Most information products these days come with at least an hour of video training. And often, it’s fantastic–well worth the time investment. But, realistically, we’ll probably never sit down and actually watch it.

I’ve found a way to fix this–a technique so effective that I’ve now made my way through most video information products I’ve purchased in record time while still absorbing all the information. And, I want to share this with you–because if you can absorb video content faster, you can learn faster, and therefore spend more time on your business instead of watching videos!

This video shows you how to download videos to your hard drive, then watch them at double speed or more. You can accomplish this with three software tools that are all free and platform-independent. In other words, this works equally well for Mac, PC, and even Linux!

How to Double Your Productivity and Gain More Value from the Products You Buy (4-Minute Video)

[0:33] You need three essential tools to watch videos twice as fast. Here they are, along with download links:

Download the Firefox web browser.
Download Video Download Helper.
Download the VLC video player.

[1:27] Here’s how to download videos from pretty much any website.
[2:33] Hit Play on the video, then click the Video Download Helper icon to download the video.
[3:04] How to play a video in VLC.
[3:13] How to speed up any video in VLC.
[3:46] I usually run videos at 1.4x-1.9x, depending on how fast the speaker is talking.
[4:02] Bonus tip: Use this technique to load videos on your laptop and watch them on a plane with VLC. I do this all the time…I can typically roll through most of an info product in one flight.

How to Download TED Talks

Want to watch all those great TED talks without having to be online? You can download and speed them up, too.

Video Download Helper doesn’t work with TED talks, but that’s okay. TED talks include a “Download” button (see below image.)

Download TED talks from ted.com and then speed them up.

Click that button, then click “Download video to desktop (MP4)”. Then save the file and open it in VLC, and use the same speed-up trick I showed above.

Download and Speed Up Any Audio File

I use this same trick with audio files (interviews and podcasts) all the time. I use Winamp plus the Chronotron plugin to speed up audios while keeping the pitch the same. I typically run audios at 1.4x-1.6x.

Steve Pavlina also has an article on how to speed up any audio file.

Speed Up Any CD or DVD

If you have a CD or DVD that you’ve received as part of an information product, you can simply rip it to a .mp3 (audio) or .mp4 (video) using any one of several tools. (Handbrake is the most common one; it works on any platform.) Then use VLC to play it, just like above.

The Copywriting Product I Showed in the Video

If you are selling products online, I highly recommend the product I showed in the video. It’s called NLP Copywriting 3–Copywriting for the Web. I bought it and I’m really happy with it.

NLP Copywriting 3 goes “behind the scenes” and breaks down what is so successful about Internet marketing’s biggest launches. It shows you how to write an effective sales letter and how to tweak your videos for maximum impact. It shows you why some websites and videos are so effective and others, that sell similar products, are marginal.

My favorite video was the one where Harlan explains why his wife bought tens of thousands of dollars of equipment from a pool guy when they really only needed one small item. How do certain salespeople convince us to buy so many things, even if we don’t need them? And how can we convince others to buy our products? It’s all in NLP Copywriting 3.

If you’re selling a product online, investing in NLP Copywriting 3 will help you double your conversions (or more.) The top Internet marketers all use the same techniques–detailed inside.

Take a look. NLP Copywriting 3 is worth every penny.

Recommended Reading:

• Overwhelmed by “Getting Things Done”? Try This Instead… “Getting Things Done” doesn’t have to be painful. I showcase my simple productivity system in this video.
• They’re All Going to Laugh At You. Let’s face it. When you start a business, you’ll probably fail…
• NLP3: Copywriting for the Web. Note: If you decide to invest in this product, part of your fee will go back to me. This helps me continue to run erica.biz. Thank you for your support!

I don’t use a costly system. In fact, my initial investment was about $6: Several notebooks at Big Lots–a closeout store. (Here are the same notebooks on Amazon.)

Below are some questions and answers showing exactly how I use this system. If you have additional questions after reading this, please feel free to post them in the comments.

Q: Why/how did you decide to use this system?

I want to do something productive to move my business forward every day. Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Doing 1-2 hours of productive, creative work every day will do amazing things to help your business grow. By keeping my task list simple and filled with tasks that are both creative and productive, I know I’m moving in the right direction. And there’s nothing like flipping through pages of crossed-off to-do items to make me feel like I’ve really accomplished something.

