Dennis Yu

Exposing the 4-Hour Workweek Myth: The Reality of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship, Growth Mindset, Hustle, Personal Growth, Success, Virtual Assistant /

Let’s chat about this whole 4-hour workweek thing that’s been floating around. You know, that idea where you’re sipping a cocktail on a beach, working just a few hours a week, and everything magically falls into place? Well, reality check—it’s not as simple as it sounds, especially for those diving into your careers or hustling as entrepreneurs. Now, I’ve been around the globe as an entrepreneur, and let me tell you, success doesn’t just drop in your lap. Sure, there might be a few unicorns, but it takes serious grind and effort for most of us. Life throws curveballs, plans go sideways, and you work harder than you ever imagined. I’m not here to rain on anyone’s parade, but I’ve found that the 4-hour workweek vibe can send mixed signals, especially to those just starting. Working a few hours a week isn’t the magic formula, especially when pulling a fat paycheck. In my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve poured my heart and soul into my ventures. Success isn’t about clocking in minimal hours; it’s about putting in the sweat equity and dealing with the unexpected twists and turns. Even if you’ve got what seems like the perfect plan, the real world has a funny way of shaking things up, and suddenly, you’re putting in more time and effort than you bargained for. Let’s be real—success, whether in business or your career, is about grinding it out. It’s about facing challenges head-on, learning from your stumbles, and consistently putting in the work. Don’t get me wrong—flexibility and work-life balance are crucial. But it’s about finding a rhythm that matches your professional responsibilities while pushing you to grow personally. So, as you navigate your path, remember that the 4-hour workweek is a cool concept, but achieving your goals is a journey that demands hustle and dedication. Embrace the challenges, learn from the hiccups, and recognize that the real deal often takes more time and effort than the dreamy idea of a minimal workweek suggests.

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Positive Thinking Drives Your Beliefs, Actions, and Destiny

advice, personal branding, Personal Growth /

Positive Thinking Drives Your Beliefs, Actions, and Destiny Wise men have told me about “The Secret,”… the idea that positive thinking drives your beliefs, actions, and destiny. That what your heart desires is limited only by your beliefs. And for decades, the engineer in me stubbornly clung to the safety of proof— repeatable science. The woo-woo of manifestation sounded more like healing crystals and chakras than something I could rely on. Darryl Isaacs told me how he gets the benefit of electricity without needing to understand how it works. I look back with sadness at my life and see how many times I had massive opportunities placed in my lap, only to be rejected by me because I didn’t think it was possible or, more commonly, because I didn’t think I deserved such a good thing. I scoffed at entrepreneurs who paid $50,000 to attend mastermind groups, mainly to up their “mindset”. Now that I’ve tasted success, I realize I was the idiot all along. ++ Why hire only 20 people just for me when we can create a million jobs for all our friends? ++ Why believe I’m “too busy” to help a friend when doing so will pay me back 10 times that in ways I’d never imagined? ++ Why not give generously not because you want the attention but because it’s the right thing, which God will reward you handsomely later? ++ Why not drop the grudge against that jerk who screwed you over, not because you’re a saint, but for your own well-being? ++ Why not openly share everything you know how to do, even to direct competitors, since you know there is more for everyone? ++ Why not be willing to learn from everyone around you, especially young adults, since we don’t know everything? My hope is that you realize and reap the rewards today of what has taken me a lifetime to finally be open to accepting.

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Run Engagement Campaigns on Twitter

twitter, Personal Growth, Strategy /

I’ve been testing Twitter ads for the last ten years, and here’s what I’ve learned. Engagement campaigns (boosted posts) are the only worthwhile campaign objective. For example, in growing small Twitter accounts, don’t run follower campaigns with only a 0.3% follow rate. Run engagement campaigns on high-value posts, giving you a 25% follow rate. Your cost per follower will be almost 100 times better. Only follower look-alikes are worth targeting. Don’t use interest or demographics, which are faulty and sparse. I typically get a 10% engagement rate on my ads, meaning 1 in 10 people will click. It is 50 times better than average ads. My video campaigns get a 50% or higher watch rate. Not because my video is killer or edited fancy, but because I target the followers of the people in the video. People will watch those they’re already familiar with. Think about what this means for your podcasting strategy, especially to repurpose clips of people who have interviewed you and vice-versa. Thus, leverage your podcast and those you’ve been on. Twitter has been notoriously bad for referral traffic (website clicks). You could choose website clicks or slightly better visits (pixel fires to confirm visits). But you’ll still be better off with an engagement campaign. The CPC (Cost per Click) will be slightly higher, but it’s worth the extra engagement and organic reach. Do you think this will change with Elon making adjustments on the platform? It will get better! Has immediate ad monetization on Twitter ever worked? The answer is no. The Dollar Day Strategy works perfectly on Twitter since you can still target even the smallest handles. And the price is still super low ($2-6 CPMs). With Elon Musk now the owner of Twitter, expect it to be a better place for marketers who use the principles we teach.

