Blogging from Honolulu
April 27, 2007
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Yes, it is true. I am now in Honolulu visiting with my friend, client, and mentor Rosa Say. Honolulu has changed. A lot. Considering I was last here 30 years ago you might say, well duh!
I will be taking pictures and photos, will be uploading them soon. 
Beyond the Dream…
April 23, 2007
I read this quote and could really relate to it. So simple and profound.
“The trouble for most people is they don’t decide to get wealthy, they just dream about it.” - Michael Masterson
Dreaming and thinking about being wealthy or anything else for that matter, will not move you closer to the goal.
I have to decide to go “get it”. Answer and act upon these questions:
- What have you been thinking or dreaming about?
- Have you made up your mind to actually do something about it?
- What could you do today to demonstrate that you have decided to get wealthy?
- Have you been thinking about…. Getting fit? Spending more time with your family? Working less?
- Who can you share your decision with and provide you with positive support and feedback?
Whatever your dream, move from thinking and dreaming and make decision to become it, or as the Nike commercial says “Just do it.”
Dreams are great. Just remember to shift out of dream mode and actually do something, make a decision, and take action. Then you will have moved “beyond the dream”.
Congratulations!
Live Large!
How to Feel More Alive, Absorb Change, and Increase Your Capacity
April 21, 2007
Do we have a limited capacity to absorb change? I used to believe that our capacity to absorb change was finite. I have since changed my mind.
Today, I believe that the human spirit has an unlimited capacity to grow, develop, and prevail. I believe that we choose to limit our capacity to absorb change. Not because we lack desire, talent or the drive to change. Rather we have not been taught how to expand our ‘capacity to change’.
This is born out in the amazing feats achieved by people like Erik Weihenmayer, whose book Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man’s Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See chronicles his story of climbing Mount Everest, blind.
My big take away from Eriks story? He did not climb Mount Everest alone, he had help.
Erik’s story is atypical for a number of reasons. He was raised by parents who can best be described as ‘possibility thinkers’. Despite his blindness they refused to allow it to limit his opportunities. In fact they worked hard to expose Erik to a wide variety of experiences. They did this by confronting societies bias and removing obstacles.
Certainly Erik was fortunate to have been born to such positive people whop modeled possibilities. But Erik had a choice. He could allow his blindness to define him or he would define what it meant to be a blind athlete.
We also have a choice.
We can chose to shape our own lives or allow it to be shaped by the world.
Answer this question, “Am I living the life of my dreams or have I allowed myself to be shaped by the limiting beliefs of other people?”
Personally, I believe that we retain an unlimited capacity or ‘mental bandwidth’ to absorb change. It has either been limited by our beliefs and life experience or unleashed when we give ourselves permission to succeed and live the life of our dreams.
We Can Increase Our Mental Bandwidth and Unleash Our Capacity
Our capacity increases whenever we choose to our attention on something deemed to be important. When we are mentally ‘present’ and not on ‘automatic pilot’ we pay attention to what is going on around us. In these moments, our attention is pervasive and dominant.
When on ‘automatic pilot’ we operate in what I call the “shadow” of our conscious self. We might be distracted by a string of thoughts, bored with the task at hand, and sometimes even mentally ‘checked out’.
Transfer Out of Automatic Pilot
In the blink of an eye we can snap out of the shadows and into the present.
We actually do this many times each day, we have just not noticed this behavior before. For example, a moment ago I stopped writing and took a moment to eat a piece of banana loaf and drink a glass of milk - all while on ‘automatic pilot’. I snapped into the present when I noticed the unique texture and taste of chocolate and macadamia nuts. I then proceeded to comment “Hmm, this is good. I should buy more of that next time we go to the Farmers Market.”
The significance of noticing myself, noticing the quality, and the special taste of a Banana Macadamia nut loaf will not necessarily increase my capacity to absorb change, but it does serve as a useful anecdote to make my point - we shift in and out of the shadow of consciousness into the present constantly.
I am not placing a value judgment whether it is good or bad to be in the shadows - rather, to point out that we already do it. Plus we can learn to control our attention and in the process be more ‘present’.
Being Present Alters Our Perspective
I first began to pay attention to living my life with more attention and making an effort to be more ‘present’ after doing some consulting with an Anthony Robbins franchise in Edmonton.
This afforded me the opportunity to sit in on some of Tony Robbins’ lesser known, internal trainings and work directly with two very present and dynamic people Darren and Lipi, the franchise owners.
