Your Portable Empire: How to Make Money Anywhere While Doing What You Love

Chapter 33. Where Giants Slept

Today, me and my Portable Empire set up shop in historic Marfa, Texas. Oddly, I found myself thinking of Dan Kennedy, and his shadow, Bill Glazer.

When it comes to politics, Dan is an idiot. When it comes to marketing, Dan and Bill are geniuses. I think I've got every book Dan's ever written, and I recommend them highly. I'm in his "gold" mentoring program. When he starts talking politics, however...

What's Marfa got to do with marketing or Dan Kennedy?? I'm glad you asked.

Dan and Bill have a riff they do about Wal-Marts. Some stores just curl up and die when Wal-Mart hits town. Some stores just thrive. What makes the difference?

The stores that have a defined identity, and give the customer something they can't get at Wal-Mart, are the ones that thrive.

If you're a commodity, you're gonna die.

To thrive in a competitive environment, you've got to have a personality and a presence. You've got to have a well-defined product, and be the only source for that product.

If all you've got to offer is the same ole stuff that everybody else is offering, with the same tired cut-and-paste sales letters, then you're going to get lost in the crowd.

Here in far West Texas, some towns are just dying. Marfa, on the other hand, is thriving. Let me tell you just how much it's thriving.

You can pick up a rundown old adobe house here, if you're quick, for about $200,000. Movie stars, rock stars, and best-selling authors are lining up for the chance.

A few miles down the road, ...