Business
Business, Experts - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 9:00 - 2 Comments
Worried That You’re Boring Your Audience? Demand Interesting Questions!
During the Australian Open Tennis Championships in 2011, when she was ranked No. 1 in the world, Caroline Wozniacki got wind of the fact that the media found her press conferences boring because she always gave the same answers. “I find it quite funny because I always get the same questions,” she told the press at her next opportunity. Then she proceeded to give answers to all the questions she was always asked. She then said, “Hopefully this was a little bit different than usual, and now you can maybe give me some questions that are a little bit more interesting.”
She’d thrown down the gauntlet, and the reporters rose to the challenge. The questions that followed ranged from how she enjoyed her visit to a cricket game the day before to how the world should solve global warming, from whether or not her parents kept scrapbooks to how well she played the piano. Each answer was new, and therefore was news. And the press conference itself was news. Major score for Wozniacki PR.
- Where Credit Is Due
Kudos to my esteemed fellow editor Lisa Ocker for an important note in the Business 101 section of our May issue of SUCCESS, all about the pitfalls of obtaining a credit report online. (Read “Costly Consequences” on SUCCESS.com.) But when I saw what she wrote, I had to ask Lisa, Where was this story last [...]
- The Golden Rule of Presenting
I was giving a technology industry analyst some feedback on his presentation, and recommended that he smile at the point where he’d been delivering some good news. I think he’d even said, “Here’s the good news.” He didn’t like the idea. “I’m not really a smiley guy,” he told me. People push back like this [...]
- Salesman of the Year: Why Old School is Good Business
At the final sales meeting of their 2012 calendar year, a company CEO got up in front of his sales staff and announced that he was offering £500 (about US$800) of his own money to the salesman who could catch up with and surpass Brian by the end of the fiscal year, three months away. [...]
- Self-Promoters Are the Devil. So How Do I Get Attention?
“Can I ask you about how to become more visible?” my coaching client asked me, when we were supposed to be talking about her presentation skills. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for her to present, in fact, so we switched to this topic of greater concern. Because she was very concerned. She really needed [...]
- A Night Dive with Sharks
by Sam Watson SUCCESS.com Web Designer Daymond John, creator of FUBU clothing and celebrity investor on ABC’s Shark Tank, says looking back, he now sees the roots of his entrepreneurship. Speaking to a Dallas consumer banking audience recently, Daymond shared how at a young age he was shoveling snow for money and getting paid in [...]
- SUCCESS Quotes: Napoleon Hill on ‘Impossible’
“A great many years ago I purchased a fine dictionary. The first thing I did with it was to turn to the word ‘impossible,’ and neatly clip it out of the book. That would not be an unwise thing for you to do.” –Napoleon Hill, motivational business author
- What Do You Do for the Non-Monetary Rewards?
In a study of 250,000 small business owners, Wave Accounting asked entrepreneurs what the non-monetary rewards for starting their own businesses were. They answered: But these new entrepreneurs are well aware of the trade-offs: variable income, long hours and strained work/life balance. Yet, for all the stresses of running a business, the study found 86 [...]
- Five People You Need On Your Dream Team
The NBA Finals are some of the highest-rated games yet. The young, fast Thunder, led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, take on superstars Dwyane Wade & Lebron James from the Miami Heat. While these stars get the media attention, basketball is a team sport and the winning team will get a big contribution from [...]
- 7 Ways to Ruin Your Meeting
Meetings really have a bad image. It’s not surprising since often they are too long, there’s no clear plan, too many people are invited and they dominate our work schedules. “Too many meetings” was the No. 1 time-waster at the office, cited by 47% of 3,164 workers in a recent Salary.com study. Research shows that [...]
- Leadership Lessons from Summer Camp
It’s time again to sign the kids up for summer camp. It’s the highlight of most kids’ summers—no mom or dad, wearing the same clothes three days in a row and candy every night before bed. What could be better? Last summer when we were at parent pickup, I realized that they are doing some [...]
- What A Presidential Campaign Teaches Us About Leading Change
Let’s set aside politics for whom you support in the 2012 presidential election. You can learn a lot from presidential campaigns about how to lead change in your team or organization. A presidential campaign is designed to convince voters that their candidate is the one you should choose on Election Day. Likewise, in organizational change [...]
- Start Small Win Big Challenge 2012 Call for Essays
Don’t forget this Monday, April 30 Monday, May 7 is the final deadline to submit your essay form for the Start Small Win Big entrepreneurial challenge. Visit SUCCESS.com/winbig for the essay submission form. You could win lunch and personal coaching sessions with Good Morning America’s Tory Johnson and SUCCESS Publisher Darren Hardy! Plus, you could be featured in SUCCESS magazine, [...]
- Baseball Opening Day… Who Starts the Wave?
It’s time for hot dogs, fresh cut grass and the sound of the ball on the bat. Opening Day is finally here, baseball fans! And as a Texas Rangers fan, the sting still lingers from last year’s World Series. We were one strike away from winning… twice. Yes, twice. Thankfully, there is always next year [...]
- Extreme Arm Wrestling?
It seems anything can be made into an extreme sport. Just pair an over-amped announcer with a speed metal soundtrack, then slap an X on it and add superlatives of danger (meanest, bloodiest, ‘x-tremist’). That doesn’t mean it’ll always work. Remember WCW Founder Vince McMahon’s foray into extreme football, the XFL? Teams such as the New [...]
- The Step-By-Step Guide to Amping Up Your Business in 2012
It’s time to take your small business to the next level. SUCCESS magazine has teamed up with Good Morning America‘s Tory Johnson to host the Start Small Win Big Entrepreneurial Challenge–a free 12-week, 12-step program to help your small business grow and win prizes for entering. Why you should enter: Is your small business where [...]
- The Fine Line Between Confidence and Delusion
In the Sept. 2011 issue of SUCCESS magazine, we explored comeback stories of businesses from across the United States. In Vermont, the family-owned Darn Tough sock company couldn’t compete with wholesale, overseas operations. A heartbeat away from filing Chapter 11, Darn Tough changed their strategy and turned their company around. Selling their new, upscale socks for $15 to $26 a [...]