One of Anthony Robbins’ core teachings is that when you change your physiology (physical state) you change your emotional state.
Modify My State of Consciousness
When Tony teaches people to alter their emotional state by changing their physical state he definitely pushes you out of the shadows and into a more conscious and present state of being. Some might view his tactics as extreme and outlandish, regardless it does prove his point that when we change our physiology we modify our emotional state.
I first became aware of Tony Robbins and the whole concept of being ‘present’ back in the early 1990’s. Since then I have paid attention to and experimented with different ways to deepen my understanding of moving from out of the shadows to be more present, here and now.
I have to say that I have been amazed and shocked to learn how often I live in the shadows or on ‘automatic pilot’. I can also say with complete conviction that my performance and the results I create in my life are directly linked to how much I am living in the shadows or the present.
In my experience, the consequences of living in the shadows is less joy, less control, and feeling like life is happening to me. Not a great way to live.
However, when I replace living in in the shadows with making active and conscious choices - this is where I experience the fullness and richness of life. Where I exchange good for better, and better for best. Where I convert from living a passive existence where my life is shaped by the world around me life to choosing to live the life of my dreams and shape the world to suit my needs.
The consequences and outcomes are dramatic.
I feel more alive, am proactive in shaping my world, and enjoying myself more than ever. Plus I also seemed to have increased my capacity to absorb and respond to change.
Pretty fair exchange I would say.
Live Large!
Blogging from Maui
April 18, 2007
I am in Hawaii on vacation and will be doing some occasional blogging if I have something to say and feel like writing, in the meantime here are some pics of where we are staying.
This is the view looking east.
Looking west.
The condo where we are staying…
Companion Spreadsheet to Tips and Traps for Writing an Effective Business Plan
April 11, 2007
If you have purchased my business planning book, Tips and Traps For Writing an Effective Business Plan, you know that I offer a companion spreadsheet to help you prepare a proforma financial plan for your business.
The financial section of your business plan is likely the most challenging part of the process of writing a business plan for most entrepreneurs.
In my book I have simplified the way you build the financial projections. It mimics exactly the way a business actually functions. For example, the first thing that happens in any business
Book Excerpt: Sales Forecasts Using the Customer-omatic Method
Think of your business as a machine that manufactures customers. It looks a lot like a large funnel or a hopper where you load your marketing, sales, and customer service strategies into the top and what comes out the bottom is a customer and the resulting profit.
The Customer-omatic Machine
Avoid estimating revenues by assigning arbitrary gross dollars per month. In my experience this method is prone to exaggeration and inaccuracies. When a banker or investor asks you how you came up with your revenue projections, the last thing you want to say is that you just picked a number and plugged it in. In doing so, you will only expose your lack of experience and näiveté because there is no way to justify or explain your logic or approach about how you came up with your sales forecast. Plus it is too easy to overstate your revenues.
Using the Customer-omatic method to generate your sales forecast is the only method that actually mirrors how your business actually works.
To generate your sales forecast using the Customer-omatic method is a simple three-step process.
Step 1: Start by listing the number of leads from existing and past customers and add your leads from new customers (leads you will generate from marketing and sales activities). This gives you the total leads and contacts to whom you can sell your products or services.
Step 2: Next, multiply your number of total number of leads and contacts by the conversion percentage (percentage of those who actually buy), which will provide the total number of customers.
Step 3: The last step is to come up with your revenue number. Multiply the total number of customers by the average dollar amount per sale to get your revenue.
Help with Financial Projections
The financial section of my book is the single largest chapter, 45 pages and contains detailed, step-by step instructions on how to develop a financial plan for your business. With my sample spreadsheet and my book you will have everything you need to master the financial section of your business plan.
If you bought my book and get stuck, just email me and I will help you out.
Live Large!
P.S. Spreadsheet, here is where you can download the excel file. Email me if you have trouble accessing the file.
Life Balance for Entrepreneurs, Remember Vimy Ridge
April 9, 2007
- Life Balance For Entrepreneurs: To outsiders, business owners and entrepreneurs appear to be working all the time and balance is not the first word you think of when their names come to mind.
- Remember: Vimy Ridge: 6000 Canadian Casualties on the shores of France April 9-12, 1917, Lest We Forget, check out the Veterans Affairs Canada website. Remember the families of opur six fallen soldiers, also today.
