Update #2 – Maverick Business Adventures
Here’s the next update for Maverick Business Adventures.
My friend Jeff Walker called me and said I was crazy to release my mindmap into the wild 
I really appreciate the comments and feedback so far from readers on the blog.
Looks like a lot of people like the yearly membership. I had two of my friends, Rob Olic & Chris Zavadowski, come over last night and we brainstormed some other details for the project. Amazing what luring them over for a steak dinner will do.
Rob came up with the idea of having an exclusive gathering each year of everyone who attended the trip. Probably some sort of Maverick Millionaires Summit with big keynote speakers like Richard Branson if I can get him. (Hey, I helped pay for his rocket ship) 
I wonder how much the right price for membership would be if we include this big event? And that also includes x number of DVDs/Audios from the “What’s working” section and guest lectures. Then Chris came up with the idea of giving people back the membership fee based on the number of trips they go on a year. I like that so that essentially makes the membership free. I like that a lot – plus it helps incentives people to get on more trips and have more FUN!
I’ve had over 232 people take my survey and from the results there was interest in not just having more “extreme” trips like I’m into but having more typical adventure excursions. I’d like to come up with a list of 10 trips and then whittle it down to 2-3 and have those be our first trips in the beginning of ’08. Looks like some good interest in Whitewater rafting, bicycling and the Offroad Baja trip (which from personal experience I can is absolutely awesome!)
It was interesting that it nearly split about whether there should be a qualification process to get into the group.
Anyway so here are some of the next steps I tackled yesterday….
1. I’ve had my virtual assistants start researching even more of the competitive landscaping. Here’s what I asked them for:
a) Competitors – is there anyone else doing this for individual entrepreneurs?
b) “Side” competitors – people who put on corporate trips (incentive,team building,etc) combined with adventures.
For these I’d like sample pricing, what they get, etc.
c) What are the most popular adventure travel trips. You might need to call a few outfitters.
d) Articles/info on entrepreneurs combining fun pursuits with business
I wanted to get up to 3 hours of research and then we’ll re-evaluate direction and/or continuing. I’d like this info in the next few days please.
What I’m looking for is a “marketplace gap” to figure our where I can make the most differentiation points.
2. I also put up a “first notice” coming soon page at www.surefiremarketing.com/maverick until my site propagates. Be sure to sign up there if you’d like to know when we open up for the first trip. Now after the survey is taken – people get taken to this page to start generating a list.
3. I also started tapping into some of the people I know. For instance, I emailed Tim Warren for consulting since he specializes in working with adventure travel outfitters. And it looks like we’ll be speaking this week. I had met Tim 2 years back when I first started researching this project and he was doing smart things (marketing-wise) to help outfitters. We had corresponding and he actually attended the Underground seminar.
I was looking through one of my journals and here were the words I wrote about no project in particular –
• Entrepreneurship
• Masterminding
• Brainstorming
• Adventures
• Fun
• Luxury
• Unique experiences
• Partying
That might be the guiding factors for this project (and not necessarily in that order)
More to come…
Something else before I forget – let me be the reminder that you should back up everything! Yesterday, my son, Zak, decided my cell phone looked thirsty and dunked it into my cup of tea. Ugh! I had over 200 numbers in there and never backed it up. I had bought some software/adaptor a few months ago to back it up to my computer but, of course, never got around to it.
So I had to send out the sheepish email to people asking for their contact info again. Who knows? Maybe my phone will dry out and I’ll actually be able to get the data off of it.
Trust me, I know it’s annoying back-up data, files, etc – but once you lose it you’ll be kicking yourself. For my computer I use Mozy.com because it’s so simple and does the back-up automatically without me thinking about it. Somebody mentioned there is that option for Verizon cell phones – I wish I had it now!
August 15th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Hi Yanik,
Good idea on the exclusive gathering. I like the Alex (Mandossian) had a nice “reunion” for his teleseminarians. Would have preferred we didn’t have to pay the fee for food, meeting room rental, etc. but it still was a gesture and expression of gratitude that will be remembered. Naturally, it was “limited” to the first x people
Question, in case nobody else brought it up yet… depending on the type of trip what about bringing spouse or family along? Family is important to you as it is to me. Kids would have to be the right age depending on activity.
-Taylor
August 15th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Yanik:
I had a friend who’s young son’s placed her cell phone in the fish tank, because the fish wanted to talk!
I like the idea of exclusive … I don’t think of it as limiting in a bad way, merely limiting the membership tot hose who are truly interested, will put forth some effort, and will learn and share (i.e. network well!).
Looking forward to the next installment.