- 8 Secret Time-Wasters and How to Overcome Them
There’s a reason we send Seeds of SUCCESS at 2 p.m., CT, and not first thing in the morning. We follow the mantra of time management: Tackle your most important or difficult task first thing in the morning. So if you’re reading this newsletter to avoid doing something else more important on your to-do list, [...]
- A CEO’s Take on Daily Deals
Although my companyisn’t in the daily deal business, we live in an adjacent neighborhood. It’s a less crowded place, and the neighbors aren’t as likely to be in foreclosure on their houses or dodging collection phone calls. And because we only sell tickets to live entertainment, the block parties are a lot more fun. They’re less about oil changes, laser hair removal, 2 hot dogs for $4, and Botox. More likely someone’s singing show tunes, playing basketball, or balancing on top of a wheel of death. It’s a good group.
Anyway, that and a decade of e-commerce experiences means I can be helpful to merchants who are evaluating whether or not to work with one of the many daily deal providers. Done right, it can be a very strong marketing tool, and done wrong, it can break a small business. You’ve probably heard the stories.
Think of it this way. Daily deal sites are like a band composed of one instrument: a great big bass drum. It plays one note: loud. Big email, big discount, potentially big volume sales, for a single day. Impressive. Powerful. Strong.
But most bands aren’t limited to a single instrument. And if you’re marketing a business, you probably want different instruments for different moments. Perhaps it’s a “bass drum” moment for you, but maybe it’s not. Here are some thoughts on both how to figure it out and what to do about it.
First, figure out if the program is going to make you money now, later or never. In fact, you might lose money in the short term, but you make it up by increased awareness.
Keep it simple and estimate what a customer is worth to you in a single year. If your analysis told you that you needed 10,000 new customers to break even, I can tell you from here that that’s not going to happen. In other cases, the deals might make you money now, if you don’t lose any money on the sale.
Either way, you should know if the daily deal is going to make you money now, later or never.
Now and later are both OK. Never is not.
Second, control the number and timing of the sales. Selling an unlimited number is not usually a good idea because the promotional value of doing one of these doesn’t change all that much whether you sell 300 or 600, but your costs sure do. The daily deal site may… Click here to read more.
- Is Boss a Four-Letter Word?
Sunday, Oct. 16 marks an important holiday. Surely, you didn’t forget? Father’s Day, Mother’s Day? No, it’s National Boss Day. For entrepreneurs and small-business owners, Boss Day could be any day, really. And be thankful for that; as you can probably attest, there’s some pretty bad bosses out there. Celebrated on Oct. 16, or the [...]
- Is Occupy Wall Street an Awakening of Organized Protest?
The New York protesters are using social media to send their message in real time—but will they impact the business world? by John H. Ostdick The New York street protests against Wall Street’s financial practices that began last month and are spreading across the world seem to be organic, genuine expressions of anger and frustration. [...]
- Reporter’s Notebook: Mark Cuban
In the November 2011 issue of SUCCESS magazine, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban talks about what worked—and what didn’t—as he built his championship franchise. One of the most innovative professional sports team owners in recent years, Cuban’s perspective is
- Documenting Jobs’ Life and Legacy
The December issue of SUCCESS magazine was already at press when the news broke of Steve Jobs’ death on Oct. 5. A quick call to the printer gave editors 24 hours to update the December cover and an interview with Carmine Gallo, author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great [...]
- The Poltergeist Effect: How Allowing Mistakes to ‘Haunt’ You Can Derail Creativity and Success
by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz Ask most people to tell you—in a single word—what they want most from life, and they’ll answer with one of the following: happiness, love, health or… success. What’s interesting, however, is that so few people make a serious run at achieving success for fear of making a mistake. It’s [...]
- SUCCESS Book Club Ch. 5: Prioritization
SUCCESS Book Club Selection: Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary by Frank I. Luntz. SUCCESS editors and staff will read and dissect select chapters and offer key points and discussion questions. Just joining us? Read notes from Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three and Chapter Four. “The key is [...]
- The Story Behind the Comebacks: What We Learned from Our Business Recovery Stories
Everyone likes a good comeback story. We root for the underdog and we cheer when David slays Goliath. Today, as the economy teeters with uncertainty, comebacks are harder to come by. No problem finding failures. And there are plenty of survival stories, too. But Survival is not the title of this magazine.
- Reporter’s Notebook: Steve Jobs
‘His health battles made it problematic to continue as Apple’s hands-on brilliant micromanager from hell.’ by John H. Ostdick Steve Jobs’ resignation last week as Apple CEO occurred, as most everything else, on his own terms. The man who has maintained an iron grip on how his company’s story is told exited gracefully, solemnly, with [...]
- Mining the Millennials
Millennials, also known as Gen Y-ers (80 million, born between 1980 and 1995), were raised by overly doting parents who coddled their self-esteem like fragile Fabergé eggs. They played in little leagues where the score wasn't kept and where everyone was a winner and everyone got a trophy for just showing up.
Having hired, worked with and trained many, I had concluded that millennials were simply lazy, undisciplined, unmotivated, over-entitled and disengaged, with the attention span of goldfish.
Then I joined the Board of Directors of an organization called Invisible Children, founded by and made up entirely of millennials. I was quickly humbled to the fact that it is not that they are unmotivated, inattentive or disengaged—they were just unmotivated, inattentive and disengaged in working for ME!… CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF POST
- Persuade People with These Three Tips
“Persuasion is the cornerstone of great execution,” says Tony Jeary, productivity coach and author of Strategic Acceleration: Succeed at the Speed of Life. The most successful people effectively persuade others to take action on their behalf by using three principles, Jeary says. Communicate at the belief level. “Communicating at the level of belief involves a [...]
- The American Dream Attained
Imagine movie stars, business magnates, decorated military leaders, bankers, media moguls, recording artists and members of the judiciary in one room—a very big room. What kind of event would draw such a diverse group?
The only thing these people share is that they’ve overcome early financial hardships through their own diligence and hard work, and created their own success stories. They’re members and supporters of the Horatio Alger Association and, while their career paths are varied, their experiences offer proof that the American dream is attainable.
