I’ve decided to tell you about a difficult situation I’ve been experiencing lately, but I want to tie it into a quick lesson… after all, the main objective of this website is to provide you with Internet marketing tips.
Let’s start with a flashback to the 1980’s…
From what I gather, the phrase “never let them see you sweat” originated from a deodorant commercial in 1984. While I may have been exposed to it as a 5-year old during commercial breaks between Saturday morning cartoons, I certainly have no recollection of it.
I do, however, remember hearing this phrase spoken from the stage at an Internet marketing seminar several years ago. Apparently after serving its duty as a deodorant slogan, “never let them see you sweat” became a business principle of sorts.
The idea is that you should never let your ________(fill in the blank) see you “sweat”, because it is basically a sign of weakness. This includes customers, prospects, fans, followers, competitors, subordinates, and bosses… just to name a few.
In other words, you don’t want to let any of those people see your weak side, because it will affect their opinion of you.
The speaker at the Internet marketing seminar was teaching that you should never appear to be frazzled or portray a lack of confidence in the projection of your image to your online prospects and subscribers. Instead, you should always appear to “have it all together”.
There are times when this makes sense. Anyone in a leadership role (whether it be a parent, T-ball coach, or President of the United States) must instill confidence in the minds of those he or she is leading. To this end, there are times that it is appropriate to hide your emotions and appear to have it all together.
I would even go so far as to say there are situations in which you should never let them see you sweat. For example, if you’re in a war, you shouldn’t let your enemy see you sweat. Revealing a weakness could mean instant death.
If you ever have to hire a lawyer, you probably don’t want one who sweats profusely and exudes a lack of confidence in the courtroom.
I’m also aware that marketing can be likened to war, but I propose that the concept of “hiding your sweat” is overrated as it pertains to business.
Things to consider when hiding your sweat…
First, there’s an inherent problem with never showing weakness. The problem is that we’re human. We have weaknesses.
To confess weakness is to accept that you are human. This can have a positive effect, because humans can relate to other humans. As a marketer, this can be advantageous in gaining trust and portraying authenticity.
I will admit that revealing weaknesses can also have a negative effect upon a business. I remember a few times in recent years that the stock of the Apple company plunged as a result of negative news about Steve Jobs’ health. Last month Apple lost $10 billion of market capitalization in 5 minutes, possibly due to a health rumor.
Those are serious consequences, but publicly traded companies have an obligation to their shareholders to reveal certain “weaknesses”. To avoid doing so could be unethical at best, criminal at worst. Therefore, revealing a weakness can actually be a sign of integrity.
Second, it’s a myth that showing emotion (ie. letting them see you sweat) is always a sign of weakness. While much of our society does believe this myth (and unfortunately this may result in negative consequences for leaders who show emotions publicly), there are plenty of examples of leaders who have dispelled it.
I watch very little TV, but last week I turned it on and caught the second half of an episode of Undercover Boss. This episode featured Sheldon Yellen, the CEO of Belfor– a huge international company. Throughout his undercover experience, some of his own weaknesses were revealed (inability to use power tools, disconnection from his own employees), and his emotions ran wild… this guy cried like a baby on national TV!
While this may have been interpreted by some as a sign of weakness, I’d be willing to bet that his display of authenticity did more to instill confidence in his employees than any motivational speech he could have possibly delivered. It appeared that his employees loved him more for it, and were more committed to the company as a result.
This goes along with what I wrote earlier this year about authenticity. It’s no longer enough to say you’re real. You have to BE real.
So next time you’re faced with concealing a weakness versus showing your humanity, keep these ideas in mind and remember that it may or may not be best to hide your sweat.
OK, that’s the end of today’s lesson…
In case you hadn’t perceived it already; I wrote the above article as a way of processing my own thoughts, and justifying my decision to share my own weakness with you.
The reason I haven’t written much lately, and haven’t created any new lessons in the past few months is because I haven’t had the energy to do it.