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Stop Chasing Technical Unicorns and Build Relationships

personal branding, Personal Growth /

People who don’t know their stuff hide behind a mountain of technical details, equipment, and confusing jargon. I know only one way to generate results. And I’ve used the same approach for 30 years– expertise and relationships. Build relationships With Kasim Aslam, filmed on an iPhone, one minute of Google Ads advice will beat any other pundit in a million-dollar video studio full of RED cameras. One social media post by Darryl Isaacs talking about how the doctor said he’d never walk again will beat an army of social media consultants with the latest tools, peddling the latest algorithm changes. Justen Martin on Zoom sharing how he sold 500 homes in a year in Colorado will beat an office full of engineers trying to build a new content management system to help drive new buyer leads. With a single rusty five iron from Goodwill, Tiger Woods will easily beat me, even if I have a complete set of Titleist clubs. It’s not the shoes like Mars Blackmon, but how well you play the game. Whenever you feel bamboozled by technical mumbo-jumbo, hit the STOP button and look at the business strategy and stats. How many leads and how much revenue are you driving– and is your team accountable to business metrics instead of chasing technical unicorns? Some techno-consultant who shall remain nameless said ridiculous things, which inspired this post.

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The Do’s and Don’ts of taking on a new job

advice, interview, learning, mentorship, Personal Growth /

1) Become a highly-concerned observer 2) If your mouth is open, you are not learning  3) Challenge your assumptions 4) Listen to your peers 5) Help your boss raise their status 6) Create a business plan for every assignment 7) Direct your availability up, down, and sideways 8) Be aware of others’ feelings and goals  9) Know the names and responsibilities of your peers 10) Ask for help and show your appreciation 11) Do not try to impress others with your past  12) Keep to your word 13) Become part of your team first before you become a leader 14) Arrive early and stay late. 27 years ago, the CEO of American Airlines gave me this. This will stay with me forever, and I am sure with my mission to provide jobs to a million Pakistanis this will come in very handy for them. 

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Ups and Downs

Personal Growth, team management /

It’s what I ask everyone who is new— the one question to see about their commitment “Will you promise to come to me first before you ever consider quitting?” They all answer that they’re not going to ever quit– and they affirm they would come to me first to chat before things ever get that way. I then tell them to remember this when things get hard since things always do go up and down. And ask them about their promise– to be true to their goals and our conversation, when they abruptly quit with no warning. Even after seeing hundreds of young, eager people over the years start a new career and burn out, I feel bad for those who aren’t able to ride out the ups and downs of being in business. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy– keep going.

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95% of the time I want to post something but don’t.

advice, Personal Growth /

Want to know why? * I think it’s not good enough.* I’ll do it tomorrow since I’m busy right now.* I’m not qualified to say something, since others know more.* People will mock or judge me.* I’ll offend someone. And while there is some truth to each of these fears, the reality is that when you share what you think is unfiltered, you attract more of the same. It’s like a LIGHTHOUSE shining in the dark, revealing both their position and your position. With the right message, you will magnetize allies that you never knew existed. You will find that many people are thinking the same thing but didn’t say it. But be sure to broadcast messages that attract the people you want.

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Ask for what you want. Be specific.

advice, Personal Growth /

I believe the main reason people don’t get what they want is simply because they don’t ask for it specifically. Don’t just ask for a job– say you’re a digital marketer serving dentists to attract dentists to hire you. Don’t just say you need a mentor– say you’re trying to get Descript and Frame.io to integrate into producing deep fake videos. Don’t just say you want to lose weight– ask who wants to join you in doing 100 burpees at 5 pm today at the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse. Don’t just say you want to make a million dollars– ask who wants to join you in creating the ultimate Influencer Marketing ecosystem with the footage you shot last week with Jake Paul. People think that the broader their ask, the more people they can reach and the more help they can potentially get, right? But when you ask specifically, you’re allowing your friends and your friends of friends to respond with exactly what you need. Have you tried this?Let me know how you’ve found it to work.

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