Welcome to another issue of the no-BS newsletter dedicated to demystifying the world of passive income, where we share practical, reliable strategies to build and sustain income streams that work for you.

If you want to help someone else make money while they sleep, forward this email to them.

In today's issue:

I have a photo with Lionel Messi. People assume it's the coolest thing I own. It isn't.

This started as a stupid tradition with my best friend. Birthdays turned into a quiet arms race—gift cards became concerts, concerts became track days, and at one point, he bought me the experience of driving a tank over a car. So when his birthday came up, and I knew he worshipped Messi, I wanted something that would end the competition for good.

That's when I read Bluefishing and joined a mastermind run by Steve Sims. Being around people like that messes with your sense of what's possible—which is the whole point. I asked a simple question: could we get something personal from Messi? The answer came back expensive and absurd—about $36,000 wired to a charity tied to him, and maybe, just maybe, a meeting.

Six months of silence. Then, a cancellation after FC Barcelona got knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool. Another year passed. Then a midnight call. "Can you be in Barcelona next week?"

We waited four days. Then three more hours in a training facility parking lot. Players walked by. Selfies everywhere. Finally, a fogged glass door and a short silhouette you don't confuse with anyone else.

Messi stepped out, saw us, stepped back in. Someone argued in Spanish. He came out again, dropped his bag into a Mercedes GLC, posed for one photo with my friend, and turned to leave. I had to ask for mine. He came back, snapped it, and drove off without a word.

I paid a small fortune to feel completely invisible.

That photo taught me something I didn't expect: proximity to greatness doesn't equal meaning. The imagination is always better than the receipt.

Here's the real question for you—what are you chasing because it looks powerful, not because it actually changes your life?

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Most gurus simplify. I do it too. And yes, sometimes it sounds like lying.

When you hear someone say, "This is easy, anyone can do it," what they usually mean is the steps aren't complicated. They don't mean the process won't stretch you, exhaust you, or mess with your head. Those are two very different things, and most people confuse them.

I had a client once who paid me $1,000 to join a higher-level program. Zero online experience. Eight months later, he was making about $20,000 a month gross, taking home maybe $12–13k. On the surface, that's a clean success story. Underneath, it was brutal. He was running another struggling business, raising a kid, learning an entirely new skill, and fighting nonstop self-doubt. When we recorded his case study, he told me flat out: "If I knew how hard this would be, I wouldn't have joined."

Then I asked the only question that mattered. Was he glad he did?

"Hell yes."

Here's the truth: difficulty doesn't invalidate the opportunity—it validates it.

If I dumped all 30 steps on people upfront, most would walk away before they ever had a chance to grow into them. That doesn't protect them. It robs them. Just like you don't teach an 11-year-old about taxes on her first babysitting job, you don't lead with everything that can go wrong.

So stop asking, "Is this easy?"

Ask something better: Are you willing to be uncomfortable long enough to earn the upside?

What if authority has nothing to do with credentials—and everything to do with what you’re willing to ship before you feel ready?

I sat down with Csaba Borzási, who built real authority without waiting for permission. No fancy titles. No decade-long résumé. Just a brutal 100-day challenge where he broke down legendary sales letters on camera, every day, in public.

That one decision led to 70+ clients, a YouTube channel, and a book that replaced 80% of his lead magnets with a single filter. We also got into belief-shifting emails, why “done” beats perfect, and the uncomfortable truth about AI copywriting most people won’t say out loud.

If you’ve been hiding behind “I’m not ready yet,” this episode will mess with you—in a good way.

Listen in when you’re ready to stop waiting for validation.

If modern marketing has a godfather, this is his autobiography.

Hopkins shows how advertising worked when results were non-negotiable. No branding fluff. No vibes. Just sales or failure.

This book will permanently change how you look at ads. You’ll start demanding proof, clarity, and a reason for every word on the page.

Old stories. Timeless psychology.

Read it, and most modern marketing will suddenly feel… awkward.

I cost nothing to improve,
Yet most businesses refuse to invest in me.
When I’m weak, traffic is wasted.
When I’m strong, money appears.

What am I?

Think you've cracked the code? Reply to this email with your guess, and see if you're right!