Watch Out for SCAMS!

 

 

I thought that I would share with you some information on a couple of SCAMS that I have come across and, yes, sadly and regrettably, got involved with. I'll explain WHY I did so and I will also explain what, in my opinion, it is about these systems that make them SCAMS to be AVOIDED AT ALL COST!

I'm going to share information on 2 separate programs that I tried and found to be scams:

1. XTREME CLOUD PROFIT or (Profit Cloud)

 

 

  Interestingly, when you try to access information on this program now you will come upon a page that will say "campaign not active".

So, in my mind, either the people behind this got their big financial reward, pulled the plug and ran with the money OR enough people complained about this scam that it got pulled.
WHY I GOT INVOLVED:
No, I did not expect to make over $700 per day as is guaranteed in the video (capture of that video on the right). My thought was, "What if it brought even a small fraction of this in for us? It's guaranteed and plain in what is promised." HINT: 100% guarantee's are absolutely worthless - always know that and do not allow that to sway your judgment thinking that they certainly can't make that promise if it isn't true.
The way it was explained DID make sense in that the person promoting this would get their share out of MY share so, hey, you would think that it would be (as is actually described in the video) in their best interest to follow through on their promises, right?
It's all promised to be free (just something like $15/for his "team" to get it all set up) and all done FOR you! Hey, with a "100% money-back guarantee" I thought, why not...what if it only brings me $700 per week or even $50 per day?
This next part is from a "so-called review" of the system (most of these are written by people promoting the product and are all usually worded almost exactly the same):

Inside Xtreme Profit Cloud

Inside Member Area of Xtreme Profit Cloud, you'd get software, videos, training material and exact step by step plan that you need to work with.

Nope. Absolutely nothing as far as software, videos or training material. A complete bust. After two days of going back and forth with their "support system" I was told (which I had already figured out) that I would have to buy traffic sources (Hey, guess what? They offer such in their back office! Convenient!) in order to drive traffic to the "website" that they had created for me (minimal site).

Oh, and by the way, you had to pay for 6 months of hosting up front which was $89.70 and, when I wanted my refund, I was told that I could get all but $14.95 back because that was for the domain name registration (which was promoted as FREE even during the sign up process).

Yeah, I know...I should have listened to my "gut" on this and never even believed that they would follow through on their guarantee. Lesson learned.

So, again, this particular campaign is apparently down and gone - at least for now. But, be aware of ANY system where you are seeing "Cloud Hosting" as part of the title. THIS is where the affiliates are getting their money. I did find a few "real" reviews of this product and that is what is agreed upon  ---- this is nothing but a "funnel" for the cloud pro hosting.

 

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2. ANYTHING with Anik Singal
 

 

This particular program by Anik Singal is "Inbox Blueprint" (that's Anik on the right). You may have seen the program advertised with a video showing 5 people that Anik took and, overnight, with his system, each was able to make over $1,000 profit.

I've seen this type of approach before and I do know that it is never as easy as it appears in the example. As a matter of fact, once inside this program, I did get access to other videos of this set up that show that, indeed, Anik helped get these people set up with some "extra cost" advertising, etc. to make it happen. You're never told how MUCH money was put in to make this happen and, even though they call the $1,000+ "profit", I'm guessing that this figure is what was made BEFORE taking out the expenses. I don't know that for sure, it's just what I think to be true.

WHY I GOT INVOLVED:

I have no real problem with the program, itself. I wanted to find a program to help me learn how to build  a list because, bottom line, anytime you see promotions "showing" you what a person did in a very short period of time, IF true, it was done through a list that this person has built up over several years.

So, does the program offer valuable material for people like me? Well, yes, I would say that it does and I actually consider myself to be a little over "beginner" when it comes to "internet marketing".

I also do think, however, that there is a LOT of hype in everything that Anik does. Even in the training videos or the "live" webinars (I'll get to that in a moment) a BIG part of the time is spent trying to upsell you to another program. Hey, he's a marketer, I get it but it gets a little old when, probably 50% of the time is spent on the upsell.