I’ve been experiencing what is probably best described as Adrenal Fatigue. In case you’re curious about it, there is a very good article explaining it here: http://www.lammd.com/articles/adrenal_fatigue.asp
I’ve had several symptoms, including a severe lack of energy. Those of you who know me, know that I’ve enjoyed an active lifestyle which included frequent exercise, fishing, windsurfing, playing with my kids, etc. Lately, I’ve only had a few hours of workable energy per day, and it’s barely been enough to take care of myself and keep up with email, let alone do the stuff I enjoy.
In my case, I believe this condition is most likely the result of many years of poor sleep habits, constant blood sugar spikes, and internalizing my stress and anxiety.
Various medical tests showed that my adrenals simply aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do… resulting in various chemical imbalances in my body. For example, I’m not producing much cortisol, which has several physical ramifications. To aggravate the situation, my adrenals are compensating by producing too much epinephrine (adrenaline), which results in a lot of anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms.
I’m following what I believe is a good treatment plan, and I expect to make a full recovery!
Of course it’s been tough in the mean time. My wife is expecting our 5th child any day now, and I’ve had to grapple with the question of how am I going to help and support her like I did at the birth of our other four kids?
So you can see why I’ve put business stuff on the backburner. By the way, other than neglecting this website, my business is just fine, and I think it would run for many years with minimal input on my part. That’s one of the benefits of building the type of business that I teach in my lessons! 🙂
(Note: I do not anticipate my coaching club being negatively impacted during my recovery. Paul and Jeff already handle most of the time-consuming elements of it, and in any case that I’m unable to be on a coaching call, they’ll be there.)
OK, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way…
I want to convey that I know life is hard for EVERYONE. Your pain is probably worse than mine, and it’s a part of our human experience.
I’ve had friends and relatives die in the time that I’ve been writing tips on this website.
I’ve also had subscribers die, and I’d be willing to bet that not a day goes by without some of my subscribers experiencing a tragedy of some sort. With over 60,000 subscribers around the world, it’s pretty much a given.
I also know fellow Internet marketers who have been through, or are currently experiencing MUCH more difficult circumstances than I am. Some of them are battling cancer, chronic diseases, and some have already died.
So this is NOT about me complaining. It’s also not about seeking sympathy. Prayers maybe, but not sympathy. I’m thankful for all that I’ve been given, and I KNOW that I am indeed blessed.
This post is about me being a little more real with you. I say a “little more”, because there are certainly other things that I haven’t shared with you about my life.
In the past couple years, I’ve been compelled to be “more real” when it comes to my public life. Perhaps this is a step in that direction.
Showing my sweat to keep myself humble?
I’ve probably participated in our culture’s collective move toward Internet-enabled narcissism more than I would like to admit.
The phenomenon of online narcissism is well documented, and you’ll see it everywhere if you look for it. People use their blogs, Facebook accounts, twitter accounts, and other public-facing avenues of communication to control their image. They provide only the information (status updates, pictures, etc) that they believe will best conform their image to the way that they want it to be seen.
Went on a cool vacation? Post it. Had a great dinner? Post it. Hung out with a celebrity? Post it. Got angry with your child or spouse, lost your temper, and broke something? No one needs to know.
I despise it, and yet I’ve been a purveyor of it. In one respect I’ve even taught it.
So yes, this is me keeping myself humble. Believe me, I’d much rather be known as the energetic windsurfing family man, than the tired Internet marketer who burned out his adrenal glands.
I also had one more ulterior motive for sharing this with you. I knew it would give me an excuse to share my faith with you too.
OK, this is where I’m gonna hijack this conversation and get “religious” on you…
No, I’m not turning this into a religious website. Based on the demographics, I’m aware that I have thousands of subscribers who are Muslim, Hindu, and no-doubt countless other faiths represented. I’m not here to force my convictions upon you, and I never will.
But I didn’t want to share my pain with you, unless I also shared my hope with you. In fact, it wouldn’t be right, because it would be a totally incomplete picture.