This to-do system may sound deceptively simple, but the reality is that having my notebook open and beside me at all times motivates me like nothing else. I can immediately look at it and pick one task and just start working. Without it, I would be lost–and I would probably resort to surfing the Internet a lot!

Q: How do you decide which tasks to put on your list?

At the beginning of the notebook, I leave space for big projects. (I typically organize these by month.)

Every Sunday night, I write a to-do list for the following week. Next to each item, I write an approximation of how many minutes it will take for each task.

Each week, I aim for 5 “big” tasks and 5-10 smaller tasks. I classify all tasks by the time I think they will take–in minutes. (This also forces me to get far better at estimating how much time each task will take.) You can see the time estimates in the picture below; “60+” means more than 60 minutes, or multiple hours. If I believe a task will take more than 2-3 hours, I will break it down into smaller tasks (e.g. “write blog post 60,” “edit and post blog post 45.”)

This week’s task list.

Q: Do you modify your list during the week?

The list isn’t sacred. I can–and do–modify it during the week. If an email comes in with a task that takes longer than 10 minutes, I write it down on the list. If it takes less than 10 minutes, I do it as it comes in.

Q: What do the circles around some of the dashes before the tasks, like “Pull together Problogger blog post,” mean?

This is how I denote “A task so large that I don’t need to do anything else that day.” If I clear that task in one day, I take the rest of the day off. That’s how I motivate myself to tackle bigger projects.

Q: You’re a geek. I’m surprised to see you using a notebook. Why not use a software-based task system?

One of the reasons I use a notebook and not a computer-based task system is that it was too easy in most systems to move tasks from one week to the next. With every computer-based system I tried, I ended up with a pile of stale tasks at the bottom of my list that grew larger over time. That was incredibly demotivating.

With my notebook, I start fresh every week. When I do my Sunday night writing-down of tasks, I manually copy tasks from last week to this week. I use that time to consider why tasks didn’t get done. Sometimes I simply run out of time or energy to get everything completed. But other times I realize that there is a draining task I really don’t want to do on the list. If a task remains on the list for more than two weeks, I generally either outsource it or forget it. This notebook, then, is a perfect way to see what I need to outsource next in my life–as well as what’s not important to me.

I don’t write 100 tasks on my to-do list. Bigger projects go at the beginning of my notebook or in a mind map.

If I get everything on the list done for the week, I take the rest of the week off. This is rare, but it does happen…and I make sure to never pile more things on my list just because I am done with my tasks for the week. I reward myself with a day or two off instead.

Q: Why do your task list on Sunday night and not Monday morning?

In Jack Canfield’s book The Success Principles (which I highly recommend reading), he suggests adding tasks and looking over your to-do list before you go to bed so your subconscious can figure out the most effective way to do your tasks while you sleep.

I find I also sleep dramatically better with my to-do list out of my head…I don’t get awakened with any thumping heart, “oh my gosh I need to…!” moments. If my mind insists on going over a task I have on the list, I remind it that I already have that task written down, and my brain quiets so I can go to sleep.

I have been known to get out of bed and write tasks down in my notebook so I don’t forget them. (Same with blog post ideas!) It’s worth the two minutes of getting out of bed so you can sleep better at night.

Q: Do you recommend this system to everyone?

Everyone is different. This is the system that works for me. I happen to know that this system, or a similar one, also works for many others. (I sent J.D. Roth over at Get Rich Slowly a link to this video, and he loved it so much that he started using a similar system!)

You may or may not like this system; that’s fine. What’s important is that you have a system. Never turn on your computer without knowing what you want to accomplish; there are so many time-sucking programs and websites that you can spend hours on without ever really doing anything. Having a system helps to ensure that when you do decide to work, you get the most important things done.

Have questions? Want to share your own system? Feel free to leave a comment!

Recommended Reading:

• The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. If you read one personal development book, I’d recommend this one. Canfield summarizes at least 20 other personal development books. I pulled a ton of insight from this book.
• How to Make a Mind Map. This is how I make larger projects come to life!
• The notebook I use. Here’s a link to the notebook I use; via Amazon.com.