The webinars are promoted as being "live" but I do not believe that to be true at all. Why? Well, for one, there is no live "chat" screen during the webinars. You're told that this is due to Anik still trying to figure out how to bring that up. Think about that for a moment. He is supposed to be an internet marketing "guru" and he can't figure this out? Two, he REALLY played up the whole idea that, because he valued us - his students - so much, that he was even going to do some LIVE webinars while he was on his honeymoon! The problem with this is that, all you had to do was to go to his YouTube channel and see that the videos had already been recorded. They just were not accessible to the public yet.

So, those are things I didn't particularly care for, but they do not qualify this as a scam in my book.

However, what DOES qualify this as a SCAM in my book is the fact that you DO NOT get your refund back as promised!

This program is $97 per month for 3 months. Hey, I really thought that I'd likely learn enough to make more than that with this program per month so that the $97 would not be something to even worry about. They offer a "no questions asked, 60 day, money back guarantee".

Well, true, they didn't ask any questions when I asked for a refund of my initial $97 after LESS than a whole month.

That refund was supposedly granted on September 30, 2014 and today is October 30, 2014 and I have still not received my refund. I was told by their support team (that, my friend, is questionable) that the refund had been issued and that, since the card I was using was MasterCard, that it tended to take longer...maybe up to 2 weeks. It's been a month now.

As a matter of fact, I was told by support that they did their part and that there was nothing else that they could do! Are you kidding me?

So, I consider this a SCAM and would advise that you stay away from ANYTHING connected with Anik Singal.

If - by chance - I end up getting my refund I will come back to THIS article and update that information.

----------------------------------------------------------

 

I had planned to post some POSITIVE information about a few programs in this blog but, in my opinion, it is almost too long even now. So, I will post another article after this to share a few programs that I am involved in and, for the most part, I'm doing as a "free member" and am still able to make a little $$ doing.

 

One is absolutely FREE to join and do and there are others that  cost some money to really reap the benefits but, again, I'm doing as a free member for now and am still able to make a little money off of referrals and other things.

 

Anyway, I'll tell you everthing that I can about each of these so that you'll hear it from someone that is actually "in" telling you what's on "the other side" of that "join now" button!

 

Be careful! Feel free to contact me with any questions about what I've posted in this article or even if you're looking at a program that you'd like to check and see if I have any experience with (or thoughts about).

 

Until next time, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike





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The Key to Happiness (Part 4)

In this series we've looked at the fact that happiness cannot be found in other people or in money. I thought about doing this concluding article by adding thoughts on the fact that it also cannot be found in "stuff" but, after thinking about it, I feel that the thoughts on "money/wealth" would apply to the "stuff" that one can buy.

Just like other people or money, "toys" such as cars and houses simply can NOT bring true happiness to your life. Keep that in mind.

To conclude this series I thought I'd focus on the graphic that has been a part of each of the articles in this series. "The key to happiness is NOT having what you want. It's wanting what you have."

I'm guessing that you have heard the phrase, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" meaning that it is easy to always think something "better" is always "out there" somewhere.

This is a "tricky" thing to consider because I, for one, have written many things and said it many times through my podcast that we should always strive for something "better" in our lives. Let me clarify that for a moment: I'm not talking about stuff or replacement of relationships.

Basically I'm talking about the need to not "settle" for "whatever happens" with no desire to take advantage of your abilities and talents to improve your life. Make sense?

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The problem comes when we try to attach the thought, "I'd be happier if I could only...." to this situation. Interestingly, I came across an article from Success.com that stated the following:

6. Be happy.
"You are responsible for your own happiness. We sometimes convince ourselves that life will be better after we get a better job, make more money, get married, have a baby, or buy a bigger house. Yet the accomplishment of any of those events might not make any difference at all. There is no magic secret to happiness, but it starts in your head."

 

 

Take a look around, friend. Chances are, you are blessed beyond measure and you may be overlooking that fact. It's so easy to miss what is right in front of us. It is easy to allow us to become "blind" to what we "see" every single day. We begin to take things for granted and even begin to find things "wrong" that, in reality, don't even exist.

 

Here's a hint: This is usually due to some "lack" in YOUR life and it has nothing to do with those around you. You may be "restless" about something in your life and you may not be able to pinpoint what it is which, leads to frustration. This feeling of frustration will often grow as you begin to "pick on" your current situation (marriage, family, job, etc.) trying to place blame somewhere else.