SUCCESS magazine has profiled many of them, most recently Leonardo DiCaprio, who was among the new members inducted in a ceremony in April. Others we have profiled include astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Famous Amos’ Wally Amos, Starbucks’ Howard Schultz, energy titan T. Boone Pickens, music producer Quincy Jones, boxer and businessman George Foreman, and PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi.
Two years ago, I wrote to Horatio Alger Association officials to ask about media credentials. There are no media credentials, I was told; this is not a media event. I wrote back to explain that… CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF POST
- Are You Building SUSTAINABLE Success?
This past week my wife Georgia and I spent some time touring the 116-year-old Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. This 175,000-square-foot home on 8,000 acres still emanates its founder's–George Washington Vanderbilt's–illustrious grandeur… and it remains (remarkably) privately owned.
Of course my inquiring SUCCESS mind wanted to figure out how. Although much of the robber-baron wealth of his grandfather Cornelius Vanderbilt (earned through shipping and railroads in early 1800s) has dissipated through his heirs, Biltmore Estate continues to thrive because it was founded on a vision of sustainability. While many of the Gilded Age estates have been reduced to rubble, taken over by the state or sold to nonprofit entities, Biltmore remains a privately owned, for-profit working estate.
Sustainability is the capacity to endure; to be diverse and productive over time; exhibiting the potential for long-term maintenance and well-being.
George Vanderbilt's vision wasn't only to build the largest private home in America (which it is still today 100+ years later) but to also have it be self-supporting.
In addition to the grand estate, George also had built… CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF POST
- Gershbein: What’s Your Next Move on LinkedIn?
The LinkedIn IPO on May 19, 2011, put the globe on notice that the business of social networking is alive and well. LinkedIn has broken the plane and has boldly gone where no other social media website has gone before. No longer viewed as a passing fad, LinkedIn has clawed its way into the collective awareness of the professional community.
Only one issue remains: What’s next?
As an independent LinkedIn business consultant, I am being asked this question with more frequency. My greatest challenge is keeping current with an ever-changing medium and communicating those changes to others in usable, relevant pieces of information. This is a responsibility that I embrace and carry out with due diligence and great reverence. I’m as excited to see what comes down the pike as anyone.
Those who operate on LinkedIn daily have undoubtedly noticed the company’s commitment to an enriching, empowering user experience. Despite the occasional glitch, the site has come a long way since its inception in 2002, regularly introducing new features for content management, and offering time-strapped professionals unprecedented opportunities to build brand. Click Here to Read More…
- Why Your ‘Why Nots’ Are Lame
Most people only live a fraction of their potential. You do what you CAN do… but are you doing what you COULD do? I know that sounds like a tongue twister but read over it again, slowly. Most people do what they CAN do, but not what they COULD do. Most people accomplish what they can accomplish and are usually satisfied with that. But there is a whole other world of possibilities out there that most of us don’t even let ourselves think about.
The larger question we need to ask ourselves is: Can we reach a greater potential than we have ever imagined?
In fact, if you stop and think about it, What could you do? I mean if you weren’t afraid to fail, or if you decided to quit coming up with reasons to not do something, what COULD you actually accomplish?
As a psychotherapist I was always intrigued by the stories that people told about themselves. These stories often detailed where and why they were stuck in life. We ALL tell ourselves stories to legitimize our fears. Listen to your stories (excuses) about why you didn’t do something. Not to be rude, but odds are good that your stories about the “why nots” of your life are lame at best. We can do so much more if we just choose to do it.
Your potential, your possibilities, are far bigger than you can imagine.
Joey Boring, a stockbroker with Edward Jones, was an average performer until he got a vision of WHAT he COULD do. Within two years Joey became one of their top performers, winning vacations and bonuses for his performance. In fact, during the global financial crisis, his performance was up 43%. Why? Joey decided not to limit himself. He said, “I realized that I could do more than I ever thought I could do” and he did! During a time that could have easily been the worst financial period in his career, he chose to view it as an opportunity and began to focus his efforts on ways to better serve his existing clients. And the really great part is that this new attitude that was developed during a time of crisis continues to make Joey even more successful in the good times.
A young friend of mine, Ashtyn VanVooren, sprained her knee pretty badly. As a 14-year old she had a gymnastics event and decided that she could tell herself that it was too much, too hard and too painful—or she could tell herself that she was strong enough and good enough to do it. That day, she received the highest all around scores at the State Level Competition. She COULD do more than she WAS doing. Did it hurt? I am sure that it did. But often our greatest achievements come out of our greatest challenges.
I wonder what limits you are putting on yourself today. Perhaps we are only held back by our own limited thinking.
I was visiting last week with a friend of mine, Mike Mullane, an astronaut with NASA who has the name “Rocket-Rider” embroidered on his space suit. I loved something that he said: “When I was a kid, the sky was the limit. Then I became an astronaut. I don’t really know where the limits are anymore.” I certainly don’t want my thinking to set the limits.
Maybe if we let ourselves do what we COULD do, like Mike, we COULD be living a life without limitation and may even become “rocket-riders!”
- The Industrial REVELATION: A New Kind of Revolution
The revelation is this: The way we were… is over.
As you know, we are living through an era of unprecedented change. Over the last decade, we began hearing the death rattle of a bygone era. The corporate structure and system has begun to crumble. The global marketplace has been flattened. Innovative, fast-moving and nimble competition has risen from nearly all corners of the planet. Technology has wired us all directly to each other. Now every manufacturer or marketer has immediate and direct access to everyone, everywhere, destroying heavily controlled and highly valued distribution channels.
All this deconstruction and loss of control by the few, the behemoths, the entrenched, spells freedom… and opportunity for the rest of us.
As entrepreneurs and individual achievers, it is our time to thrive!
But you also have to adapt. The traditional yellow brick road to success and financial security has been… CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF POST
- What Harry Truman Taught Author Andy Andrews
At age 19, author Andy Andrews lost his mother to cancer, his father died in a car accident and he dropped out of college, penniless. He began living on the street. But one day, another homeless man gave Andrews a library card. It was the turning point in his life. He began reading the biographies [...]
- Magic Johnson’s Tough Retail Lesson
NBA veteran and business owner Magic Johnson’s first foray into retail taught him what happens to entrepreneurs who don’t listen to their customers. In 1990, he launched a chain of retail sporting goods stores called Magic 32. In anticipation of the launch, he attended a major sporting goods convention to negotiate for products he’d sell [...]