It used to be, if you wanted to survey your customers or readers, you would have to pony up some hard-earned dollars for a paid online survey tool. In fact, many of these tools carry a monthly fee, and some don’t easily let you export your data–holding you (and your survey results!) hostage. That is no longer the case.

Video: Create Surveys for Free with Google Docs

With Google Docs, a free tool, anyone can create a good-looking survey. Your can accept results online, and have the results in a spreadsheet that you can then export to Excel or OpenOffice, or send to others as a spreadsheet.

Google Docs will generate the same great graphs that other survey tools will, and even supports advanced features like directing survey takers to certain “pages” of the survey based on their answers to previous questions.

I show you exactly how to set up your own free online survey in about 10 minutes with Google Docs in this step-by-step video:

[0:28] To get started, go to http://docs.google.com.
[1:15] Once you’re in to Google Docs, go to “Create New” and then click “Form”.
[1:28] Name your survey.
[1:51] A walkthrough of the various question types: Text; paragraph text; multiple choice; checkboxes; choose from a list; scale; grid.
[3:00] How to edit, duplicate, and delete a question.

[3:32] How to set up multiple pages and set up a “flow” for your survey so survey takers are directed to a different page based on their answer to a question.
[5:00] How to quickly move a question from one page of your survey to another.
[5:20] Editing the text that people see once they complete the survey.
[5:50] Save your survey.
[5:58] How to email your survey to others.

[6:10] How to embed the survey onto your blog or website–it’s so simple! This is one of my favorite features of the Google Docs survey tool.
[6:28] Select a theme (design) for your survey with a couple clicks.
[7:00] What it looks like once people respond to your survey.
[7:45] Showing the pretty graphs that the tool creates of all your responses.
[8:41] How to stop people from completing your survey once it’s over.
[8:55] How to export your survey to Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice, and other formats.

Next time you need to create a survey, try Google Docs. It’s free, allows (theoretically) unlimited responses, and is quite easy to use.

Tip for Business Owners and Bloggers:

If you’re running a business or a blog, I recommend surveying your customers/readers at least once a year, and preferably even more often than that. If you haven’t ever surveyed your customers, there’s no better time than the present–even if you only have a few of them. One or two more sales because you are able to offer additional services they need will more than pay back the small amount of time required to create a survey.

If you’re currently paying for an online survey tool, Google Docs has the potential to save you hundreds of dollars a year, so definitely check it out.

Enjoy!

Recommended Reading:

• My YouTube channel. Please subscribe there if you would like notifications of new videos I post.
• How to Make a Mind Map. My last how-to video, where I walk you step-by-step through another free online tool to create mind maps!

Review: Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Boot Camp.

I’m excited to help my friend Ramit Sethi in his quest to help you take back control of your financial future.

This video explains everything, but the story is also below for you…

My Story

In 2007, I nearly bankrupted my business because I didn’t keep track of my finances. I didn’t hire an accountant or financial planner because I “couldn’t afford it”. Little did I know that my business had far more money going out than coming in.

I always thought the numbers would work themselves out. I was smart; I read a ton of business books every month, and my business was growing like gangbusters. What was there to worry about?

It took our landlord locking us out of the building and me having to lay off most of my 6-person staff for me to hit bottom and realize what a terrible mistake I had made.

My lack of financial planning devastated not only my life, but the lives of others whose families depended on me for their well-being. That day, I made a critical decision: I set in motion a plan to take action and get my business and personal finances straightened out.

I didn’t like what I found. Between my business and personal debt, I owed over $160,000.00 to various creditors. I was sick to my stomach when I finally added it all up.

From $160,000 in Debt to Debt-Free

I am pleased to say I came out of it. Today, I am debt-free and proud of it; I save 55% of my monthly income, and I know exactly what I spend money on every month. I am free to make wise choices because I know what’s important and what matters to me.

In 2008, I ran a personal finance conference in San Francisco. My goal was to show the attendees what had happened to me and to give them the tools they needed to move forward and be successful.

My keynote speaker was Ramit Sethi, owner of the popular I Will Teach You To Be Rich blog. Ramit blew the audience away with tactical tips on how to “negotiate like an Indian”, save money, spend wisely, and invest for retirement.