 

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE of moving too quickly when you feel this way. Countless people have done so and then regret making such a move. They found that the "grass" was not even as "green" on the other side of "the fence" as it was where they were before.

 

Sure, do all that you can to improve your life and the life of those that you love. But, friend, don't overlook what you have NOW! I talked about this yesterday...count your blessings! Take a long look at what you have now and be thankful.

 

Another phrase you've likely heard is, "Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it!" And to that I'd add, "...and regret it!"

 

Thanks for taking the time to read the articles on this topic. As always, I also encourage you to follow along with the podcast (see the links below) and to share both the blog AND the podcasts with as many people as you can. Too, I'd love to get your feedback on the fan page on Facebook (link below).

 

Enjoy your day and, as always, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike



6. Be happy.
You are responsible for your own happiness. We sometimes convince ourselves that life will be better after we get a better job, make more money, get married, have a baby, or buy a bigger house. Yet the accomplishment of any of those events might not make any difference at all. There is no magic secret to happiness, but it starts in your head.
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/dont-be-an-old-grump-here-are-9-ways-to-think-young#sthash.NNcrQT5l.dpuf

6. Be happy.
You are responsible for your own happiness. We sometimes convince ourselves that life will be better after we get a better job, make more money, get married, have a baby, or buy a bigger house. Yet the accomplishment of any of those events might not make any difference at all. There is no magic secret to happiness, but it starts in your head.
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/dont-be-an-old-grump-here-are-9-ways-to-think-young#sthash.NNcrQT5l.dpuf

6. Be happy.
You are responsible for your own happiness. We sometimes convince ourselves that life will be better after we get a better job, make more money, get married, have a baby, or buy a bigger house. Yet the accomplishment of any of those events might not make any difference at all. There is no magic secret to happiness, but it starts in your head.
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/dont-be-an-old-grump-here-are-9-ways-to-think-young#sthash.NNcrQT5l.dpuf

Future You University  "Like" FYU on Facebook!  Podcast on iTunes 

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The Key to Happiness (Part 3)

"Money can't buy you happiness" to which many reply, "I'd sure like to find out for myself!"

First and foremost, before we go any further, MONEY is the same as our last discussion about PEOPLE...in and of itself, money cannot "make" us happy or sad. Once again, our happiness comes from within as a part of our outlook on life and who we are.

We can, once again, look to the many lottery winners that have ended up in worse financial shape than they were BEFORE they won that huge amount of money. It's almost as if they were "cursed" instead of "blessed" when they won. The reality is that they allowed the money to control them instead of them controlling the money.

Have you not seen "famous" (that's a relative term) people who are wealthy, talk about how their wealth has brought about many problems to their life? Have you not ever heard someone in this position talk about being bored because, once they have "attained it all", they felt that there was really nothing left?

Now, before I go on, let me just say that many that feel that way are very self-centered. Sad, but true. To have been blessed with the ability to achieve that kind of wealth and to be bored and feel that there is nothing left for them is, in my opinion, selfish.

What a GREAT opportunity to change the lives of many that cannot do for themselves. In other countries around the world, yes, but also in their own country! What a great opportunity for them to "step outside of themselves" and give fully of themselves for the good of others.

From what I have gathered over the years, that kind of life is no longer boring because it is now about OTHERS.

Hey, even King Solomon, considered to be one of the wealthiest people in history, discussed his thoughts that, in the overall scheme of life, everything is "vanity" or pointless (read Ecclesiastes, chapter 1 in the Old Testament for more on that). Money or wealth is not THE answer.

So, can money or wealth be the key to happiness, even in some small way?

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I mentioned the other day about this graphic that I had posted on the fan page on FB. Notice what it says: "The goal is not to get rich. The goal is to LIVE RICH." And, then, below that, I added the question: "What does 'living rich' mean to you?"
 

 

 "Riches" and/or "wealth" do not have to have anything to do with money. Some of the  wealthiest people on this earth do not have a very large bank account and, at the same time, some of the "poorest" people on this earth have some of the largest bank accounts.

 

Make sense?

 

So, looking at this last graphic, it IS possible to LIVE RICH and not have a lot of money just as it is to be "relationship-poor" with all the money in the world.

