Is The Russian Mob After Your Business?

by Michael de la Guerra in Marketing November 5th, 2020

A friend (let’s say) of an ex-girlfriend was recently arrested for a string of high-profile robberies here in Los Angeles.

My ex was stunned when she found out. She had no idea how this person she’d known for so long could do such a thing. But when she explained a bit more about the situation to me, it was clear what had happened.

His girlfriend was a Russian escort…

He’d all of a sudden been pal-ing around with Russians who seemed unsavory…

He was a “real estate broker” who hadn’t sold a house in a year, yet somehow spent money extravagantly…

He was given $20K cash to place bets for someone else at an illegal gambling ring...

So I explained to her how organized crime works, and how her friend was likely used by some shady people to launder money (the 32 counts of money laundering brought on by the District Attorney would agree).

She didn’t believe me.

Why?

Because she didn’t want to, it was too hard for her to see what was right in front of her.

This is confirmation bias at work, which is:

“The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that affirms one's prior beliefs.”

As a marketer and copywriter who’s helped to make my clients hundreds of thousands of dollars, I know that confirming someone’s biases is one of the most useful tools in the book when it comes to persuading them to do something.

It can be used for evil, and it can be used for good.

I choose the latter.

How I use copy to help my clients is simple: I help them communicate what they sell, in a way that inspires customers to buy it.

How? By uncovering what stories people tell themselves that relate back to their biases.

Because what I really do is this:

> Figure out what story someone is telling themselves about where they want to go

> Figure out what story they need to be told to believe they can get to where they want to go

> Tell them that story at the right time

> Offer them the solution when they’re ready

This process changes lives.

I've watched health practitioners use it to help children with mental disabilities live happy and healthy lives, by delivering the right story to moms in need.

Financial institutions who help people live out their dream retirement have used it to educate those who would otherwise be subject to a market saturated with terrible advice.

I’ve helped entrepreneurs grow their “baby”—aka their dream business—so they can enjoy a better quality of life, by sharing the right story with their customers.

The list

But the wrong information in the wrong hands can be deadly; greed, self-loathing, and sloth can be used against someone to get them to do very bad things.

That’s why YOU as an entrepreneur have a duty to do the right thing.

To help more people by telling them the stories they need to hear in order to change their lives.

Every single day that passes when you’re not actively sharing your message, or telling your story of pain and struggle in hopes that it might help someone currently caught in the trap you worked your way out of…

Is a day that gives a bad person a chance at giving them the wrong information, and sending them down the wrong road.

Be the good one.

Exploring the Poetic Voice: Michael de la Guerra's Literary Landscape

Michael de la Guerra's online portfolio presents a rich tapestry of poetry, essays, and artistic reflections that examine the complexities of modern relationships, cultural influences on romantic expression, and the psychological dimensions of love and loss.

A Distinctive Voice in Contemporary Poetry

Throughout his work, de la Guerra demonstrates a remarkable ability to blend raw emotional honesty with technical craft. His poetry collection features pieces like "HAPPY IN BED," which tackles modern dating concepts like "situationships" with a blend of dark humor and quiet dignity. The poet often acknowledges his own vulnerability while maintaining a self-aware perspective about the human condition.

His "Medical School Romance Poem" captures fleeting connections with strangers in institutional settings, pondering whether brief shared moments might someday become meaningful memories for the other person. This theme of ephemeral connections appears frequently in his work.

Cultural Exploration and Scholarly Depth

De la Guerra's scholarly side emerges in comprehensive explorations like "Romantic Poetry: Poems About Love Across Cultures," where he examines how different cultural traditions approach romantic expression. From Tang Dynasty China to Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, he traces the universal human need to capture love's complexities through poetry while highlighting how each society filters these emotions through unique cultural lenses.

His work often begins with personal anecdotes - like his inability to communicate directly with his Spanish-speaking grandmother - before expanding into broader cultural analysis. This technique creates an accessible entry point for readers into complex literary traditions.

Dark Poetry and Psychological Insight

The "Dark Love Poetry" guide demonstrates de la Guerra's understanding of how poetry serves as both artistic expression and psychological processing. He distinguishes between performative darkness and authentic shadow work, offering readers insight into how true dark poetry transforms private pain into shared understanding.

Throughout this exploration, he connects psychological concepts like attachment theory to poetic expression, showing how disorganized attachment might manifest in certain poetic tendencies, while earned security allows for different forms of creative expression.

Personal Narratives with Universal Appeal

In shorter reflective pieces like "A Ruthless Gangster's Greatest Fear," de la Guerra reveals his ability to find profound meaning in unexpected places. By juxtaposing the vulnerability of a hardened criminal experiencing a crush with his own similar feelings, he creates a meditation on how emotional authenticity connects us across seemingly vast differences.

This approach - finding universal human experiences in specific, often overlooked moments - characterizes much of his work, making even his most personal reflections resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds.

A Multi-Faceted Creative Practice

Beyond his writing, de la Guerra offers resources for fellow poets and writers, including prompt generators and workbooks. His website showcases his parallel visual art practice, including abstract, Japandi, and dark abstract wall art collections.

This integration of visual and literary arts reflects a holistic creative approach, where different expressive forms complement and enhance each other rather than existing in isolation.

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