Ramit is a friend of mine, and he has personally helped me with much of my financial life. Thanks to Ramit, I have a better credit card that pays me more rewards, I am in control of my spending, and I have automated many of my monthly bills so I no longer have to worry about money.

Now, Ramit is taking a select few of you by the hand and guiding you through his personal system to get your financial life on track. In just six short weeks, you will learn how to save for retirement (and start funding a retirement plan), how to earn more (whether you are an entrepreneur or you have a job), and how to save and invest your money wisely so you are in complete control.

Ramit’s 6-week bootcamp will get you out of the joy-fear-guilt cycle…where you spend money and buy something nice (joy!), only to fear the credit card bill, and feel guilty when it arrives.

Is It Worth the Investment?

From the bottom of my heart, I believe it is worth it for you to invest in Ramit’s program and get your financial life back on track. Not only does Ramit guarantee that you will save more than your investment in the program, but it’s a unique opportunity to set your life on the right path.

Your age and income don’t matter. Young or old; struggling to get by or with a ton of money…you’re not alone. If you don’t know what’s going in and coming out of your wallet every month…if you haven’t signed up for a Roth IRA or 401(k) yet…if you have big goals (like buying a house or retiring early) but you’re not sure if you’re on track to meet them…this is your chance to interact personally with one of the gurus of personal finance.

Who Would NOT Benefit from Ramit’s Boot Camp?

My policy is to be totally honest, so: this isn’t for everyone. If you’re already sporting a fully-funded Roth IRA and 401(k), kickin’ it with multiple ING Direct subaccounts for your savings goals, and you’re totally debt-free and on your way with flying colors to early retirement…well, this probably wouldn’t be of much benefit to you.

If, on the other hand, you just read that and said “Yeah, right! Who even does that?” well, then may I humbly suggest — Ramit’s program just might be right for you.

Have the Courage to Invest in Yourself

“But, Erica,” I can hear you saying. “The holidays are coming up. I’m cash-strapped as it is. And this boot camp costs money. There’s just no way I can do this.”

My response: Have the courage to say “Yes.” This is an investment in yourself and your education. (Compared to a college education, it’s a huge bargain!)

Close your eyes and imagine for a minute that, this time next year, you have:

1. A fully-funded retirement account.
2. A savings account set aside just for holiday gifts to others, so you can afford to give them gifts without the worry in the back of your head of the mounting bills.
3. An account set up (with money in it!) for a goal you have in the future — whether that goal is buying a house, taking that vacation you’ve always dreamed of, or starting a new business.

Now compare that to your current reality. Kind of hurts, doesn’t it?

If you desire all of this, but don’t know how to get there…Ramit’s boot camp is for you. No matter how many books you read, it won’t matter. The hundreds of business books I read didn’t save me from having to go into that conference room and lay off most of my staff.

Stop Doing the Same Thing and Expecting a Change…

Don’t wait. If you wait, your situation won’t change, and next year at this time, you’ll be no better off financially than where you are today. (And, as I can attest, it doesn’t matter how much income you make…if you spend more than you make, you’re still going to be in the same situation.)

An average college extension course runs $400-$500, and doesn’t even help you save any money. (You also typically have to take 2-3 of them to even accomplish anything!) On the other hand, Ramit’s program is tactical, strategic, and designed to help you take action now. Think about it: if you save just $25/month, you will pay back your investment in his program in just a few months!

Sign up for Ramit’s 6-week boot camp today. It’s a rare chance to interact personally with someone who really knows his stuff when it comes to personal finance. Your investment of $199 is an investment in yourself and your future. Have the courage to say yes to your goals.

For more information or to sign up, click here:

Breakdown of Exactly What’s In Ramit’s Boot Camp

Week 1 – Unearth secret credit card hacks. Find better credit cards and negotiate with your credit card companies. Get perks from free airline flights to free hotel stays with “secret” credit card hacks you aren’t currently using. Get a plan in place to pay off your credit card debt once and for all!

Week 2 – Stick it to the big banks. Negotiate fees and get rid of them with step-by-step scripts. Use the support of Ramit’s community to switch banks if necessary.

Week 3 – Retire early and happy. Why your friends haven’t invested; how to become rich on $100/month; how to legally evade taxes!