 

And, NO, one does not have to exist over the other. It just takes a person that can make sure that THEY have control over the money and not the other way around. When MONEY begins to control people, problems follow soon after.

 

There is NOTHING wrong with having lots of money. Much good can be done with that money. The problem comes if and when a person allows their money to control them instead of the other way around. And, at the same time, there is NOTHING wrong with not having much money at all. Some of the "wealthiest" people on earth are those who have invested in relationships and reap the harvest of having many "real" friends.

 

By the way, the Bible does NOT say that MONEY is the root of all evil. The Bible declares that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. There's a big difference there between the two concepts, friend.

 

Bottom line: You control your money or your money controls you.

 

So, in closing, it's not if you have a lot of money or not much at all. YOU are the one responsible for your ability to bless the lives of those around you and, in turn, bring about happiness (joy, contentment, pleasure) in your life.

 

Think about it and, as you do so, always be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University  "Like" FYU on Facebook!  Podcast on iTunes 

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The Key to Happiness (Part 2)

Have you taken the time to jot down your ideas on what we talked about in the last article? If not (and if you didn't read the last article) go back and spend a little time answering those questions. Doing so will help make this series personal and it will also allow you to apply these things to your own situation a lot more specifically.

ARE YOU HAPPY?

Again, if you've not done so, go back and read the last article for the introductory thoughts to what we will be talking about in this article.

DO NOT PLACE YOUR HAPPINESS IN THE HANDS OR LIVES OF OTHERS!

This is the main point for this article - PEOPLE can not make you happy. Let that soak in!

You may have found yourself saying (and you will hear others say it as well), "You make me so happy!" or "(Name of person) makes me SO happy!" And, on the other side, you may also say or hear, "You make me so mad!" or "(Name of person) makes me SO mad!"

I remember seeing a young man comment on a social media page, "I wish I could find the right girl to make me happy." I replied to this young man, "If that is what you are waiting for, you will be waiting a LONG time."

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And, I do mean "one-time"...no further payments and no monthly charges out of your pocket!

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CLICK HERE to watch the video - NO OBLIGATION

and find out for yourself!

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Let me clarify a little. I know that many of you don't quite understand what I'm saying here because you may be thinking, "But my spouse/kids/grandchildren/friends DO make me happy!"

 

People can bring "feelings" of happiness to your life and people can add to the component of your life that brings about happiness but NO ONE PERSON can "make" you happy or unhappy.

 

Read that again - maybe slowly and maybe more than once - and let it sink in.

 

Let's notice a few things about this idea:

     1. If a person can "make" you happy, if they leave your life either by death or by choice, are you doomed to a life of unhappiness?

     2. Is it not unfair to put this much "responsibility" for OUR happiness on others?

     3. Your happiness - created by YOU - might very well bring joy into the lives of those around you which, in turn, may create even more feelings of joy and happiness into your OWN life!

 

Now for a quick "break down" of those three points, o.k.?

 

1. Yes, I do understand that others can bring about feelings of joy and even peace into your life. Yes, this DOES add to the overall component in your life that can add to your joy, pleasure and contentment (see definition for happiness in the last article). But you can NOT rely on those people to be responsible for your own happiness.

 

Have you ever been disappointed by any of these people? Have they ever frustrated you? Discouraged you? Brought about feelings of anger in you? The answer to all of those questions is very likely to be "YES!".  So, yes, they can have an impact upon our "feelings", but they cannot - and we should not expect them to - "make us" happy or unhappy.

 

And, yes, I DO understand that the loss (either by death or other means) of having someone in your life can be heart-breaking. I understand that this kind of loss can bring about much pain and despair. Again, they made up part of the overall component of your life that brought about joy, pleasure and contentment in your life. They were a PART of your happiness.

 

But also understand that you are NOT now confined to a life of misery and unhappiness. It may be difficult, but you can and will find other areas of your life that can help fill that void in your life that will bring joy, pleasure and contentment into your life.

 

2. It IS unfair to put the responsibility of your happiness on others. Many couples fight over this and even divorce over this very thing. "But you're supposed to make me happy!" whines one to the other.  Perhaps this disillusionment came from one promising the other, "I will ALWAYS make you happy!".

 

That's a nice thought but it's an impossible promise to keep. Easy to make, impossible to keep.