I believe that there is a spiritual realm that supersedes the physical world as we know it.
In spite of how I feel, I’m actually healthy and strong. In spite of what our society says, perception is not reality. In spite of what my doctor’s reports say, there is a greater truth to be found.
Of course many religions share this sentiment, as do believers in the Law of Attraction, which has become so popular in the Internet marketing world. But here’s where I part ways with those folks…
You might think I’m crazy, but I believe that approximately 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ (the actual son of God) came to earth, died on a cross, and came back to life again. That’s reality. And if that’s true, then the Bible is totally validated, and it’s true too.
The ramifications are huge. The Bible says that the same power that raised Jesus from death is available to me, and in fact is already inside of me (Romans 8:11)! While it is controversial even among Christianity, I believe the most accurate interpretation of the Bible proves that Christ’s atonement included healing for sickness.
I’ve seen first-hand that God still heals people today. In our church we see people healed every week. Some are healed from small things, and some are healed from big things like cancer and heart disease. We’ve seen numerous verifiable x-rays and doctor’s reports which have confirmed miraculous healings.
I share this to let you know that not only has my healing been paid for by Christ; yours has too.
The following is a song called “Name of Jesus”, which is on a music album by my sister-in-law that I executive produced a few years ago. To make the video I used scenes from The Passion of The Christ. So if you’re offended by the blood of Jesus, don’t watch…
This song has been inspirational to me lately, and I hope it is for you too.
As always, you are welcome to leave your comments below.
Have a great day!
That is very generous of you, thanks Dr Mike!
He’s basically a holistic doctor, trained in both traditional and holistic medicine. A balance of both in my opinion. His speciality is basically restorative medicine. He’s actually open to the possibility of Lyme, which shows he’s forward thinking, especially considering Colorado is not known for it. If his plan doesn’t work, I’ll certainly be looking for specialists.
Actually I am reading every comment, and I appreciate them all, thanks!
Shaun, you can check it out here:
http://www.kaitlynstover.com/music/
There’s a lot of other great songs on the album!
You’ve been through a lot Ray, thanks for the encouragement.
Thanks for the comments, and I’ll look into that adrenal product.
Thanks bro!
Colin I was not aware of your journey with illness. Blessings to you my friend
First- You will be included in our prayers for healing. You are reaching thousands by sharing your vulnerability and your faith. You may never know how many lives are changed through your testimony.
2nd- Beautiful music video- Thank you. Inspiring.
We are all passing through this life on earth at warp speed .. and for some, who turn their face away from God and Truth, pain and suffering never ends and there is no hope. Popular culture depicted on TV, movies, and most music.. encourages the idea that happiness and fulfillment can be found in “things”. Self indulgence. What a lie that is!
But that’s something each person must find out for themselves.
Thanks for all you do.
Bill
Hello, Eric. I am another one who has appreciated the wisdom that you graciously sent to my inbox. I noticed immediately that you were a man of faith in our God and I appreciated that above all else. My business was a wonderful gift from God (hence, the name), as is everything I have. You might wish to check out http://www.thehealingcodes.com. But just know that my prayers are with you and your family. May God’s healing hand be upon you. He knows what you need & can provide it. My prayer is that His will be done. God’s Sweetest Blessings to you and yours!
Hi Eric,
Thanks for sharing your difficult times with us &
also the beautiful song you posted.
Just relax and take things one day at a time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y1wtgLAytA
God bless you & your family.
Mike Wong
Thank you. By sharing with us you have helped us to understand not only your challenge but what might possibly be our challenge some day.
You and your family are in our prayers. God be with you.
I know that took a lot of courage to share that Eric, Thank you.
God Bless
Dear Eric, Wow my dear Bro in Christ! Thank you for being so real and so open God Bless You! I loved the video. I’ll be praying for you and your family.