Week 4 – Spend guilt-free on the things you love. How to get out of the joy-fear-guilt cycle of debt spending. How to spend money on what you love and cut back on everything else.

Week 5 – Automate your way to freedom. Spend just a few hours a month managing your money, and stop letting it manage you. Special techniques for those who are freelancing, self-employed, or who have irregular income!

Week 6 – Invest like a pro without taking the risks. How to automate your investing so your money works for you. The top ten mistakes people make when investing — are you making one of these? Running the numbers on investment strategies (with Ramit’s help!)

Plus — Guest speakers will be demonstrating personal finance tactics, entrepreneurship, and career paths.

You will also gain exclusive access to a community of like-minded folks who can help you if you’re struggling or support you when you need it. If you have people in your life who aren’t fully supportive of your goals, you’ll find Ramit’s community to be invaluable!

How Others Have Used Ramit’s Tips to Make and Save Money

Jason Demant saved $50,000 in 2 years and is now taking a 1-year vacation…

“The reason I’m writing is to thank you for your help in automating my money, getting my 401K properly allocated, and pushing me to sell my crap to make some cash. Using your step-by-step instructions and advice, my girlfriend and I have been able to save over $50,000 the past couple of years and now, in a couple weeks, we will be quitting our Silicon Valley jobs and traveling around Asia on an extremely extended vacation (1-year minimum)! I’ve been reading your site for a few years now and I’ve never properly thanked you for the help, so I decided it was time. Thank you!”

Josh G has saved $14,000 in a few months…

“I have saved 14k so far since I started May 2008 and I’m on track for 20k by the end of the year!

Fear kept me from automating my savings previously. I had bills and it seems that was all I thought about every month.

Ramit mentioned using ING Direct to create sub accounts. I decided to try the full automated savings because I could do sub accounts for future purposes.”

For more information, or to sign up, click here…

Special — Just for My Readers!

If you sign up through any of the links on my blog (you have to sign up through me to get your exclusive invitation), forward me your receipt to erica@erica.biz and I will invite you to a free 1-hour group conference call where I will answer all of your questions regarding personal finance and entrepreneurship.

Here are some questions you should ask me:

• What are some great business ideas that I can start right away?
• Should I start a blog?
• What’s the best way to make money on the Internet?
• How should I market my business online?
• How can I utilize Twitter and Facebook to grow my business?
• What are the top strategies to get more customers for my business right now?
• How can I make some extra money if I only have a couple hours of free time a day?
• How do I make my income more “passive” and stop trading hours for dollars?

Pretty much anything related to personal finance or business is fair game.

This is only when you buy Ramit’s product through my link.

For more information or to sign up, click here.

If you have any questions that aren’t answered by this link, feel free to contact me and I will reply.

I believe in you and want you to achieve your goals. However, I know from experience that you can’t achieve your goals unless you have your finances in order. Give yourself permission and have the courage to invest in yourself, and watch your life change as a result. Sign up for Ramit’s boot camp today!

Note: This program is time-sensitive, so you must sign up by Friday, November 6. If you miss your chance this time, Ramit will offer it again, BUT the price will double…so don’t miss your chance!

Ramit is offering a 100% money-back guarantee for 30 days, so if this program somehow isn’t effective for you, you can request a full refund. You really have nothing to lose (and everything to gain, including meeting your financial goals!) by joining.

I do get some money for referring you to Ramit’s program. Ramit is a friend of mine and I have full faith and confidence in his ability to deliver. I look forward to hearing your success story!

How to make a mind map.

I felt that way when I first started writing my Blog Success Manifesto. I started with a blank document and quickly got lost. I had so many ideas, and it just seemed impossible that I could address all of them. The document gathered dust on my hard drive for a few months…until I figured out how to make a mind map.

I brainstormed out at least 20 topics I wanted to talk about, then realized I could sort them into five sections. Once I did that, I easily completed the entire 10,000-word ebook in just a few weeks!