 

So, on either side, it is unfair to expect someone else to be responsible for your happiness and, friend, it is unfair and unrealistic for you to think that you are responsible for the happiness of another.

 

3. WE are responsible for our own happiness. Those that have joy, pleasure and contentment as a part of their life very likely will draw others to them. Yes, others can "feed off" of that contentment and joy and, in turn, increase their own levels of those feelings and emotions.

 

Happiness must come from within. True contentment can only come from YOU and what YOU hold in your heart. Make sense? True contentment understands that others WILL disappoint us and, yes, even frustrate us but that contentment will never allow that to DESTROY us.

 

Now, don't take this the wrong way, especially if you have lost a loved one in death. I'm not trying to be "cold-hearted" about this but, it still applies, even in that situation. Here it is: True contentment and happiness comes with the understanding that your worth and value is not dependent upon another person.

 

YOU are special and YOU hold the key to understanding your true value.

 

I know that it is painful at times but, friend, it is still true.

 

So, as you go about writing down your answers to the question, "What makes me happy?", don't write down the names of others. Maybe there are things ABOUT those people that bring about the feeling of joy and happiness but that person, alone, is not responsible for your happiness.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article and, as always, I also want to encourage you to listen to the podcast (see the links below) and to also share both with as many people as possible. You just never know when what is read or said is exactly what someone needs on a particular day.

 

Until next time, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 Future You University  "Like" FYU on Facebook!  Podcast on iTunes 

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The Key to Happiness Is...

The following is from the opening  of the United States Declaration of Independence:

 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."

 

Although this is from a document for the United States, the following statement applies to EVERYONE, regardless of where they live: "Happiness is NOT a guarantee, nor is it a right of life!"

 

One can PURSUE happiness (and, in the U.S.A., that pursuit IS a right) but that does not mean that one is guaranteed to find and possess happiness.

 

This "pursuit of happiness" is something that seems to occupy a lot of time in people's lives as well as occupying a lot of space in written material.

 

Dictionary.com defines "happiness" as:

     1. the quality or state of being happy;  2. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

 

This definition would cause us to have to look at the definition give for the word, "happy:

     1. delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: to be happy to see a person.

     2. characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy: a happy mood; a happy frame of

         mind.

So, when considering your "pursuit of happiness", WHAT IS IT that you seek?  Is it "good fortune"? Pleasure? Contentment? Joy?

What does "happiness" mean to/for you?

There are many answers to that question but, for the most part, there is but ONE answer for YOU! Now, there may be more than one "answer" that comes to mind when you consider what this means for you but, I'm convinced, that even these other "answers" will still revolve around one central thought for you.

Why do I bring that part up? Simple. What others define as "happiness" may not be YOUR definition and it may not be what would make YOU happy.

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Would you be happy with the idea of a "one-time" start up payment of only $18?

And, I do mean "one-time"...no further payments and no monthly charges out of your pocket!

And, what if the POTENTIAL with that small, start up cost was incredible?

CLICK HERE to watch the video - NO OBLIGATION

and find out for yourself!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

You see, too often, we find ourselves trying to "live up to" other people's ideas of happiness. Make sense? We observe others and we usually make an assumption about what it is that seems to make them happy.

 

Sometimes, those that we observe may not be as happy as we think they are! Or, if they ARE, indeed, happy, we may be completely wrong in our assumption of what it is that makes them happy.

 

HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO AS WE START THIS SERIES:

 

* I want to ask that you take the time to consider what all of this means for your life. Get out a piece of paper and jot down your thoughts so that you can come back to them later on.

 

* Specifically, would you consider yourself "happy"? Maybe even use a scale of 1 (miserable) - 10 (you couldn't be any happier!) and place yourself along that scale. I do understand that this may even change from day to the next but, overall, where would you place yourself on that scale?

 

* What do you think would make you even happier than you are now? Write it down.

 

* Do you think that most others that you know (in your circle of friends) are happier than you are?

 

* If so, what is it that you think makes them happy?

 

* Go to the FYU Fanpage on Facebook and share your thoughts and comments as we go through this series - but go ahead and start now!

 

Thanks and I look forward to sharing out thoughts together as we continue with this series on "Happiness".

 

Until then, whatever you do, always be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

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