- Stuck? Slow down to accomplish more.
We all suffer the mid-afternoon slump: that lethargic, lack-of-motivation apathy that sets in and kicks our internal engine to idle. Instead of willing yourself to sludge through it slowly and painfully, do the opposite. Embrace it. Give yourself permission to take a 5- or 10- minute mental break.
Still frustrated with yourself and your productivity? Consider slowing down instead of speeding up, author Loretta LaRoche says. Our brain functions better and is more productive when it focuses on one particular task at a time. So, instead of beating yourself up to speed up and get more accomplished, focus on one goal, complete it and go on to another.
“Frustration stems from your inner critic and only serves to make us crazed,” LaRoche says. “Have fun. There are no tombstones that say, ‘Did everything, died anyway.’”
This is a post from Seeds of SUCCESS, a free weekly newsletter written by the editors of SUCCESS. Subscribe now to get Seeds planted in your inbox every week.
- Now Explode Off the Starting Line
Last week I discussed the half-dozen ways people stumble on their New Year’s resolutions and goals right at the starting line. It generated a healthy discussion and I appreciate everyone’s contribution.
This week I’d like to offer you the half-dozen ways you can explode off the starting blocks and set yourself up to not only stay in the race (this time), but actually finish victorious!
1. Big 3
If you are using Living Your Best Year Ever, it guides you through making several goals in all 8 key areas of life. It then helps you reduce your plethora of goals down to your Big 3. I know you will want to accomplish ALL your goals, but it is critical you reduce it down to just 3 to supremely focus on.
Pick the 3 goals that are most important to you and would have the most dramatic impact on your life and lifestyle. Resist the urge to chase after other shiny objects that come into your field of vision.
2. One Thing
As Curly in City Slickers said, “Find your ‘One Thing’.” In this case, it is the one key behavior that is most important to you accomplishing each of your Big 3 goals…
- Don’t Stumble at the Starting Line
Have you made New Year’s resolutions or set goals before and failed?Have you entered a new year beating your chest and proclaiming your magnificent transformation from every mountaintop only to have it dwindle to a whimper by the time January gets torn off the calendar?
What went wrong?
In my experience, there are about a half a dozen ways you can trip yourself up right at the start. Let me help you avoid these common trip-ups:
1. Too Many, Too Much
You try to tackle too many goals, change too many ingrained behaviors and attempt too much too quickly. Look, you have probably been building, developing and reinforcing a poor habit for 10, 20, 30, maybe even 40-plus years. Breaking one poor habit and trying to install a single new success habit is tough enough (and worth it). If you try to do too many, you won’t do any.
2. Too Tough, Too Soon
Remember Richard from The Compound Effect? He had never worked out in his life, but then started working out 2.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. I told him to back it down to 45 minutes, 3 days a week—something he could maintain for the next 50 years. He swore up and down he could maintain this and was committed to his new plan. By the time the book went to press, he had just started this program. Guess how long he works out, and how many days a week today? Zero and zero. He set himself up to fail and he did. Don’t be a Richard. (Suggestion: refer to “Ease In” section, page 80 of TCE).
- Brogan: Your First Moves in Social Media
Okay, so you’ve decided I’m not crazy, and you’re going to try out some of this social media stuff. Where should you start? I’ve got some advice.
Grow Bigger EarsFirst and foremost, read this post about how to grow bigger ears. By that, I mean, create a free listening station. If you don’t start with listening, you’ll miss all the very best parts of social media: the serendipity and moments of “listening at the point of need,” as Radian6 CEO Marcel Lebrun calls it.
By that, I mean that people are talking about you, your brand, your company, or mentioning something they need help with that you can solve. Set up some listening tools to monitor for certain phrases and terms, and you’re on your way to finding opportunities that your competitors don’t even know exist…
- Assaraf: Every Winner Has a Coach… Do You?
Have you ever noticed the incredible influence that a coach has upon the performance of athletes? It’s no different in business.
If you take a close look at any successful business owner, there is a good chance they’ve had a great mentor somewhere along the way. I can attribute a large part of my business success to the many mentors and coaches I have had in my life. My personal journey is one of countless examples of how mentoring is an integral part of the growth and development of any business.
Here are some ways having a mentor or a business coach can help you…
- Flip Flippen: Integrity Is the Leadership Advantage
What if there was a competitive advantage that you and many others often overlook? It’s not related to a certain degree or training, nor is it about time management or managerial skills.
It’s a trait we’re familiar with, but few of us have truly mastered: integrity. Do you think that integrity and honesty are a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace? Last week, I sat with many of the leaders of Wall Street as this was discussed in a very candid format. The answer was a resounding YES! Every person on the panel agreed that integrity and honesty were an advantage.
- Sharma: Turbulent Times Build Better Leaders
Victims recite problems. Leaders develop solutions. That might seem like common sense, but common sense is rarely common practice. One of the best moves you can make to “Lead Without a Title” is to train your brain to see every problem as an opportunity. And every setback as a steppingstone to build your skill, access more of your talent and create more exceptional value for your customers.
- Sharma: How to Do World-Class Work
Leadership no longer has to do with the title on your business card. In this age of deep disruption, the new way to lead has everything to do with how powerfully you influence, how brilliantly you work and how superbly you collaborate. Your position matters less than your passion. Your rank matters less than your willingness to go the extra mile in all you do, and to wow each of the stakeholders lucky enough to cross your path.
- Sharma: Leadership 2.0 The New Way to Win
The old model of leadership is obsolete. Businesses that were once admired have crumbled. Leaders who were once revered (in fields ranging from commerce to sports) have lost face. The respect for Wall Street has been replaced by a renewed passion for Main Street. And with it, has come a completely new way to lead.
- Four Core Values that Guarantee Success
At a British Columbia leadership conference at which I recently spoke, former United Nations Ambassador Alan Keyes gave a brilliant speech and challenged the audience with this idea: the only way people, businesses, organizations, and even countries make a lasting impact is by operating from core values and bedrock principles. This got me to thinking [...]
