you working on right now?

DF: A new list builder program called Icon Audience Builder.

Where will you find yourself in ten years?

DF: I don’t let myself look further than a year ahead. I’m unusual that way. I find that more than a year increases your odds of making bad decisions.

Greatest achievement in life so far?

DF: My family. My kids are becoming great entrepreneurs and great people.

Greatest regret?

DF: Not writing a book sooner.

One hundred years from now when it’s all over, how would you like history to remember you?

DF: As a leader who had an amazing ability to bring out the best in everyone around him and transform anything into something drastically better.

www.DavidTFagan.com
Edited by Susan Aceves


BY AL CARLOS HERNANDEZ ON MAY 7, 2013
From http://www.heralddeparis.com/interview-icon-builder-david-t-fagan/206378

April 2013: How To Achieve Financial Freedom In One Decade

April 08, 2013 |

From: http://www.gurufocus.com/news/

When I’ve previously asked readers what their main investing goal is, financial freedom is the #1 response. They want investment income to surpass their expenses and grow faster than inflation, so then they can do whatever they want. Work or not work, live almost anywhere, etc. Even those that didn’t offer that specific answer still said they wanted the more general goal of having growing dividend income that gives them security, extra income, and the ability to retire on their terms. 

So for this issue, I’ve interviewed Jason Fieber, who is putting dividend growth investing to work with the goal of achieving financial freedom by age 40. All theories and investing strategies aside, this is a case study in how to roll up your sleeves and make it really happen. 

Interview with Jason Fieber

Jason Fieber runs the investing blog Dividend Mantra. In his late 20′s, he had a negative net worth with several thousand dollars in a checking account and a student loan total that was far higher. So as he puts it, he had a lower net worth than when he was a newborn, which after nearly three decades of living is not a comfortable place to be (but very common). He researched different investing strategies, and after a false start with mutual funds and a few stocks that ‘sounded good’, he got into Dividend Growth Investing. 

In just three years of frugal living, high saving, and dividend growth investing, he expanded his portfolio value from $5,000 to over $100,000. His dividend income went from being non-existent to aiming for the conservative goal of $3,500 in 2013. With the continued dividend growth of his portfolio and the monthly additions of new capital, he expects to have a few hundred thousand dollars by his mid-thirties which can cover his current expenses with dividend income, and then to retire by 40. He’s doing all this while working at a car dealership and bringing in an average salary, so it really is something that just about anyone can do if they have similar priorities. 

This interview will cover some of the details of specifically how he’s doing this. No matter how young or old you are, or what your family situation is, or how high or low your income is, you can apply some of this to accelerate your financial independence, or secure your current retirement. Lastly, Jason provides a few specific stocks that he thinks look pretty good right now even in this rather highly valued market. 

Q: How would you describe your investing strategy?

I would describe my investing strategy as a dividend growth investment strategy with a keen focus on value. I primarily stick to a universe of 300 or so stocks that have a history (at least 5 years in most cases) of raising their dividends, preferably well over the rate of inflation. This usually shows management is concerned about shareholders, and a rising dividend shows that management is also optimistic about business operations. 

But, the dividend, and growth of it, is just the beginning. I also focus on how the dividend is being funded. Have profits been growing over the last 10 years? Are they likely to grow in the future? What’s the ratio of earnings and free cash flow that is being paid out in the form of dividends? A payout ratio less than 60% is preferable. 

From there, I love to look at the balance sheet. I like to focus on companies that use debt responsibly and only use leverage to grow the business in a way that creates long-term value. Interest rates are low, so some companies are using debt to buy back shares that are yielding more than the bonds. That can be an effective use of debt. For the most part, keeping debt low and well covered is key. 

Finally, I focus on valuation through a quantitative and qualitative perspective. Quantitative fundamentals as discussed above are important, but I view the qualitative nature of a business as just as important. What’s the story of a business? How is it going to grow? Are they exploring new markets? Do they have an invaluable brand name? What do people think of their products? If there is another recession, what are the odds that people stop using a company’s services or products? Boil it down, and I tend to focus on multinational blue chip companies that have low debt levels, global operations with large economies of scale, brand name products and manufacture/sell products or services that people use on an everyday basis. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) and Chevron Corporation (CVX) are examples of some of my larger holdings.

Q: Your blog states that you plan to retire by 40. How much do you plan to retire with, and how did you determine that amount and that timeline? 

I do plan to retire/become financially independent by 40 years old. I turn 31 in two months, so that gives me just over nine more years to achieve my goal. Based on my average spending levels of about $15,000/year, I believe that $500,000 invested in a combination of dividend growth stocks with smaller positions in fixed income should be enough to yield around $21,000 per year based on a 3.5% yield. I think that allows a margin of safety. 

