Dear XXX,
I am writing the first draft of this letter from an airplane very much ‘in the moment’. Because a desire I have had for some time has finally reached its boiling point. And now it is has become a burning desire, of the sort Napoleon Hill describes in his book Think and Grow Rich.
I hope you can appreciate that I am ONLY planning to share some of the details in this letter with a select group of people and you’re on the list because I think you agree with the outstanding think and grow rich principles Hill writes about. That’s why I am prepared to offer you something very unique and of tremendous value. It’s not something I’d normally offer to most people. If you accept my offer it CAN help you achieve one or more of your burning desires for 2017, and mine too.
Recall that in Chapter 2 of Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill explains the difference between a mere hope vs. a keen, pulsating, burning desire. One of the differences is definiteness of purpose, not vagueness. In this letter I will share with you in very definite terms exactly what I have a burning desire for. I will share exactly what I need for it to happen, down to the specific dollar amount required. And I will share exactly what I am prepared to offer you of value, in exchange for your participation.
I think we both believe that we live in a universe of abundance. Where a person with a strong-enough burning desire and the courage to act on it by offering value-for-value, can achieve anything this world has to offer. And I need some help to make my burning desire into my new reality, so I’m writing this letter to you, as part of a select group of people like yourself, to ‘put it out there’. Because I think you believe in me. As I hope you know, I believe in you.
Here’s the situation. Part of this story you may already know. (Some of it you don’t.)
In 2008 I was FLAT BROKE. No money left in savings. No credit. No friends or family I had the courage to ask for help. Today How to Manage a Small Law Firm is the largest provider of ‘fractional’ managing partner services in the United States. We have some of the most respected names in the legal industry (Lexis Nexis, Thompson Reuters, malpractice insurance carriers, etc.) knocking on our door seeking joint venture opportunities. Seven years ago they wouldn’t even return my calls. Inc. Magazine named HTM as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the country for the last two years in a row and we’re pretty confident we’ll make the list in 2017 too. In 2010 HTM grossed just under $200,000. In 2016 we grossed more than $6,000,000.
But… my credit score is still recovering from the days when I learned THE HARD WAY the difference between having a profitable ‘practice’ vs. a sustainable business. That’s when Ale got sick and I chose to dedicate myself to taking care of her and nursing her back to health day by day (hour by hour, some days) back during 2006 and part of 2007. But I’m sure it was the right decision and I’d do it again because making money is relatively simple when you know how to do it. But people are irreplaceable. Especially, Ale (to me). . .
Since then, we’ve moved five times. That’s five times, in the last six years.
We kept renting instead of buying, because we kept helping more lawyers make more money. Which meant we keep growing our business and increasing our income. So, each time our income grew we up-leveled to move closer to the environment we kept picturing ourselves living in. That is, we made it real in our mind first. And we were determined not to ‘settle’ for a house we knew we’d be outgrowing soon. Because we know how important environment is to support and protect one’s mindset.
Another goal was that Ale and I would start a family. Which also wasn’t easy. After two miscarriages and two rounds of IVF, our beautiful little boy Taye Astuya Leibovich Robins was born at 8:30 am EST on September 1, 2015.
Now, the time has come to provide a stable home for Taye Astuya to grow up in. A home that will stretch and expand his thinking and his belief in himself. A home in a neighborhood surrounded by thinkers and doers, not excuse makers. A home and a neighborhood surrounded by people and things that will equip Taye Astuya with a mindset of abundance, familiarity with… instead of fearing…high standards for himself. And, a commitment to the mantra that Ale and I used to coach, cajole, encourage, inspire, motivate, lift each other up, and hold each other accountable for doing what had to be done to go from being flat broke only six years ago, to where we are today: “Take All Your Excuses… And Shove Them Up Your Ass!” You have to imagine Ale saying it with an accent
We practiced what we preach…
First we found the school we are committed to give Taye Astuya the opportunity to attend for the next 10 years. It is in our opinion, the best Montessori school in South Florida. Then we found the best neighborhood we could live in within a short drive of the school. Then we rented a home in the neighborhood for the last year to test things out and to be sure we really liked it, before making the transition from being merely ‘interested’ to being fully-committed to making it happen. (I wasn’t sure I was going to be a “gated community” or a “clubhouse” type of person. Turns out, I love it!) And then we made an offer on a home. It’s the house directly next door to the one we rented. Napoleon Hill talks about writing-out a clear and concise statement of your goals and desires. And he tells us to read it aloud twice-daily, once just before going to bed at night and again first thing in the morning. Well, try living next door to your goal and actually seeing it every day. Talk about keeping your mind focused and your priorities straight!
Which brings me to the reason I’m writing this letter to you, with what I hope you’ll see as an opportunity for you and your family, and for me and my family.
As I said earlier, my credit took a big hit back when I made the decision to take care of Ale back in 2006. In fact, it was pretty surreal when I went to go lease a car in December of 2013 and coming off of our first million-dollar year (gross), I had the ability to write a check and buy the car outright; but I needed to get my sister to co-sign on the lease. Actually it was a good reminder of why we must be prepared to swallow our pride and do what must be done to create the life we are committed to live. And looking-back at that experience, I realize it helped make me stronger. Strong-enough to write this letter, which I expect you can appreciate is not the most-easy letter to write, and put out there into the world.