- How to Guarantee a GREAT Day, Every Day
Every Monday morning I have a standing radio interview I enjoy very much. But you can imagine that it can become routine. To prevent this, the host doesn’t tell me the topic before we go live on the air—now that puts some excitement into it!
- Flip Flippen: Separate Great Leaders from Typical Leaders
There I sat, listening to a business friend who had not received the promotion that he had hoped and worked for. He was obviously disappointed and seriously considering a move to a different organization. He made it clear that the person the board had chosen was not qualified to lead. In fact, my friend was [...]
- Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be
When it came time for Robin Sharma to carve out a life for himself, becoming a lawyer seemed right. Although he had loving parents, there was never abundance during his childhood, and he was determined to find a way to prosper as an adult. His life as a litigation lawyer provided money, status and all the trappings of the success he envisioned. But Sharma felt something was missing—that a vital part of him was silently starving to death.
- Part 16: ACTION!
Review: INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 “I think there is something more important than believing: action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren’t enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision.” —W. [...]
- Part 15: How to WIN—Every Time!
Review: INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 As we head into the final stretch of this incredible journey, I want to offer you one final gift. It’s one of my greatest strategies for creating extraordinary success, and now–if you choose– it can [...]
- The Advantage of Being Quiet
I couldn’t believe he wouldn’t stop talking. I had been in his office for a full 45 minutes, and he had not stopped once to ask anyone else’s thoughts or to even get a response. Finally, the meeting came to a close and I had the fortunate or unfortunate opportunity to meet with him one [...]
- Part 14: S-T-R-E-T-C-H Yourself
Review:INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 , 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13If you are going to achieve goals you have never achieved before, you must be willing to do what you have never done before.
One of those things is to allow, no actually push, yourself to FAIL. And if you want to succeed big, you have to fail big. There is no way around it.
When I was only 20 years old, I got into residential real estate sales. It was the early ’90s, and the real estate market was as tough as it is right now. I knew nothing about the real estate business; I had no prior experience, clientele or even credibility—I wasn’t even old enough to drink! But in just 90 days, I was outselling (new listings and pending escrows) an entire office of 44 veteran agents—combined!
The strategy I am going to reveal to you made that possible and is one of my personal-achievement secret weapons. I now offer it to you…
When I went to my first real estate seminar, I asked the lecturer to lunch. I asked him for his best tip on being successful in real estate. His answer was, “Go fail—a lot.”
“What?!” I said. “I thought the whole idea of success was to avoid failure.” “Quite the opposite,” he said. Then he told me a quote from Tom Watson of IBM: “The key to success is massive failure.” He said, “Your goal is to out-fail your competition. Whoever can fail the most, the fastest and the biggest wins.”
I was still perplexed. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING
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- Part 13: Success Cycles
Review:INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 , 8, 9, 10, 11, 12We are human. We cannot be 100 percent 100 percent of the time. We cannot improve every area of our life simultaneously. We cannot do everything at the same time. When we try is when we fail, burn out or blow up.
Nature works in cycles. As with the seasons, there is a time to learn, a time to produce, a time to harvest and a time to rest. Farmers, schoolchildren, and even professional athletes operate in seasons. That approach to life can help you excel, too.
I want to explain an advanced achievement strategy that will help you make greater progress toward your goals—faster. It’s a concept called: Working in Success Cycles.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say you and I are going to race from Los Angeles to New York City. We both have planes. You have a 747, which travels at a cruising speed of 875 mph. I have a mere Learjet, which travels at 400 mph. Now, if I fly straight through, but you have to land and take off in the 10 states in between—taxiing, parking and going through your preflight checklist before taking off again—who is going to win? CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING
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- Part 12: Your FUEL for Growth
Review:INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 , 8, 9, 10, 11In the previous installment, we reassessed and realigned our “reference group,” or the associations that can help or hurt us in achieving our goals. Now we need to talk about the most powerful influence in your life: the information or input you feed your mind.
If we want to produce different results in life, we have to think differently, to nurture a different mindset. As Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
If your thinking stinks, your results will, too. What you think about, you create. This is why all the monumental classic personal-achievement books have focused on how you think: Think and Grow Rich, As a Man Thinketh, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Magic of Thinking Big, etc.
You are not what you think you are, but what you think… you are!
The most constant influence of conditioning that affects our lives, our results and our ability to achieve is the information we feed our mind. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING
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- Part 11: Building Your SUPPORT Systems
Review:INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 , 8, 9, 10So you now have your well-designed goals—fantastic!
You also have your plan of action to achieve them—hooray!
You even have your achievement-management system set to keep you on track with that plan—bravo!
What could possibly get in your way now?
Actually, 6,692,030,277 things (the world’s current population), or at least those people whom you circulate with regularly.
This reminds me of the title for one of Connie Podesta’s books: Life Would Be Easy If It Weren’t for Other People. So true, so true.
Your associations are one of the most powerful influences (I will discuss the most powerful influence on Thursday) that determine whether you will stick to your goals or get forever derailed.
Dr. David McClelland of Harvard University concluded after 25 years of research that the choice of a negative “reference group” was in itself enough to condemn a person to failure and underachievement in life. Whoa! Scary, isn’t it?
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- Creating Safety in Your Organization
Did you know that when people feel safe, they perform better? Have you ever stopped to think that if you could help people feel safe with you, they would perform better for you? That does not mean that you lower your expectations or accept sub-par performance or that you start every meeting with Kumbaya. You [...]
- Video Update from Darren Hardy–End of Week 5
Here’s a summary of week five in our journey towards Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life where Ianswer your questions and give you a course update.I’ve also selected some of your questions and observations left in the comments sections along with some of my responses. I hope you find it helpful to peruse through the common questions and insights shared by others experiencing the process along with you.
- Part 10: Remain F-L-E-X-I-B-L-E
Review:INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 , 8, 9
Have you ever heard the adage, “I will accomplish this even if it kills me”? Well, in my early years of goal setting and achieving… I came pretty darn close to “crossing over” just to meet the goals I had set for myself! I also missed a lot of other opportunities along the way.I became so focused, so dogmatic about the goals I had set and my specific plans to achieve them that my blinders kept me from 1) seeing easier and faster routes to my destination, and 2) that some of the goals that were important earlier in the year or at the beginning of the decade were less important than I originally believed.