Not only is that more than I spend now, but there is a good chance I’ll spend less once I’m no longer working. For one, I’ll no longer be commuting. Secondly, I plan on having my rather small student loan debts paid off by then. Those two factors alone would reduce my spending down to approximately $1,000 per month. It’s also important to note that the $21,000 that my investments would be yielding would be an initial sum that would be rising year after year as the equities I’m investing in continue to increase dividends on an annual basis in excess of the inflation rate. At that point my purchasing power would only increase to the point that I’d have a hard time finding ways to spend all the extra money. Philanthropy would enter the picture at that point, or perhaps sooner.

Your portfolio went from $5k to over $100k in three years, and with a reasonable income. Can you provide some details here on exactly how that happened? How much did you make, spend, and save/invest in an average month? 

My portfolio did grow from $5,000 to $100,000 between the periods of March 2010 and March 2013. I’m extremely thrilled and blessed. I’ve been completely open about my income, expenses and investments since my blog went online in March of 2011 (1 year in to my journey). I’ve been receiving a bit more income over the last year as I received an opportunity to work in a higher income/higher responsibility position at work at the beginning of 2012. You could probably average out my monthly income to somewhere around $3,500 during this three year period and my expenses to somewhere around $1,300. 

My results over the last year have been more impressive as I’ll explain. My income has been steadily rising as the time has gone on due to aforementioned additional income opportunities at work, my increasing dividend income and also some modest online income from my blog. My expenses have simultaneously been trending down during this period as I sold my car in mid-2011, moved to a cheaper apartment located on the bus line soon after the car was sold, cut my food budget rather dramatically and just generally increased my frugality and skills/interest in spending less money. 

These opposite trends have obviously increased my savings rate, which has had quite a great effect on my ability to build my wealth. I believe that one’s ability to save money and maintain a high savings rate is the way to build wealth. Achieving solid returns on investments is, while very important, secondary to saving large portions of capital and having cash to invest in the first place. Regularly saving money and investing high portions of your money should be the foundation of your wealth building strategy, then maximizing that free capital in high quality long-term investments.

(Matt’s note: For more specifics, take a look at his income/expense reports on his blog. Here’s his February Income/Expense Report)

Q: What are your thoughts on frugality? Has the subjective quality of your every day life decreased, increased, or stayed approximately the same during these frugal years compared to earlier years? 

Frugality has been a great leveraging tool for me. Where some use debt to leverage their chances at building wealth, I instead used frugality to save well over 50% of my net income over the last few years and invest that free capital as wise as I’ve been able to. 

I’ve actually found increased happiness with frugality. Whereas before I started drastically cutting my expenses in the name of early retirement I would chase “stuff” for fulfillment, I now chase freedom. I always enjoyed having a nice car and living in a high end apartment. I liked eating out and spending my money freely. But, I always felt like I was missing something. It was like trying to drown a bottomless well. I find that many of our material desires are insatiable if we so choose to indulge. Rather, frugality has been freeing for me. I feel like it’s freed me from the need to constantly chase objects and subjective approval from society, and instead I’ve put all that effort and focus on building a Freedom Fund to buy me the most valuable commodity one can have in life: time.

Q: After this 2013 market bull run, are there any dividend stocks that you currently think are at reasonable valuations? What are you buying or looking to buy currently?

As far as stocks go, I am currently focusing on certain sectors that have not run up quite as much as others. Currently, I find many stocks that are consumer based rather expensive. Utilities are also quite pricey right now due to the fact that many investors have chased yield in an otherwise low yield environment. I’m currently paying attention to individual equities in the financial sector, energy sector and technology sector. A case could also be made for certain industrial companies and basic materials holdings. 

I talk often on my blog of how I stay away from valuing the market as a whole. I instead focus on individual equities, as the market filled with thousand of stocks can have many overvalued equities at any given time and many undervalued equities at any given time. Obviously, with the rather robust rise in the broad market over the last 6 months it’s tough to find stocks that really scream value right now, but I still think that there are attractive opportunities out there for the investor with a long-term focus and time horizon. The market could pull-back tomorrow, but this doesn’t really concern me. I’m buying partial ownership stakes in high quality companies for a right to receive a portion of future earnings in the form of dividends. For the most part the current market value of those stakes is only of importance when I’m buying, as cheaper shares allows my limited capital to buy a bigger ownership stake. 

If the market decides to severely discount what my stakes are worth, I’m highly likely to just buy bigger stakes in the high quality businesses that the market thinks are worth less than what they really are. The market’s loss is my gain.

Aflac Incorporated (AFL)

Although I’m already heavily allocated to it and do not plan on buying right now, I find Aflac Incorporated (AFL) to be one of the stronger values on the market currently. That’s even after a rather big run-up over the last year or so that has slightly eclipsed the broader market. It’s currently trading with a TTM P/E of just 8.50 and a forward P/E just above 7. The yield currently stands at 2.83%, and is backed by a rather robust history of growth in revenue, profits and the dividend. The 10-year dividend growth rate stands at 19.3%. Not too shabby. 

