There is a little business book called The 4-hour Work Week… you may have heard of it.

One of the key points from that book is that “Reality is negotiable“… the examples used in the book were things like: “how to convince your boss to let you work from home half the week” etc…

I believe that one of the key skills in the modern age is the ability to negotiate reality.. to operate in the gap between what is expected and what is possible, to shun the norm, and laugh at those who say my least favourite phrase in the world: “That’s just the way it is”.

Disclaimer: The above doesn’t apply to science or the law.

For example, a friend of mine recently mentioned that he wanted to speak at an industry event, but there were two BIG problems: #1 – He had been told that all the speaker slots had already been taken, and #2 – The deadline for submissions had already passed.

“But Dean, the submission form is offline, so I can’t apply, it’s impossible.”

“No problem” I said, “We simply won’t use the form, let’s find out who the event organizer is and get them on the phone, maybe you can work out a deal to at the very least speak on a panel.”

There is now a good chance he will be one of the main speakers at this event.

I was on the phone with an industry leader recently, and she said something that I really liked… I was asking about the possibility of doing a win/win deal, it was a longshot, but hey, if you don’t ask you don’t get … and she said “Dean, this is what I have to tell you because it is company policy, but once I have said this, there is a comma and a however….”

I loved this… next time you are told that something isn’t possible, or can’t be done, just assume there is a comma and a however. Reality is negotiable, you just have to have the balls bravery to go for it.

Is this the most dramatic tv commercial ever?

I love this ad for so many reasons. Leave your comments and thoughts below.

I often see people who are trying to make something seem more complex than it needs to be.

Listen here fellow earthling.. complex doesn’t make it more cleverer (irony intended).. if you have a goal and want to achieve it, try simplifying it to the absolute basics.

Here is a weird, but perfect example:

Want to make 2013 your best year ever?

Below is a video with tips and tricks to help you out.

NOTE: Under the video are timestamps incase you want to skip to the parts of the video most relevant to you.

Total video time: 40:33

0:00 – video intro and overview

1:26 – How to get unstuck?

04:08 – Your ideas are worthless!

05:35 – How to achieve more this year.

08:16 – How to know when something isn’t working for you.

12:08 – WordPress vs HTML for Google love?

15:21 – How to get media attention for your business.

18:54 – Time management hacks?

23:12 – How to raise capital for my business?

25:18 – How to hire the right people?

28:14 – How to get new customers/clients?

29:36 – How do I reach local prospects?

33:00 – Thoughts on Facebook/Groupon “nearby”?

34:38 – How to get started & how to avoid procrastination?

37:51 – What is the next big thing?

39:14 – Speak with Dean (everyone check this out)

What are the best marketing events in the industry?

I can only base this decision on the events that I have attended, and there are three that really stand out to me… this post, for the first time, will share those.

Disclaimer: If your event isn’t in this list, that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it… I only have room for a top 3 here, and these are solely based on my opinion.

Ok, so before we dive into the top 3 best marketing events, I want to stress one secret I have noticed: It is the person(s) behind the event that are the single biggest factor to a great or terrible event.

With that in mind… in no particular order, let’s dive into number THREE.

Ryan Deiss and Perry Belcher’s Traffic and Conversion Summit

I am yet to hear a bad word about this event. It is more advanced than most marketing events, but if you want to take things to the next level and hear about exactly what is working in Ryan & Perry’s business, then this is the place to be.

I once saw a guy who went through 4 notepads of notes just from one day at this event.

NOTE: This event is next on in early 2013, I will be there, want to come and hang? Here is a link to check it out: Traffic and Conversion Summit Details

If you want to be sold opportunities or shiny objects, this is not the place for you… if you are just getting started, this is not the place for you… but for everyone else, this WILL transform your business.

James Schramko’s Fast Web Formula

I could write an entire series of blog posts just about this event.

James’ specialty is drilling down into the details and mapping them out so that others can replicate it.

He is one of a few promoters that puts a heavy emphasis on delivering a LOT of information with little to no pitching.

It isn’t easy to travel all the way to Australia, but I did it twice and it was worth every cent.

Heck, it even turned me from a 70 year old man into a 20-something guy…

Blush.

And last but certainly not least…

Anything by Ryan Lee

This year I have only been to a few events, and the vast majority of them have been Ryan Lee events.

I spoke at the SAM event he did with Chris Farrell and Andrew Lock in April (my short and bizarre presentation is below):

I then spoke at his Dot Com Xpo later in the year, and it was equally incredible.

Here are a few reasons I love Ryan Lee events:

1) The dude is a funny son of a bitch.

Seriously, sitting through days of content isn’t always easy, especially for someone with my attention span. But Ryan’s wit and humor keep it fresh, edgy and entertaining.

2) He puts principles before profits.

The same applies to all people in this blog post, but Ryan is really pioneering the zero-pitch movement right now.

3) He chooses speakers based on quality, respect and friendship as opposed to how much money they can suck from the room.

Many of the early events I attended were the opposite of this, I saw event organizers who were scared of some of the crazy speakers they invited to pray on their audience.

So there we go… three of the best marketing events I have ever been to.

A special mention should go to Yanik Silver and his Underground events… they are incredible. I would have included them in the main list, but I haven’t been able to go for a few years.

Remember, you can change your business from just one event… heck, just one connection at one event… I have done it often… so come hang with me personally at Ryan Deiss and Perry Belcher’s Traffic and Conversion Summit with this link…. and the drinks are on me.

Dean