One of the greatest challenges to success is learning how to stay focused on your goals while remaining flexible enough to adapt to needed change.
Even though we have declared S.M.A.R.T. goals and designed a very specific strategic plan to achieve them, it is equally important to remain open and flexible along the way. If you look back at most of your defining moments, or the pivotal events that transformed your life, I bet most were unplanned and happened unexpectedly. Life is a mystery; you never know what might show up and you can’t be so myopic that you miss opportunities and solutions you couldn’t have even fathomed before.
Murphy’s Law and the T-shirt Philosophy
You know ol’ Murph right? The oh-too familiar friend who always seems to show up at your party at the most embarrassing and worst-possible times. Well Murphy lives to teach us this: If something can go wrong, it will. Don’t be too attached to the route you first charted, as you will undoubtedly be reevaluating and readjusting all along the way. Imagine CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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- Part 9: Your Achievement Management System
You have your ambitious and appropriate goals that are based on your strengths and opportunities and have been whole-life balanced. You know who you want to become, who you want to serve and you have the strategic plan of action to achieve all your worthy goals.
Now it is time to create an execution system to implement your plan in the real world—your world.
Some of the best of intentions and greatest plans have failed because there wasn’t a system of execution to see them through. When it comes down to it, your new plans, your new actions, your new behavior, have to be implemented into your monthly, weekly and ultimately daily routine. A routine is something you do every day without fail… and eventually without thinking about it.
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- Video Update from Darren Hardy–End of Week 4
A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DARREN HARDY:
Here’s a summary of week four in our journey towards Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life where Ianswer your questions and give you a course update.
I’ve also selected some of your questions and observations left in the comments sections along with some of my responses. I hope you find it helpful to peruse through the common questions and insights shared by others experiencing the process along with you. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
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- Part 8: Your Strategic Plan of Action
Review:INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
The difference between a dream or fantasy and a goal you will achieve is:
1) writing it down (what we have already done) and,
2) outlining a specific plan to achieve the goal (what we will do in this installment).Now it is time to formulate your strategic plan of action.
I explained early on in this series how goals work (you can review here). When you know what you are looking for, it gives your mind a ‘new set of eyes’ to see the world around you. You begin to notice the people, resources and even ideas needed for achieving your goal. But if your goal is defined only by an audacious and distant destination, your mind may be thrown off by elusiveness and ambiguity. It doesn’t know what to look for to help you get there.
The mind operates best with precise instructions. A three-digit lock has 18,333 potential combinations. When you have the specific three numbers in the right sequence, opening the lock is easy. If you don’t have the combination—or precise instructions—opening the lock is almost impossible. Making a specific and strategic plan of action provides the mind with the instructions it needs to get you to your desired destination.
Making a plan to accomplish your goals can be compared to planning a cross-country road trip. If you were going to travel across the country, say, from my hometown in San Diego to Manhattan, you would consider the following: CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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- Let’s talk money.
Money and time. The two topics most people avoid are the ones we’re tackling head-on in our February issue. Most of us struggle with time and money at some point, whether it’s learning to manage our schedules, setting up a plan for retirement or just trying to get out of debt. We at SUCCESS magazine [...]
- Part 7: GIVE what you WANT
Review:INTRO, GETTING READY & PARTS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
On your journey to achieving your goals, this one shift in your mindset can radically change how the world around you responds to and receives you.
The process of goal-setting can make you very myopic and ME-focused. If we really want to get what we want, we have to remember one of the oldest success principles: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Or as Zig Ziglar puts it: “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
What if that is true?
What if you knew for sure that everything you gave you would receive back tenfold? How much would you give? What would you give? How fast would you give it?What do you want? What attributes do you need to accomplish your goals?
Do you need more courage? Who can you encourage?
Do you need more strength? Who can you help strengthen?
Do you need more belief? Who can you believe in?
Do you need more confidence? Who can you instill confidence in?
Do you need more love? Who can you love?In the last installment we discovered CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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- Are You in It to Win It?
Have you ever heard, “It isn’t whether you win or lose; it is how you play the game”? I’m sure you have. But do you know who said it? Some guy who came in second place! You see, I have a problem with that statement. It presupposes, or at least strongly suggests, that winning and [...]
- Video Update from Darren Hardy–End of Week 3
Here’s a summary of week three in our journey towards Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life where I answer your questions and give you a course update.I’ve also selected some of your questions and observations left in the comments sections along with some of my responses. I hope you find it helpful to peruse through the common questions and insights shared by others experiencing the process along with you.
Please watch the video: CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEOIn case you missed any of the worksheet downloads: - Four Key Questions for Identifying Key Talent
We have some real superstars in our company. As company president, I hope I know who they are! How do you find talent within your organization? We have a few questions we ask each of our success center directors each year. First, we go through each employee in their team and ask, “Would you enthusiastically [...]
- Part 6: The MAGIC Factor to Achieving Your Goals
Review: INTRO, GETTING READY & PARTS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Typically, the first thought that comes to mind after writing down a goal is, “What do I need to do to accomplish this?” That, unfortunately, is not the right question to ask.
Let me give you an example—When I was single and ready to find my wife and be married, I made a long list of the qualities of the perfect woman (for me). I filled up more than 40 pages describing my wife to be in great detail—her personality, character, key attributes, attitudes and philosophies about life, tastes, interests, even what kind of family she’d come from, culture, and of course physical makeup down to the texture of her hair, etc. I wrote in depth what our life would be like and what we’d do together.
I then had my goal and it was specific, measureable, attainable (I hoped!), relevant and time-sensitive. If I then asked, ‘What do I have to do to find and get this girl?,’ I might still be on that butterfly chase. Jim Rohn taught me, “Success is not something you pursue. What you pursue eludes you. Success is something you attract by the person you become. If you want to have more, you must become more.” So what I did was CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE
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- Part 5 — The GRAND DESIGN!
Review: INTRO, GETTING READY & PARTS 1, 2, 3, 4
Ready to write (and right) your future?Ready to be bold, dream big and put it (your aspirations) on the line (literally)?Ready to proclaim your BHAGs (Big, Hairy and Audacious Goals)?
