How to Succeed in Business (And Hot Dog Eating Contests)

Of course, nothing says “Independence Day” in the USA more than shoving an obscene number of hot dogs and buns down your throat as quickly as possible.

God bless America and…

…Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Here’s the video in case you missed it (you’re welcome )…

After blazing record-setting trails across the competitive eating circuit (more on that below), Patrick Bertoletti finally broke through and won THE Hot Dog Eating Contest with 58 hot dogs (and buns) in 10 minutes.

How ’bout we do the math: 10 minutes = 600 seconds ÷ 58 hot dogs = 1 hot dog (and bun) every 10.34 seconds =

Yuck! That’s sick 

(Speaking of which… If you don’t hold ’em down, you’re disqualified.)

Anyhow, if you have any hot dogs (and buns) left over from yesterday’s holiday barbecue, I challenge you to eat one — JUST ONE — hot dog (and bun) in less than 10.34 seconds…

…and see how you feel.

Then maybe — just maybe — you’ll understand the pain and suffering required to be a champion.

But, really, it’s not just about pain, suffering, and unusually strong jaw muscles.

It’s about preperation and strategy…

…which is the point of today’s tale.

Bertoletti unseated the legendary Joey Chestnut who has won the contest 16 times (every year but once) since 2007…

…and would probably have won again this year…

…if he hadn’t been banned…

…for endorsing a company that makes meatless hotdogs and burgers (of the horror ).

The champion before Chestnut: Takeru Kobayashi who won his first of six straight championships in 2001. He ate 50 hot dogs (and buns) in 12 minutes — a record. The previous record: 25 set one year earlier.

This is where the strategy part comes in.

Kobayashi invented the “Solomon Method:” Separate the dog from the bun. Break the dog in two. Shove the half-dog in and swallow. Do the same with the second half of the dog. Dunk the bun in water. Squeeze out the excess water. Shove the bun mush in and swallow. Repeat 50 times.

(Not as good as the four-minute mile in track and field or the quadruple jump in figure skating, but a remarkable breakthrough, nonetheless)

Every competitive hot dog eater adopted this strategy because it worked so well.

Chestnut built from there — perfecting his training regimen (tightly choreographed practice sessions, lemon-juice cleanses, exercises to strengthen swallowing muscles).

In 2007, he ate 66 dogs to unseat Kobayashi (63). In 2021, he ate 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes (the record that stands today).

But, alas, after devouring all that highly-processed MEAT, Joey joined the dark side and began promoting fakemeat. And Nathan’s said “No more hot dogs for you!”

Enter Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti. This guy is a competitive eating machine who holds lots of records (10.8 pounds of key lime pie in 8 minutes; 191 pickled jalapeños in 6.5 minutes; 47 cream-filled donuts in 5 minutes; 6.625 pounds of deep-fried calamari in 10 minutes; and a 6.91-lb whole roast turkey in 8 minutes — just to name a few).

The key to his success, he says: “You have to go in with a game PLAN.”

His game plan yesterday: The “Double Solomon.” (I coined that phrase). Instead of Kobayashi’s method of shoving one hot dog piece into his mouth at a time, Bartoletti doubles-up. Two hotdogs per shove. (Brilliant)

See…

You may be wondering what all these hot dogs have to do with you and your business. Well…

“You have to go in with a game plan.”

So it goes when shoving hot dogs (and buns) down your throat. So it goes when creating marketing content.

You can be the Takeru Kobayashi, Joey Chestnut, or Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti in your niche — the champion of business champions — if you go in with a game plan.

That’s why…

…you’re invited…

to join me on Thursday, July 11 for a free Masterclass:

The Proven P.L.A.N. to Create Client-Attracting, Profit-Generating Content — Without Writer’s Block.

I’ll reveal the proven, simple, 4-part system — The P.L.A.N. Framework — to create content quickly and easily, without getting stuck.

There’s no charge for the masterclass, but you have to attend live.

Note: I’ll record the masterclass, but the recording will be available only for members of Club Storyville and the Content Transformation Academy. See the p.s. below for details about those.