Esther-
Hey Eric,
Sharing your personal story was the right move, if you wanted to do so. If some folks are unable to deal with human reality, then too bad for them. They are free to leave, and others will fill the gaps they left. You can now free your mind of that burden, and focus on healing and relaxation for the time being. You will probably find ways to grow your business now, that you hadn’t thought of before. I thank you for your excellent business teaching and products that you have provided me to date, and I applaud all that you do for society and your family as well. Your Erics Tips are top notch, as are you.
Take care,
John
Thanks Eric for the video and song! I really like it and I’m sure it will be included in my hymnals.
A million thanks for your confession here. It uplifts us all who share the same faith. Miracles happen every moment. And to every heart that believes, He will make it happen! You’re in my prayers. God bless!
I was wondering, do Christians ever help each other? or do they just attack destroy and judge? my experience is they shoot the wounded….Get well friend, and I must say of all the internet marketers out in the land of the world wide web, you are the only one that i had a desire to work with and be a part of my network..because you did not pull the used car salesman garbage, and making money by deception was not your driving force or goal..just straight talk, no emotional pushy hype or cheerleader dances..Thanks for showing the world that authentic marketing doesn’t have to rob and be deceitful to be successful
I rebuke sickness and disease in Eric’s body right now in Jesus name, devil your a liar and I bind your strategy of hell and all sicknesses. You, devil have no authority in Eric’s body and I commmand you right now to leave his body… loose healing in Eric’s body right now my Father God, thank you Jesus, in Jesus name, Amen!!!
Eric, thank you for sharing THE Truth.
In HIM we live, move and have our being – now and forever – by faith which is a gift from God the Holy Spirit.
Your sharing, life and witness will and are already being rewarded.
Gods richest blessings, the love of our Christ and the presence of God the Holy Spirit be with you and yours.
P.S. Time & energy permitting, here is something you might find interesting:
http://www.DoingTheRightThing.com with Chuck Colson.
I hope and pray that you will get better Eric. I have experienced the same what you are going through now and its not fun. We are all humans after all and I believe that we can all learn from it in life. I do pray that Jesus healing power will heal your health situation. After all is said and done, all the things in this life will pass away but his kingdom endures forever and ever. That should be our focus…
Nice article Eric,
Fortuately Adrenal Exhaustion is easy to recover from, when you do the right things. I am glad you are happy with what you are doing to recover. Assisting people in gaining and maintaining well-being is what I do best as a naturopathic doctor.
Peace & hugs
Thanks for sharing your feelings Eric. I feel most of us experience similar situations. I have personal experiences on my and others of what is called Psychosomatic Illness, they are caused by the mind, when you cannot find real medical cure it is most likely to be psychosomatic. You might have heard of Dianetics therapy, it works extremely well to get rid of psychosomatic illnesses. It can make feel like a new you full of energy.
Hi Eric.
There’s so much good comments already. If you put all the best of them together, you just might get to the extent of the comment that I would have written to you.
Suffice to say you and your family are in my prayers. Jesus will heal you my friend and He will provide the way for you to get through any and all trials in the future.
Congrats on the new baby.
Thank you for being “real.” I have been attempting to enter internet marketing, have had a few web sites and have made absolutely no money. One day recently, I was scrolling through my emails and had the strongest urge (i Think this was a Holy Spirit urge) to open yours about “The Real Guys.” I have tried to follow many unsuccessful plans. I believe the three of you desire to run ethical and honest businesses.I believe I can make it now following your plan. I believe the Lord can work your situation out for the good because you love the Lord, and you have been called according to his purposes. Keep up the good work and hold your head up! I speak healing and more abundant blessing into your life.
Hi Eric,
Hope your recovery is quick.
ou
I find it an inspiration to here your faith and vulnerability. I like also to her about hear your great attitude. As important as the information that you teach is, the most important thing is to develop wisdom and insight into the real nature of the world and be a light to others.
Peace,
Tomas
I hope you are completed your recover when you baby is born and you will enjoy with all your family. As soon as I´ve read this post I realise that you are strong enough to recover from illness quickly. I agree with you that “let us see your sweat” make you
more human, real and dear person.