I think there are some concerns about the Japanese Yen, and it should be noted that Aflac does around 80% of its business in Japan. Also, the balance sheet remains a bit risky with exposure to undesirable European sovereign debt. Aflac has made some moves to reduce that exposure, but risk remains. Overall, I think the market is presenting an opportunity here with AFL after weighing the risks and rewards. I increased my AFL stake back in early February.

Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI)

Another company I really like right now is Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI). This is the General Partner to the underlying partnerships of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) and El Paso Pipeline Partners LP (EPB). This is a complex investment, but needless to say the underlying business really isn’t. KMI owns units of the partnerships and certain increasing distribution rights called Incentive Distribution Rights (IDR) that ensure as the partnerships succeed, KMI will receive an ever-growing piece of the pie. 

The business is primarily infrastructure in nature, as the partnerships own and operate pipelines and storage stations that transport and store natural gas, oil, CO2 and other energy products. KMI is the largest such operator in the country, which is simply fantastic. They operate a toll-like business that collects fees whenever someone wants to use their pipelines and stations to move and store energy. As the natural gas build-out continues here in the U.S., KMI will be an integral part of that growth. 

Currently, they offer a yield approaching 4% with an announced growth rate of over 12% for the foreseeable future. Another great thing with KMI is that since it’s not an MLP, one doesn’t receive a K-1, which can complicate taxes. Seeing as how the yield and growth rate of the dividend can be a general proxy for your returns assuming a static stock valuation, one can see the attractive qualities of this investment. I very recently increased my stake in this company as well.

Wells Fargo & Co (WFC)

Finally, I like Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) here. It’s attractively priced with a P/E under 11 and it is currently extremely focused on delivering shareholder returns by way of dividend raises and share buybacks. They raised their dividend by 14% earlier this year, and then just recently by another 20% after receiving Fed approval to increase dividends and buy back shares. WFC is one of the more conservatively run big banks here in the U.S., focusing on old school banking like mortgage lending and holding deposits. 

I know it sounds cliche, but I like siding with Warren Buffett when possible. Currently, Warren holds 466 million shares of this company, so my lousy 40 may not sound like much….but I’m actively looking to increase my stake in this company. It currently offers an entry yield of 3.23%, and I’m confident the next dividend raise will be in the double digits again. WFC did issue a lot of shares with the all-stock deal that they used to acquire Wachovia during the height of the financial crisis, but I’m anxiously anticipating the share count to be reduced through aggressive share buybacks. I initiated my position in this company just last month and I’d like to increase it. 

(Matt’s note: Along similar lines, it’s worth mentioning that not only does Buffett’s company hold 466 million shares of WFC, but he has been actively increasing his number of shares in this bank even though it’s already one of his largest holdings. Back during the market bottom of 2009 when WFC stock was around $9/share, Buffett was quoted as saying, “If I had to put all of my net worth into stock, that would be the stock.”)

About the author:

Dividend Monk provides free stock analysis articles with an emphasis on dividend-growth investments. Also discussed are investing strategies, personal finance and minimalism, and industry outlooks. Visit Dividend Monk to see his individual stock portfolio.

April 08, 2013 |

From: http://www.gurufocus.com/news/

Daily Word: Keep Going Harder!!!

by Ash'Cash April 12th, 2012 @ 10:12am

Article from all hip hop.com

Happy Thursday, my great ones!

Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to going harder! As I’ve said a million times before and will continue to say a million times over…. It’s always too early to quit! You do not become a failure by not reaching a goal; you become a failure by giving up!

As long as you have breath in your body, it is imperative that you continue to strive everyday to reach all of your goals! Those who give up are those who either don’t want their dream bad enough, or those who don’t believe that they can attain it!

Do not become any of these!! Understand that if you want something, then you have to work harder to get it! And at the moment you think you’ve given it your all…..give it some more! Everything you want in life WILL be yours if you keep going harder!!! As John Lennon once said, “Everything will be OK in the end; so if it’s not OK, then it’s not the end.”

-Ash’Cash

“If you’re not making waves, you’re not kicking hard enough.” -@IAmDiddy

“Chances are, if you have a plan B, you’re not working hard enough on plan A.” -Unknown

“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” -Napoleon Hill

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” -Newt Gingrich

“Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired and discouraged men who kept on working.” -Unknown

“If you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires.” -Malcolm Gladwell

“Stay the course, light a star, Change the world where’er you are.” -Richard Le Gallienne

“If at first you do succeed, try something harder.” -Proverb

Article from all hip hop.com