Are you close to dying of a broken dream?
April 9, 2007
“To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself, to test your limits, that is the courage to succeed.� - Bernard Edmonds, author.
Do you have a dream? Are you thinking of quitting on your dream? Are you discouraged? Have you been told to quit and go get a ‘real job’?
Excellent.
You are in a unique group, those whose success is just… around the corner. Only if you hang on… just one more day.
What makes you so special is… the power that fuels your dreams is the same power that will give you the strength of will to tough it out, just one more day.
That power is the one that draws you forward, toward your dream as you trust yourself, test your limits, and step into the gap, just one more day.
There is always… just one more day… if you refuse to quit!
Live Large!
Just Say No to Javascript
April 9, 2007
Edit: I have since changed my mind on this and will be writing about it and why.
Ever since Web 2.0 has become the rage, seems more and more people are using Java Script for everything. How about some server side processing instead of pushing it all up to the client browser?
Once you start to opt in to the (now) numerous social networking ‘widgets’ your pages quickly become bloated and are sooo ssllloooww.
I was so frustrated because when I switched to this theme because it was so slow. I began hunting through the template to see what was borked. Low and behold I found a Java Script that was preventing the page from loading. I removed the offending script from my template and suddenly my blog began to load a lot faster.
This theme, from Blogging Pro is the leanest, simplest and most elegant theme I have seen in a long time. I made a number of changes and mods including removing all Java Script.
Now that Media Temple has their MySQL Grid Container technology working this blog is quite zippy.
How about it developers? Isn’t time to start using push technology instead of making us pull it from your server for everything?
Anyone out there willing to take on the challenge? I make a pretty good beta tester.
Living Large: Shrinking Does Not Become You
April 7, 2007
“To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself, to test your limits, that is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds, author.
I was tagged today by Dwayne Melancon of Genuine Curiosity blog. Dwayne lists four goals in an effort to keep the meme going started by Alex Shalman who asks that you set “the top 5 to 10 goals that you gotta’ get so that you can truly say you have achieved your wildest dreams in life.“
My Live Large! Goals
I welcome this meme because my personal motto is to “Live Large!” and Bernard Edmonds says so eloquently what each and everyone one of us must come to grips with if we hope to “Live Large!”
- September 1, 2006 I set a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) of Impacting 1,000,000 Business Owners which I wrote about on my personal blog. I need to get back to writing my business plan so I can Impact 1,000,000 business owners. [March to Impact a Million]
- Own a beach side home. I love the beach, the sound of the waves, and walking the shoreline.
- Own and drive a motorcycle, a Harley Davidson would be great but the truth is I would love owning any comfortable highway cruiser.
- Visit at least one country on each continent.
- A personal net worth of $1,000,000.
- Nap in a hammock by the beach.
- Swim with Dolphins.
- See a real live Volcano.
- Watch my son achieve his dream of making a living as a comedian.
- Walk the shoreline of our favorite beach on our 50th anniversary.
Visualization
One thing I know for sure, the stronger the dream, the more I visualize the end result, the easier achieving the goal becomes. It is almost effortless.
Limiting Beliefs
As a result of setting my BHAG of Impacting 1,000,000 Business Owners, I was confronted with the realization that I had a belief that was holding me back. The uninitiated might have labeled it as fear, however, I discovered something much more profound. I discovered that I held a strong belief in:
Hard Work: I came to the clarity that “everything I have or would ever have was the result of hard work.”
This explained why I had such an aversion to setting large goals. I have always worked hard and so how could I achieve a large goal when I could not see how I could work any harder? Never mind, a BHAG.
I have since witnessed the synchronicity and power of visualization of a BHAG and how effortlessly a goal can be achieved if I allow others to support me in achieving a goal. I cannot tell you how much it means to know that I am not alone and can depend on my friends to help and support me on my path to “have achieved my wildest dreams“. Thanks Dwayne.
Tag You’re It - Live Large!
Now it is my turn to tag some friends to set some goals that would prove they “have achieved their wildest dreams“. Here they are:
- Ken Reiss
- Rosa Say
- Emmanuel Oluwatosin
- Lorelle
- Wayne Hurlbert
- Ben Yoskovitz
- Phil Gerbyshak
- Blog Bloke
- Mike Sigers
- Binnur Al-Kazily
My challenge to each of you, is to blog transparently about your goals and Live Large! Because shrinking is not an option…
“To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself, to test your limits, that is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds, author.