I wish you´re all right the sooner the better.
Best regards,
Emilio
P.S.: I´m following your free course and I believe it is one of the best in the market (even better that some of the paid ones)
Thank you for sharing…..Powerful movie,about a Powerful man that always delivers powerful results….Thoroughly enjoyed the music….Must admit….It has made me re-focus on what really matters……Bye bye Internet frustrations.
PS.You are NEVER alone.
Cheers
Ed
its ok to be real, good on you mate.
Thanks for your words of wisdom Eric. I’m a non believer and never push my views on anyone just like you did not here thank you however it is lovely to see you hold strong and look to your faith for a helping hand. Honestly after your words here I’m thinking am I missing the bigger picture am I missing something here should I be believing and if I should what should I be believing, if nothing else Eric you have got me seriously thinking. Take care my friend I wish you well.
Get better soon, as much as you can! Thank you for sharing your personal battle with Adrenal Fatigue! I have been going through years of Chronic Fatigue and never knew of this form of fatigue (Adrenal) and so it is something to look into for me. I always thought there was something “wrong” with me because everyone else was so healthy, doing so well, and I was defective somehow, so it is good to see you sharing the trials you are having. Makes me feel human, not like a freak anymore. I am on Disability because of it, so a limited income has stopped me from being effective in marketing, as I need to pay my living expenses before I can “invest” in any other way, but to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and know it isn’t an oncoming train is good!
Thank you for the song and video also. I, too, have had a recent resurgence of faith, and have seen healings in our church every week, like you have mentioned. You are a blessing, Eric. Listen to your heart, and God will not lead you astray! Bless you, your family, and your work! Love to you all, Dawn Winn
You have my prayers brother…and my deepest respect, Telling the truth in the IM circle…. I don’t think it’s ever been done before..I’ve been going through some tough stuff in the last two weeks and a friend shared something this morning that really helped…I want to share it with you…”Our biggest problem has already been taken care of”
Maybe it was meant for you to hear to…God Bless!
Hey Eric! Thanks for this post. It takes guts to share like this and I respect you for it. I subscribed to Eric’s Tips just over a year ago, never having heard of Word Press. I used all the info provided to help setup a blogsite for my gorgeous wife who has had a very tough 10 years. For years, she had wanted to write for a living, one reason being so that she could work from home and be with our kids. Within 3 months of starting her inspirational Christian blog she was offered paid work and now has a very good portfolio of clients and she continues to bless people all over the world through her blog. Your tips helped changed our lives. Thank you Eric, sincerely. Say hi to Jack Dodge from me. We worked together in Castle Rock 12 years ago. Sending you much love and prayers for quick recovery from the UK.
Glory to God! God Bless you and your family!
Best wishes to you & familiy for a quick recovery. I sometimes remember a small phrase from Winston Churchil, “KBO”. The meaning behind it is no matter how difficult things are keep going.
hi eric,
By the wounds of Jesus Christ, we are healed. You are healed, my friend. God bless you.
Eric, please check this out. I believe this plant will be of great benefit to you. It has been called the Miracle Tree.
http://www.moringamama.myzija.com/
That is a friend of mine (a dear Christian sister), and we are presently working on a project in Uganda where the tree is growing, teaching people how to use it for their health, and alleviate malnutrition.
This video is a must watch. You will be amazed….
Eric, You have no idea how excited, humbled and touched (I cried) I am about this post. I have been going through the same kind of physical issues adrenal and thyroid. The devil literally tried to kill me (this way and also in a car accident). But I kept, and keep on, standing and confessing on The Holy Words that “By His Stripes We are Healed”.
I am overjoyed with your boldness to share Jesus on your blog. I intend to do the same when I receive my own computer next week. The Lord has been pressing me (as His Interecessor)to speak boldly about Jesus every chance I get on the internet. So, what I see here is that Jesus wanted you to do the same and more of it. Hallelujah!! When I post on blogs, I refer to Jesus.