This is it. It’s time for the GRAND DESIGN.This is actually the easy part. You knew about goal-setting before this course—how to make a list of what you want to accomplish in the next one to 10 years.The difficult part has been the process we have gone through to get here—figuring out who you really are, assessing how you’ve done in life so far, and most important, what assets, strengths and opportunities you have to work with going forward. We’ll come to another big challenge later in the series when we work on figuring out how to take the dreams, ambitions and big goals from your Grand Design and develop the plan of action to achieve them. But right now we’re going to focus on developing your Grand Design. And as a result, you’ll identify the person, the accomplishments and the life you have always wanted to have. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE - Part 4: Your BALANCE Sheet
[NOTE: YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THE CHALLENGE AT DARRENHARDY.SUCCESS.COM IN ORDER TO RECEIVE LINKS TO THE WORKSHEETS THROUGH YOUR RSS FEED] Review: INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, & 3 In the previous installments, we inventoried your current assets, liabilities, strengths and weaknesses. We also looked at your potential opportunities and threats to your [...]
- Part 3: Finding Your Unique Advantage
[NOTE: YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THE CHALLENGE AT DARRENHARDY.SUCCESS.COM IN ORDER TO RECEIVE LINKS TO THE WORKSHEETS THROUGH YOUR RSS FEED] Review: INTRO, WHY & HOW, PART 1 and PART 2 We’ve examined your life thus far and have looked into your future and established what direction you want your life to take from this [...]
- Video Update from Darren Hardy
A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DARREN HARDY: Here’s a summary of week one in our journey towards Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life. Darren Hardy answers your questions and gives you a course update. Please watch the video below: NOTE:In order to access the worksheets/documents, click on the links at the bottom of the [...]
- Review & Gratitude
Ahhhh, smell that? That is the smell of rarified air. Welcome to the top 3 percent! By choosing to participate in this program and go through this process, you have separated yourself from almost everyone else—or at least from the remaining 97 percent of the population that doesn’t give thoughtful contemplation to their life’s desires [...]
- It’s the last day of 2009. Find out why you didn’t meet the goals you set in January.
Got goals? Millions of words have been written about goals. I’ve personally written thousands of them. Ninety-nine percent focus on “how-to” set and achieve them in one form or another. Books, articles, videos, seminars, online courses, and of course, classic classroom learning. Everyone sets goals. Some people set them on their own, others have them [...]
- The Life Changing Process of Goal Setting
Next week we start the process of Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life. This program is jam-packed with information to help you unearth your greatest dreams, desires and inner potential. You’ll learn how to accelerate your life faster, go farther and live grander than you ever dared imagine. In fact, we have so [...]
- Be Your Own Santa Claus
In 1972, when I was studying sales and positive attitude, I watched a movie called “Challenge to America,” almost everyday. It was a story told by the great Glenn W. Turner who wrote a letter to Santa Clause every year asking for everything his wealthy cousins received. Glenn was a poor farmer’s son who never [...]
- Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life — Introduction
We are entering a brand new decade. Think about where you were 10 years ago, when we began a new millennium, the year 2000. Seems like only yesterday, right? Are you where you’d thought you’d be 10 years later, when you looked forward back then? Are you leading the life you envisioned? Do you have [...]
- Small Stocking-Stuffer Sales Tips (that Can Reap Big Rewards)
Follow-Up Calls that Get You Closer to Closing
- Evolving from Salesperson to Trusted Advisor
When I say the words trusted advisor, what words come to mind? Relationship? Helpful advice? Strategic alliance? Consultant? Two questions: Do you believe you are a trusted advisor? Do your customers perceive you as a trusted advisor? Before you begin this lesson, take a moment to list the accounts where you feel you’re a trusted [...]
- What’s So Funny about Being Professional?
There’s an old sales adage that says, “If you can make em laugh, you can make em buy.” The reason its old and the reason its been around so long is that its true. Humor and laughter are two key ingredients in building and gaining a customer relationship. The challenge with humor is: 1. People [...]
- Go the Extra Mile
When I say “going the extra mile,” what do you think about? Hard work? Doing the unexpected? Other people? Someone special? You? Where does the Extra Mile come from? How are Extra Mile stories created? What do they mean to companies and people?
- Good, Better or Best?
Are you the best at what you do? Everyone wants success, but very few achieve the success they dream about. I’m on my journey just like you. In the process of studying, I came to a realization about personal achievement: “going for the gold” is wrong. Being the best you can be in order to [...]
- Golden Gitomer Lessons from San Francisco: Bonus Videos on Image and Brand Building (6 of 6)
Jeffrey Gitomer was in San Francisco speaking at an event a few weeks ago and took the time to shoot some iconic (and just a little comic) footage in the “Golden State” to further illustrate his points on the importance of image and reputation when it comes to building both your personal and your business [...]
- Golden Gitomer Lessons from San Francisco: Bonus Videos on Image and Brand Building (5 of 6)
Jeffrey Gitomer was in San Francisco speaking at an event a few weeks ago and took the time to shoot some iconic (and just a little comic) footage in the “Golden State” to further illustrate his points on the importance of image and reputation when it comes to building both your personal and your business [...]
- Golden Gitomer Lessons from San Francisco: Bonus Videos on Image and Brand Building (4 of 6)
Jeffrey Gitomer was in San Francisco speaking at an event a few weeks ago and took the time to shoot some iconic (and just a little comic) footage in the “Golden State” to further illustrate his points on the importance of image and reputation when it comes to building both your personal and your business [...]
- Golden Gitomer Lessons from San Francisco: Bonus Videos on Image and Brand Building (3 of 6)
Jeffrey Gitomer was in San Francisco speaking at an event a few weeks ago and took the time to shoot some iconic (and just a little comic) footage in the “Golden State” to further illustrate his points on the importance of image and reputation when it comes to building both your personal and your business [...]
- Golden Gitomer Lessons from San Francisco: Bonus Videos on Image and Brand Building (2 of 6)
Jeffrey Gitomer was in San Francisco speaking at an event a few weeks ago and took the time to shoot some iconic (and just a little comic) footage in the “Golden State” to further illustrate his points on the importance of image and reputation when it comes to building both your personal and your business [...]