Live Large!
Supply and Demand: Dairy Queen Better Product Outrageous Price
April 7, 2007
A few days ago I picked up my son and friend to give them a ride home. On the way we decided to stop for a burger. Dairy Queen got the nod, so we pulled in and placed our order. I did not get a final price until I rolled up to the window.
“$28.89″, says the kid at the window.
“Are you kidding?! Let me see the receipt and what I ordered.”
Well the kid could not figure out how to print a receipt. So he took off to get help. When I finally got the receipt, the order was right. Yikes!
It was right there on the receipt, $9.89 for a Crispy Chicken Flamethrower Burger.
I said, “Are you serious? Is that the right price?” The kid took off to get the answer to my question and the young lady who helped him print my receipt returned to assure me the price was right.
$28.89 for three burgers, fries, and a drink in a drive through. We went to Wendy’s recently and three burgers, salads, and drink was just $18.63.
So I decided to do some research:
DQ Grill & Chill restaurants targeting families who want a quick meal but are willing to spend a bit more for better ambiance and table service. Via Strategy Mag
Only problem was that was sitting in the drive through of an older restaurant and not the new Grill & Chill.
I dropped by the DQ franchise web site and found that franchisees pay a 4% ongoing royalty and a 5-6% sales promotion fee.
Can DQ Steal Market Share from Wendy’s With a 55% Higher Price?
I know we will not be going back to DQ anytime soon and Wendy’s is still our favorite Burger Restaurant with healthy choices, quality food, and a fair price.
DQ CEO get your head out of the clouds, trouble is on the horizon, you are going to loose market share.
Your food and ambiance is not that much better to warrant a 55% higher price.
Marketing Blogs in Canada and Young Entrepreneurs Serious Entrepreneurs
April 6, 2007
Today, Good Friday (in Canada) is a good day to draw attention to Canadian Marketing Blogs and a question I answered for a young entrepreneur.
- Canadian Marketing Blogs: Inspired by the Buzz Canuck, I have decided to start featuring Canadian Business Bloggers right here every week…
- Young Entrepreneurs: Serious Business Owners: I am only 16, and dream of making my own business and making loads of money. When talking to people about it, they practically laugh in my face…
Even though I have been blogging since 2005 and writing daily here since 1998, most of my networking has been international in nature and today I begin to network here with fellow Canadian bloggers.
Without the work by Buzz Canuck I would not be able to make these connections with Canadian bloggers. Thanks eh!
My Mental Attitude a Help or Hinderance?
April 5, 2007
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” - Thomas Jefferson
How is my attitude helping or hindering my progress?
Live Large!
P.S. If you have a dream, learn about how to develop “The Mindset of a Champion”
Demographics: What the Next 15 Years Looks Like
April 5, 2007
I found this fabulous article at Center for Media Research which was talking about Baby Boomers habits when it comes to technology and online:
Sharon Whiteley, CEO of ThirdAge, said “ThirdAgers (baby boomers and mid-lifers generally in their early 40’s through mid 60’s) are regularly stereotyped as being technophobes and slow to jump on the technology bandwagon. However… not only are they online, they’re surprisingly a formidable presence on the Internet.”According to the survey, ThirdAgers spend time on the Internet are to:
- Seek out information (92%)
- Stay in touch with friends and family (95%)
- Shop online (73%)
- Browse the Web (95%)
- Read articles (91%)
- Research products before purchasing offline (86%)
What they’re not doing is watching videos, writing blogs, playing games or downloading music, notes the report.
The report also includes data that shows that so called “ThirdAgers” are close to “108 million people [who] are over the age of 45, [make up] more than 40 percent of the population, with the majority of the buying power in the United States.” Plus:
- They account for 70 percent of the U.S. net worth, controlling $9 trillion
- In the next 15 years, the 50-64 age popular will grow by 50 percent and the 65-plus population will grow 32 percent
Whiteley says “… many marketers… (are not) building a trusted relationship with people who are over 40… These generations have grown up in the information age; they will seek facts, data and peer input…”
Should You Shift Your Market Focus?
IMO, the real gem is the other commentary made in the report relating to the “Traditionally coveted 18-40 Gen-X and Gen-Y populations will grow only 3 percent combined.”
If you stop and think about that, the traditional market (18-40) year olds is growing 3% and the 50-64 age group is growing by 50 percent and the 65-plus population growing by 32 percent - which market is growing?