So the point is, my credit score took a pretty big hit. And after much-effort we managed to get a lender to give us a verbal commitment for a mortgage to buy the home we are committed to raise our son in, with a 20% down payment. We made an offer. The buyer accepted. And so we notified the owner of the house we’d been renting that we didn’t intend to exercise our option to renew the lease or buy the home. Then, on the eve of closing right before Thanksgiving, the lender decided to tell us they’d require 30% instead of 20% down. Which means we now need to come up with an extra $250,000, by the end of January.
In case you’re trying to work out the numbers, here they are… the purchase price is $2,500,000. We have $560,000 sitting in the trust account of the seller’s attorney. And now we need another $250,000 to close. Which means I need to create an extra $350,000 by the end of January to net $250,000 after taxes.
Before you think ‘why not just find a different house,’ let me explain.
I’ll just put it out there that it’s a very unique property in a small gated community less than 10 minutes from the school Taye will be attending the next 10 years. Ale loves it. Which after all she’s put up with supporting me in chasing my dream, I want to give her the home she wants to raise our son in. And because he has been our neighbor for the last 18 months, we’ve gotten friendly in that time and he’s been able to see firsthand what we have been able to accomplish with our business when we put our minds to it, the seller has actually allowed us to move-in. Yes, you read that right. We are actually living here right now! (Note: I’ve deplaned and I’m in my new home finishing up this letter to you.)
Again, talk about writing down your goals and reading them aloud to yourself before you go to bed at night and again in the morning. Try going to bed IN your goal and waking up inside of it in the morning. I’m not necessarily recommending this brand of ‘extreme growth’ to anyone…but you can probably appreciate that it does have its benefits for keeping the mind focused and getting things accomplished!
And before you write back to tell me how the bank has liability, etc. etc. let me just say my goal is to double my business again this year, not to waste the next two years of my life fighting with a bank. In other words, my goal is to achieve my goal, not to be “right” about it. Which believe me, being able to say that and live this way has been the ultimate liberation in my life!
So here’s the bottom line…
I require a quick cash injection of $350,000 in the next 30 days. And I know how to help lawyers make massive improvements in the way their law firms operate. (I think you already know that.) So I’m writing to all the lawyers I know who know me, who like me and who trust me to make you an offer that will help both of us.
To Help Me Achieve This Burning Desire Of Mine, I’m prepared to deliver the following specialized workshops, and other programs for a select group of lawyers who I equally know, like and trust to help you Achieve Your Burning Desire, Too.
As I already said, I’m only sharing this letter with lawyers who I know, like and trust…and who I believe in. In other words, lawyers like you who I KNOW will take these opportunities that I am offering and make use of them, to achieve your own burning desire and make your visions for a better life into a reality!
If, after reviewing these program descriptions, you have any questions or if you’d like to suggest a different personalized program just for you or a select group of lawyers or small business owners you know, please contact me directly to me by email at RJON@HowToMANAGEaSmallLawFirm.com
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely,
RJon Robins
RJon@HowToMANAGEaSmallLawFirm.com
From Chapter 2 “Think and Grow Rich”
Every human being who reaches the age of understanding of the purpose of money, wishes for it. Wishing will not bring riches. But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planning definite ways and means to acquire riches, and backing those plans with persistence which does not recognize failure, will bring riches.
THE METHOD BY WHICH DESIRE FOR RICHES CAN BE TRANSMUTED INTO ITS FINANCIAL EQUIVALENT, CONSISTS OF SIX DEFINITE, PRACTICAL STEPS.
First:
Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I want plenty of money.” Be definite as to the amount. (There is a psychological reason for definiteness which will be described in a subsequent chapter).
$350,000.00
Second:
Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.)
Ale and I intend to give three different opportunities that are guaranteed (or money back) to help participants grow their business by at least 25% in 2017
Third:
Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
December 31, 2016 (this will help participants claim the expense on 2016 taxes)
Fourth:
Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
Write and demonstrate courage to send letter. Create a website with details about each of the programs at www.HowToMANAGEaSmallLawFirm.com/House. Follow up with post cards.
Fifth:
Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
- I intend to acquire $350,000 by December 31, 2016. In return for this total sum of money I intend to give three different exclusive workshop opportunities unlike anything anyone has ever experienced before (to my knowledge) which will help participants grow their own business by at least 25% in 2017.
- I will prepare a letter spelling everything out in as much detail as I can explain and I will muster the courage to send that letter out to a list of lawyers who I know, like and trust who I believe in and who I believe know, like, and trust me, especially that if I’m going to offer these workshops especially with a 100% money back guarantee, that they’ll be predisposed to believe that those workshops will be worth far more to them and their families than the price I will charge.
- And then of course I will select dates, prepare for and run the workshops.
Sixth:
Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. AS YOU READ – SEE AND FEEL AND BELIEVE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY.
DONE AND DONE!