- Golden Gitomer Lessons from San Francisco: Bonus Videos on Image and Brand Building (1 of 6)
Jeffrey Gitomer was in San Francisco speaking at an event a few weeks ago and took the time to shoot some iconic (and just a little comic) footage in the “Golden State” to further illustrate his points on the importance of image and reputation when it comes to building both your personal and your business [...]
- Up Yours! (Your Image That Is) Pt. 2
This is a brand new way to look at (and build) your image, your brand, and your reputation. Everyone wants to have a great image. Very few companies have one. Even fewer people have one. How’s yours? Everyone wants to have a great brand. Very few companies have one. Even fewer people have one. How’s [...]
- How to Sell or Why They Buy
(download free Buying Motives e-book below)People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy is my #1 (trademarked) rule of selling. It is an undeniable rule that on the surface seems relatively simplistic, but when you dig deeper, you’ll find the complexity lies in uncovering the MOTIVE of why people buy. Uncovering buying motives goes against the strategy [...]
- Declaration of Windependence:
The SUCCESS Sales Challenge Begins!Register for the Success Sales Challenge with Jeffrey Gitomer here >>> After is a self-defeating word. It robs you of the present, and resigns you to wait without taking any action. You convince yourself that life will be better after something: After you get a new job, after you get a better job, after you [...]
- What Difference Do You Make?
It’s said you will only be remembered for one of two things: the problems you solve or the ones you create. Abraham Lincoln made a difference that changed the world forever, but so did Hitler. Both men are equally remembered, but for which problems do you want to be remembered? The ones you solved or [...]
- FREE Audio Excerpts — Mark Sanborn
This is a continuation (listen to segment #1 here) to the additional audio experts we are releasing from our Mark Sanborn audio interview, originally recorded for our October issue of SUCCESS.
SEGMENT #2 – In this segment Mark discusses why you need to have passion and process in order to be successful. CLICK HERE
SEGMENT #3 –In this segment Mark explains why you need to think beyond your current experiences and influences if you want to achieve greatness. CLICK HERE
- Pinching from Across the Pond
I just returned from several glorious weeks of travel throughout Europe. Like all experiences, I want to observe and assess what I might learn, share and use to enhance my own life and further my insight. Below are a few lessons I gleaned from our jovial kin across the pond. 1. Service is a profession. [...]
- FREE Audio Excerpts: Dr. Rao & Mark Sanborn
This is a continuation (listen to segment #1 and #2 here) to the additional audio experts we are releasing from our Dr. Rao audio interview, originally recorded for our October issue of SUCCESS. Dr. Rao was featured in our September issue and is the former professor who taught a personal-development course at both the Columbia [...]
- Become a Laughingstock
Have you heard the joke about… the guy who wanted to sell water (the stuff we were used to getting for free!) for more money than sodas or even beer? Or how about the one who wanted to start a new airline, the bloodbath of competition, during the dot-com crash? Then there is the one [...]
- FREE Audio Excerpts – Dr. Srikumar Rao
If you read SUCCESS (I hope you do!), you saw Dr. Rao featured in the pages of our September issue. The response was so great that we were compelled to bring him back and interview him live for everyone to hear on the CD inside of the October issue of SUCCESS. Dr. Rao is the [...]
- Dare to Dream Again
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” —Teddy Roosevelt Do you remember when you were a child and [...]
- Don’t Let Conflict Keep You from Success
Anytime you are making ground and moving toward success, there will inevitably be the opportunity for conflict. That is just a fact of life. You put two people or more in a group and there is potential for conflict—and conflict, improperly handled, can destroy your ability to continue on and achieve your goals. This is [...]
- Courage That Changes Your Life
“The scars you acquire while exercising courage will never make you feel inferior.” —D.A. Battista “Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared.” —David Ben-Gurion “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” —Dorothy [...]
- If You Don’t Fall, You Aren’t Getting Better
No Pain, No Gain My dad taught me to snow ski when I was 6 years old. By the time I was 8, I was skiing on my own. At the end of a full ski day, I eagerly announced, “Dad, I didn’t fall once all day!” My dad replied, “If you didn’t fall, you [...]
- The Forgotten “Secrets” to Success
Over the next several posts, I’d like to help clear up some of the very dangerous illusions I think our current culture has created about what it takes to be successful. Hollywood, commercialism and our own decadence has falsified our reality and is leading us into a form of self-destruction. What Ever Happened to HARD [...]
- You Lose One-out-of-Five for Being Too Aggressive
When I was in real estate there was this mega successful mortgage broker named Mari Mahoney. She did more business than any ten “successful” mortgage agents combined.I asked her how she did it; what was her key to success. She rapidly responded with, “I lose one out of five for being too aggressive, but I get the other four!”
This statement, this philosophy, this testimony changed my life.
- What to Do When You Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything
In all of my interactions with people, I’ve never found anyone, regardless of their level of success, who doesn’t sometimes find themselves simply not wanting to do the things that they need and want to do. It is a part of human nature that there will be times that, in spite of all that we [...]
- He’s an Idol, She’s an Idol, I’m an Idol…
This past Tuesday night, there was nothing on television. Typically, my Tuesdays, beginning in January and all through May, are filled with American Idol and the heartbreak, the laughter and the hours of dialing and texting votes for our favorite Idol. But just because a winner was crowned nearly a week ago, it doesn’t mean [...]
- My Magic 8-Ball
Do you remember that little toy many of us had when we were little that supposedly “answered” questions? It was a black eight ball with a window in it that would display a floating unit inside with pre-scripted answers to your questions. What’s funny is that there was a chance that a pre-scripted answer could be reasonably close to a real answer!
- Accelerate Your Abilities
In today’s fast-paced world, the wins usually go to those with exceptional skills and abilities. The old quote is true, “The race is not always won by the swift and the strong, but that is the way to bet.”
- The Top Six Ways to Get Motivated
How can I maintain my motivation over the long term? This seems to be quite a common dilemma for many people, so I wanted to address it here. Here are some tips for staying motivated:
- Your Greatest Resources
When people think about pursuing something, the first thing they normally do is look at their resources to determine whether or not it can be done, which is always a wise thing to do. But where most people fail in this process is, when they’re taking stock of their resources, taking stock of the wrong [...]
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