This, too, may seem like a pipe dream to you…so I created a video to walk you through the process of making a mind map. In it, I show you how to map out a project to break it down into manageable pieces, so you can finally finish whatever that big project is that’s been languishing in your head for months or years. I also show you the exact mind map I used to create my Blog Success Manifesto:

Highlights

[0:10] I start off by answering the obvious question: Why should you care about making a mind map?
[0:45] I use a free tool called MindMeister (link opens in new window) to create my mindmaps. Why do I use it instead of other tools?
[2:00] The first thing that you see when you create your mind map…
[2:25] There are a ton of keyboard shortcuts in MindMeister. I show you the two that will save you a lot of time.
[4:12] How MindMeister helps you override your perfectionist instinct.
[4:40] How to easily create a layout for an entire book or product just by dragging and dropping.
[5:29] My favorite part of MindMeister!
[6:20] I wasn’t able to finish my ebook until I mind mapped the entire thing.
[7:15] The exact mind map I used to fly through and finish an over-10,000-word ebook in just a few weeks.
[8:20] After my mind map was done, I set a simple goal…
[9:20] This should help you get your next project done much more quickly!

How Making A Mind Map Can Help You

Think about a project you would really like to start. Maybe it’s a book, an ebook, or a new product. Maybe it’s a conference you would like to run (I used a mind map to run a conference in 2008!) Any big project you undertake should have a mind map as its basis.

Mind maps help you understand the scope of your project, break it down into manageable chunks, and complete it faster. They reduce overwhelm and help you overcome your perfectionist instinct.

But quite possibly the best part is that great feeling you get when every piece of your mind map has a little checkbox next to it, and you suddenly realize…you’re done! For a project that may have seemed impossible just a few weeks ago, that’s quite a feat!

MindMeister FAQ

Your free MindMeister account won’t expire, and you can have up to 3 mind maps. If you want more features, like unlimited mind maps, the ability to use MindMeister offline, or to search your mind maps, the Premium version is $49/year.

Check out MindMeister for free right now.

(Note: I recommend starting out with the free version and upgrading as you see fit. The link above makes me money if you choose to upgrade to the Premium version. )

Recommended Reading:

• Creating a New Product. The first post in this series; discusses market research.
• How to Start A Business with No Money. It doesn’t take a lot of money to start a business…
• How to Get More Profitable Clients. A quick brainstorming method I dreamed up (literally!) to help you make your business more profitable.

How to find people on Twitter.

This video is about using Twellow, the “Twitter yellow pages”, to find people who share your interests on Twitter. I use Twellow to find the thought leaders in a niche. You can drill down very specifically; for instance, finding only personal finance bloggers.

If you have a specific target market, Twellow is incredibly useful for finding people in that niche, as well.

I had never heard of Twellow, despite being on Twitter for nearly three years, and that’s why I decided to shoot this video. I have no personal relationship with Twellow.

How to Find People on Twitter (7 minutes)

Highlights:

[2:20] Using Twellow’s primary categories. There are over 47,000 people listed under “Blogging” — wow!
[2:30] Search results are ranked in order of the number of followers a person has. Pete Cashmore of Mashable takes top honors in the “Blogging” category, with over 1.1 million followers.
[4:00] This is where the power of Twellow shines — the ability to search within a category. A search for “personal finance” within the Blogging category finds just 84 people.
[4:30] Once you drill down and find people with fewer followers, it’s more likely you will be able to personally interact with those people.
[4:40] If you do a search that only returns a few people, click on all of their profiles on Twitter and follow most of them.
[5:20] Why you should follow bloggers in your industry even if you’re not a blogger yourself.
[6:05] Twellow shows matching category listings when you search for a specific term, as well. This is the most valuable part of Twellow if you are running a business — you can connect with everyone in your demographic as well as everyone in a target market for your business. Example: CFOs.
[6:55] I currently have over 13,000 followers on Twitter. How did I get so many followers? I give a quick tip.

Requesting Your Feedback!

I’m looking for feedback on this type of blog post. Would you like to see more videos from me? Is there a question you would like me to answer? Would you like to see more videos on how to use Twitter and social media, or videos on other topics?

My plan is to post these videos as blog posts in addition to my regular weekly posts. I thought posting them on Saturdays might be a good way to start. I’m also open to feedback on that.

Please leave a comment with what you thought of this video, as well as what you’d like to see from me in the future regarding video blog posts!

Recommended Reading:

• Twellow. The site referenced in the video.
• Twitter’s “Find People” page. Use this if you are looking to find people you already know by name or email address.