Blessings,
Bonnie
August 15th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
It will be automatically “exclusive” for each trip because not everybody will go for the type of adventure selected. For each type of “adventure” you need to consider a certain personality profile, liking the sport, being good at it, risks involved (liability insurance), age, season, etc. money, too – but it may not be the first consideration. All the celebrities in the world could not get me to participate in certain of your adventures.
August 15th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Yanik, whatever happened to waterproof, kid-proof AND adult-proof cell phones? Seems like someone should invent and market this.
Maybe, just maybe, you could market something specifically to women along the lines of health and fitness. As we ALL get older, and as more and more women are starting and running online and offline businesses, this might be the kind of thing that appeals to the more genteel side of the prettier sex. Just a thought.
I really like the mindmapping thing. Did some research on it after hearing about it from you.
Upward and onward, one day at a time!
Happy Harv
August 15th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Yanik, what kind of phone do you have? What company do you use?
August 15th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Hey Yanik,
That would be sweet if you could get Richard Branson. By the way, he’s going to be speaking at Joe Polish’s upcoming Direct Marketing Super-Conference in November…so maybe Joe can hook you up with an introduction! You can check it out here
http://www.joepolish.com/superconference2007/index2.php
Anyway, that’s it for now!
Thanks,
Tony
p.s. When are you gonna make the audio CD’s of your “Selling High Ticket Stuff” seminar available???
August 15th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Yanik – I see a lot of people I know and ones like yourself try these different businesses outside of your core knowledge and skills. I think you should fully persue this but keep caution on sharing too much. I agree with Jeff.
I know two guys, their family founded Columbia HCA hospitals, their on the Forbes/Fortune 100 richest families list and here’ s what they said to friends and families:
“We kinda made it.. we make mid seven figures a year, let’s do something fun” Two years latter they were bankrupt and hated the outdoors from there on. If you don’t believe me, ask Phil Town, creator of the financial book “Don’t Forget Rule # 1″. He started in what you are doing and never wished it upon anyone.
Keep to internet marketing. Start a side deal with someone, not alone.
Plus, who’s going to host the underground Internet Marketing Seminars!
August 15th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Ah, cell phone problems… Why is it that the little ones love them so much?
I’ll have to make sure that I get one that can be backed up when we move back to the States next year. Thanks for sharing that experience (another business protection horror story to add to my collection!).
Thanks for doing this in an open manner. I think I’ll just keep my mouth shut for now, do the surveys, and see where this goes…
And I received my hat in the mail today. Time to take a road trip with it and shoot a few pictures. You might have a picture with one of your hats in front of the Heidelberg Castle by early next week (depends on if my wife feels like going there this weekend)!
Best regards,
Tom
August 16th, 2007 at 12:25 am
I went wakeboarding with my cell phone the other day. I had it in my shorts pocket and was actually riding behind the boat.
I thought for sure it was a goner.
I pulled the battery off and stuck in a zip lock bag with rice (to absorb moisture) and left on the dash of my car outside in the heat for two days.
It turned on and it works fine. The only damage is to the coloring on the screen.
Might be worth a try.
August 16th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Taylor – yeah good point about family on the trip. I’m not sure what I’m going to do. First off this isn’t just aimed at men and I’m hoping a lot of women will come along too. But for kids – not sure.
There would have to be an optional activity during the ‘business’ time. Or maybe just a trip or 2 a year which is family-friendly might be a good idea.
Tony – thanks for the heads-up on Branson. Yeah Joe and I have talked about it. We’ll see. And for the tapes of the high-priced workshop – possibly middle/late Sept. Stay tuned.
Mike – I appreciate someone coming in and giving me a different point of view. You’re right – I don’t know about the travel business but that’s why I’m going to be teaming up with adventure outfitters who’s core strength is exactly that. I know how to market and how to put on business-building events. So we’ll see – but everyone starts out not knowing and they just kinda wing it.
I’d like to know more about what Phil Town did. It was a travel business?
For the Underground events – I don’t really have a plan to dump those anytime soon. They are a lot of fun and I’ll definitely stick to my Internet biz too.
Tom – yeah send over a pic or 2 with the hat. That would be great
And thanks everyone on the advice on the phone. So far it turns on for a couple seconds but then turns on/off so not sure if Verizon can get any data off it. I’ll probably leave it outside today to try and dry faster.
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Hey Yanik,
You may want to look at the Sept/Oct issue of “Millionaire Blueprints” I’m sure you are familiar with the publication… you were featured in it.
There is a guy “Darren Hitz” who is running a similar business to Maverick… although he has a different twist… he takes bachelor parties and turns them into adventures. Worth checking out for some insight and tips.
Cheers,
John