Do not hesitate to e-mail with prayer requests. This is my passion for The Lord as His Intercessor for the past 19 years. And remember that all things work together for good for those who love God according to his purpose. And what the devil uses for bad, the Lord uses for good. GOD BLESS YOU and everyone who reads this blog and make leaves comments.
MIRACLE TESTIMONY (follow-up from above comments):
I have been waiting for my own computer for years. On Sunday, I ordered it from Hewlett-Packard and they said I would not receive it until next week.
While typing the above comment about Jesus, I received the computer much earlier. Hallelujah! Glory to God in the Highest.
This is my prayer for you, Eric, and your beautiful family:
Father, In the mighty, mighty name of Jesus, I declare blessings upon upon blessings upon blessings upon blessings for all of you. Amen and Amen.
Eric,
Thank you for boldly sharing your faith with us. Please check out these scriptures to aid in your healing. They have helped thousands of people.
http://lorirandall.net/docs/Scriptures for Anxiety and Depression.pdf
I understand you don’t have anxiety/depression but the word of God is powerful and quoting these scripture WORK!
I will be holding you up in prayer.
Lori
Different approach that will work for the link:
http://lorirandall.net/media.htm
Scroll down to Scriptures for anxiety and depression.
Eric,
Sorry to hear about your illness. I pray that you are completely healed in the Name of Jesus!
Thank you for all you do!
Be blessed,
Eric,
I am very happy to see that you wrote the name Jesus Christ and made it clear that you believe in Him as your Lord and Savior. A few other noted online marketers claim to be Christian, and may very well be, but they never write and refer to the name of Jesus Christ or make it clear that they believe in Him as their Savior who forgives our sins and gives us eternal life through our belief, faith, and obedience to His Word. I am proud of your boldness so don’t worry about offending anyone. Just let the Holy Spirit do His work. You and your family will always be taken care of- you can count on that by His promise to be with you always. Faith in Christ first then everything will fall into place even better than we had planned.
Love to You and Your Family in Christ,
Cluie
Eric,
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Remember this, Faith is believing NOT in what Christ will do for us, but rather what He has ALREADY done (Isaiah 53:5). I myself am a living, breathing, walking miracle having been healed by His touch of cancer (multiple myeloma) three years ago. I know the power of His name. Stay strong my friend, and stay encouraged, for NOTHING is impossible for God!
OneLuv,
Marv
Eric,
It was very brave of you to say what you have, and I applaud you for doing so. If more people shared your honesty, the world would be a better place for it.
I have just watched the video clip (great song by the way) with my young daughter, who didn’t really understand it, but kept telling me that she would help Jesus if she was there. She’s growing in the right direction 🙂
Best wishes,
Andrew
In my experience Ivan, I have seen both Christians who judge and Christians who love. I am a part of a community of Christians that genuinely care about one another. Unfortunately, because of the lack of love for one another as Christ-followers, Christianity has received a bad reputation. The Bible tells us as believers in Christ that others will know we are Christians by our love for one another. If this has not been your experience I am sorry. There are definitely Christians out there that walk in love.
Eric,
That video is Fantastic!
I absolutely loved it!
I’m very familiar with the movie and my congratulations to you and everyone who played a part in that 7 minute production.
In regards to your health, Perhaps you may want read a few health scriptures here:
http://donpasco.com/my-favorite-scriptures.php
Thanks Renee, here is a website I started in 2004 where you can post prayer requests and pray for others as an intercessor:
http://www.prayway.com/prayer/
Cool, thanks. Jack is a great children’s pastor, our kids love him and his wife.
Thank you, your comment means a lot to me 🙂
Hi Eric! Thanks for your reply! The controversy is not my concern. I applaud you again for being so transparent and believe with that kind of conviction, you deserve the truth. Disagreement can be health if it leads us to the right path. I’m concerned for what is right. I believe you are sincere, and would love to speak to you about some things in light of what you said. You will only know if we can at least talk. I wish you all the best and do seek you and your family’s good.