This one might sting a little…

Most people are living behind a mask.

Telling themselves stories. Creating excuses. Playing a character.

They will say…

"I’m working hard." → But deep down, they know they’re half-assing it.

"I don’t have time to workout." → But really, they scroll for an hour.

"I’m giving it my all." → But they’re leaving gas in the tank every single day.

Here’s the harsh truth.

Your life will only change when you start telling yourself the truth.

Not the story that feels good.

Not the version you post on Instagram.

The real truth. The one that hurts your ego but frees your future.

When you’re real with yourself, you stop blaming external things.

You stop waiting for motivation.

You stop performing for everyone else and start executing for you.

You know at Influential we are all about action so here is your challenge.

Look in the mirror this week and ask:

“Where am I lying to myself right now?”

“What story am I telling that’s keeping me stuck?”

“What would happen if I just told the truth and acted on it?”

Painful? Probably.

But it’s the only way to get unstuck and actually start living.

Be real. Or stay exactly where you are.

Stop chasing cheap leads. They're costing you more than you think.

Here's a counterintuitive truth that transformed our business: Expensive leads convert 10x better than cheap ones.

Most marketers obsess over cost per lead. They celebrate when they get leads for $5 instead of $50. But they're measuring the wrong metric entirely.

What matters isn't what you pay to acquire a lead. What matters is what that lead is worth to your business.

A $5 lead that never buys is infinitely more expensive than a $50 lead that becomes a $10K client.

Here's why expensive leads are actually gold:

They're more qualified because the barrier to entry weeds out tire-kickers. They value what you offer more because they had to invest to learn about it. They make decisions faster because they're serious about solving their problem. They stay longer because they're committed, not just curious.

We tested this with one of our clients. Campaign A generated leads at $12 each. Campaign B generated leads at $47 each.

Campaign A felt like a winner until we tracked the numbers: • $12 leads: 3% conversion rate, $360 average deal size • $47 leads: 18% conversion rate, $2,400 average deal size.

Campaign B generated 6x more revenue per lead despite costing 4x more to acquire.

The expensive leads weren't just converting better - they were buying bigger packages and staying longer.

Quality always beats quantity in business. Always.

Instead of optimizing for cheap leads, optimize for valuable leads. Create higher-barrier lead magnets. Target more specific audiences. Ask qualifying questions upfront.

Yes, your cost per lead will increase. But your revenue per lead will skyrocket.

Stop competing on price and start competing on value. Your bank account will thank you.

Now who wants a simple tip to close more sales?

If you’re getting slammed with objections and not closing.

More often than not, it’s not a closing problem.

It’s a discovery problem.

The close should feel like a natural “of course” step.

But that only happens if you handled everything up front.

The real purpose of discovery isn’t just to “qualify” someone.

It’s to gather ammo.

It’s to uncover the real pain, the real desires, the real blocks before they become excuses.

Most companies don’t have this piece dialed in.

They ask surface-level questions, get generic answers, and then act surprised when the prospect hesitates at the finish line.

Here’s the simple fix.

Have powerful questions ready in your back pocket.

Questions like:

“Why is this important to you right now and not a year from now?”

“What happens if nothing changes in the next 6 months?”

“What’s held you back from fixing this on your own so far?”

“How will your life or business look different if we solve this together?”

“What motivated you to book the call?”

These questions aren’t just filler, they’re ammunition.

They guide the prospect to confront their own reality.

They build internal commitment before you ever mention price.

They handle objections before they exist.

When you control the conversation in discovery, you eliminate resistance in the close.

Stop winging it.

Start stacking powerful questions.

And watch your close rate climb without ever feeling “pushy.”

Cashflow Quadrant

If you're tired of trading time for money, Robert Kiyosaki's "The Cashflow Quadrant" will completely shift how you think about wealth building.

Most people spend their entire lives stuck in the left side of the quadrant - as employees or self-employed - where your income stops the moment you stop working.

Kiyosaki breaks down the four ways people generate income:

E (Employee): You have a job and work for someone else

S (Self-Employed): You own a job and work for yourself

B (Business Owner): You own a system and people work for you

I (Investor): Your money works for you

The brutal truth? Most entrepreneurs think they're business owners, but they're actually just self-employed with more stress and longer hours.

The real wealth is built on the right side - where you create systems that generate income without your constant presence, and investments that compound while you sleep.

What hit me hardest was his explanation of why schools prepare us for the E quadrant but never teach us about the B or I quadrants. We're programmed to seek security instead of freedom.

The book isn't just theory - it's a roadmap for transitioning from left to right. From active income to passive income. From working IN your business to working ON your business.

After reading this, I completely restructured how I approach every business decision. Instead of asking "How much can I make?" I ask "How can this make money without me?"

This book forces you to think bigger than just increasing your income. It's about creating wealth that lasts generations.

If you want to stop being a prisoner to your own success, this is required reading.

The goal isn't just to make more money - it's to make money while you sleep.