I have some friends – a creative couple – who used to live in Hollywood. They worked in the TV business there, marketing television series, so they wound up spending a fair amount of time around celebrities.

They saw first-hand all the perks the celebrities get — like the best tables at restaurants. But it was more than that. Wherever celebrities go, people want to get close to them. They want to know them. They even want to touch them.

Can you imagine that happening to you? Probably not. But it can if you become a celebrity in your field.

Well, maybe not the touching part.

You might think that sounds crazy – that your life would remain pretty much the same way it’s always been. You might think becoming a celebrity won’t make a difference.

But you’d be wrong.

Whether you’re a movie star or an oral surgeon, becoming a celebrity really is life-changing. The reason? Being famous sets you apart, and — not to be rude but – above your competitors. Suddenly, you are the expert in your field, the go-to person who everybody else looks up to.

Hollywood celebrities know this. And all that fame and fortune stuff doesn’t happen by accident. One of the most important ways they stay on top is by working to stay in the public eye. Making movies or TV shows is only part of their job. Most celebs employ a publicist, a stylist, an agent, a manager, a personal trainer and more – basically an entire team of people – just to make sure they stay famous!

But you don’t need to go that far. I’m not saying somebody is going to come along and “anoint” you – and suddenly make you a star in your field. YOU have to be the one to get the ball rolling. YOU need to be the one to grab the spotlight. But the amazing thing is, you can. It’s right there in front of you.

So will today be the day you change your life? Will you take the initiative right now, and grab that fame for yourself?

You have the power. Now it’s time to reap the rewards.

Did you see that new superstar money man on the cover of Today’s Financial Times?

Trust me, you’d remember if you saw him – this guy seriously oozes cool. He’s clearly a guy who’s comfortable outdoors, striding what I assume is a Harley (what can I say? I’m not a motorcycle expert), looking absolutely the part of the self-made alpha male in his leather and jeans, bandanna and shades and a grin that says, “Life is good.”

I mean, he’s even flashing a peace sign. The picture of the 21st century success story.

Check out that cover and you can’t help but wonder, who is this guy? Do I know him? Should I know him?

Which is especially exciting to me.

Because I put him there.

As glossy and upscale and professional as it looks, Today’s Financial Times is not a real, actual magazine. It’s a magazine tear sheet created and designed by my company, MagTearsheets.com, for my client, Michael K. O’Dell.

Michael may be a budding superstar in the estate planning business, but he’s not quite household name yet in the finance world.

Although he just might be on his way.

Since you’re reading this on the magtearsheets.com website, chances are pretty good Michael’s glossy magazine cover didn’t exactly fool you.

But for those who don’t know Today’s Financial Times is not a “real” magazine, the impact of seeing Michael in that alpha-male pose – accompanied by the professionally-written article and profile inside – has been tremendous.

Or as Michael himself puts it,

“The magazine inserts have added national credibility for me as a professional marketer. We have distributed more than 10,000 inserts across the country to financial planners, insurance agents, and attorneys. The quality of work that you did for Delco Brokerage was the best marketing dollars I have spent in my 28 years in business.

This article tells my life story and the success we have had over the last 5 years. HUGE response and it made me a celebrity in my business.”

Which means, before long, he may end up on the cover of a real magazine.

I just hope they photograph him with the Harley.

It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and I’ve basically joined the rest of America in front of my TV today. I’m from Indiana, so of course I’m rooting for the Colts. But I’m also a Marketing Lover. So to me, the most interesting part of any Super Bowl can sometimes be the commercials.

Especially if it’s a boring game.

Of course, there’s a reason for this. Everyone knows Super Bowl Sunday is the one day of the year when companies pull out all the stops to and run the biggest, most expensive, most creative ads of the year. The best ones are like little comedy shows or movies all by themselves.

It’s a lot of pressure to perform. And some companies fail spectacularly. You know those ads where you end up just scratching your head and saying “huh?” I’ve seen a few so far.

But what really confuses me are those companies who run the same basic, boring commercials you see every day. Or make more expensive commercials that are just like them, so they just kind of go by like background noise.

I mean, why would any company do that?

Think about it. They spent the same gi-normous amount of money as the companies who ran the amazing, funny, creative commercials. But tomorrow, nobody is going to be talking about them around the water cooler. In fact, if somebody needs to get another beer, they’re probably going to get up and do it during one of their commercials.

What that means is, those companies basically threw their money away.

It’s the same thing with direct marketing. Obviously you don’t have zillions of dollars to spend, and you probably can’t get the cast of The Simpsons to make a special appearance on your behalf.

But whatever money you do have in your marketing budget, doesn’t it make sense to spend it on something that will stand out, that will get noticed, that will give you some bang for your buck?

That way, people will be talking about you around the water cooler.

Way, way, way back in the day, pop artist and fellow marketing fan Andy Warhol entered the history books with his famous phrase, “in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.”

Well, its 2010, so I suppose the future is here. And it definitely looks like Andy was right. From reality TV shows to blogs like this one, just about everyone in the world has a chance to grab the spotlight and shine. At least for those promised 15 minutes.

Of course, if you’re in the marketing world, you know that while 15 minutes of fame may be nice, it just isn’t going to cut it. You need to make an impression that goes the distance – and the only way to do that is to stand out from the competition. You need your potential buyer to turn to you instead of someone else. And for that, you need to grab their attention.

You need to dare to be different.

Those wallet mailers that made me famous are like that. The fact that they look like a real wallet — and that they have actual money (or at least coupons that look like money) inside along with the requisite sales letter — never fails to make an impression.

But in our fame-crazy world, our clients are starting to have real success outside the wallet with another marketing innovation – our magazine tear sheet.

They work kind of like this. Imagine what it would be like for you and your business if you were on the cover of a slick business or professional magazine, complete with an interview with you about all your latest innovations and accomplishments inside.

You’d project authority, credibility, and even better, just a little bit of star quality.

That’s kind of what we do with our tear sheets. They make it look exactly like you’ve made the cover of a Very Important Magazine – which, in turn, makes your marketing message inside look like must-read information from an expert.

Who knows? It could turn you into a superstar!

Instant Fame Without Breaking The Bank!

There are two ways to build fame and credibility with your audience.

Way #1:  Write press releases, hope to get press, hope to get on TV, hope to get booked as a speaker, write a book, get a reputation, hope and pray someone speaks highly of you who has a big following, make big cash. Finally – Success.

Way #2: Create a MagTearSheet. Instant credibility. Include in your prospecting package, send out with your book, hang on your office walls, hand out when you speak, include with your direct mail pieces, attach to a resume, watch as everyone speaks highly of you. Much quicker path to BIG success!

If you want to gain instant credibility and fame in the simplest way possible for 1/4th the cost of a traditional magazine ad- get started NOW with your own personal Mag Tear Sheet!