Remember, the posts I wrote about “Supply and Demand”, here, and here?
Other interesting findings includes how much information “ThirdAgers” share with their peers. Make sure to check it out to educate yourself.
FYI, depending on when you view this post, you might need to become a member to dig around and view their archives. However, you should be able to view the post I link to.
Entrepreneur: Risk of Distraction and Depression
April 5, 2007
Today I am blogging about:
- Distractions Disguised As Opportunities: I think the most insidious distractions are presented by well meaning people who have an idea they want you to consider…
- Depression And Burnout In Entrepreneurs: I have witnessed a significant increase in burn out, depression and extreme stress in entrepreneurs. The long hours and constant demands of building a business can take a heavy toll…
If you know of an entrepreneur that is exhibiting the symptoms outlined in my article, do them and yourself a favor and talk to them. My simple advice about distractions is a powerful tool, only if you use it to decipher whether you are dealing with a true opportunity or a distraction.
Enjoy Wealth & Abundance
April 4, 2007
“The trouble for most people is they don’t decide to get wealthy, they just dream about it.” - Michael Masterson Seven Years to Seven Figures: The Fast-Track Plan to Becoming a Millionaire
Good Business Decisions and Have More Fun
April 4, 2007
I have always been amazed how easy it is to make really good, bad decisions:
- Business Decision: Can you let go of the good things?: I was thinking about how easy it is to make really quick decisions that can turn out to be not so good.
What is one decision I made recently which at the time seemed like a good decision, but turned out to be a really good example of a bad decision?
I found out when this happens to me, it is often because I am so personally invested in the outcome (something I really want) that I cannot see the traps and distraction.
Sometimes, I just need to lighten up:
- 13 Ways To Have More Fun And Get Things Done!: Here are thirteen suggestions on how you can have more fun AND get more done.
How about you? When was the last time you had a lot of fun?
Are You an Alpha Mom?
April 3, 2007
Is the term Alpha Mom endearing or insulting to you Moms out there? In an interview in USA Today, the originator of the ‘Alpha Mom’ term was interviewed:
There may be moments in Constance Van Flandern’s day when she’s got a BlackBerry in one hand and one of her two kids in the other.
That is her Alpha Mom moment. She ought to know: She created the label to describe moms such as herself. Via USA Today
What I find ironic is that the USA Today article was written by a male reporter (Bruce Horovitz). Just a small, tiny disconnect with the content of the article they wrote. Were no women reporters available? Gimme a break. How does that make you feel ladies?
In my world, multi-tasking Moms is not news.
The female entrepreneurs I have met always had great influence on their families buying decisions, are strong role models, and yes they can hold a Blackberry and a child at the same time.
Personally, I was surprised that USA Today would use this type of an anecdote:
Among the first big marketers to chase Alpha Moms: video game company Nintendo, which is trying to expand its market beyond hard-core gamers. Via USA Today
Marketers have always been cognisant of the fact that Mom’s have a great deal of influence on the buying preferences and decisions of their families. Is this now coming forward because someone created a label?
What do you think Moms? Is this term endearing, sexist, or just a sign of the times?
What is my deepest fear?
April 3, 2007
In the movie Coach Carter, there is a great scene that speaks volumes…
Being Real Being Myself Being Open
April 3, 2007
“You cannot fake a relationship and feel right with yourself or anyone else. Changing yourself to fit what you think other people want doesn’t work. Pretending to be someone other than yourself only broadens the distance between the person you are and the one with whom you’re trying to establish closeness.” - Mary Manin Morrissey
Who do I need to re-establish a relationship with? How can I be more open and transparent?
Eight Deadly Sins of Self Employment & Business Startup Assistant
April 3, 2007
So today on the menu for your small business edification I have…
- Eight Deadly Sins Of Self-Employment, Or Would You Hire You?: How is it that a reliable, hard-working and experienced employee can, as an owner, become your company’s greatest liability?
- Canada Business Startup Assistant: This list will provide you with links to both Federal and Provincial startup business resources available online. So don’t be surprised when you click a link and it asks you to choose a province before forwarding you to the right page.
If you are starting a Canadian business follow the Canada Business Startup Assistant for links to 100’s of government business resources and information online. If you feel like you are loosing your edge, take a look to see if you are committing any of these Eight Deadly Sins Of Self-Employment.
Live Large!
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Getting the Price Right
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