The guys and gals at Grasshopper have struck online viral marketing gold with the spoof of Jay-Z & Alicia Keys’ song Empire State of Mind. If you’re not one of the million plus views and you’re an entrepreneur, in marketing or a Jay-Z fan, you must watch it. Funny and awesome at the same time:
At first, the song seems to have no correlation to phone systems. Until you realize that Grasshopper is the self-proclaimed “phone system for entrepreneurs.” Now this seemingly random song carries all sorts of marketing win for the company.
To elaborate, if you or someone you know is an entrepreneur, undoubtedly the video will eventually be seen and shared. They’ll tweet it, email it and even write articles about it – just as I am here. And what does every entrepreneur that is constantly on the run and is technologically advanced need that Grasshopper just happens to provide… you get the picture. It’s genius. [click to continue…]
On the fence about starting a business? That’s completely understandable. It can be intimidating. But before you make your decision, read the following. I’ve listed my top 5 favorite benefits of owning a profitable business. Enjoy!
1. Eat What You Wish When Going Out
Never having to worry too much about the price of dishes in a restaurant is an amazing feeling. And since the majority of restaurant tabs are tax-deductible, order away! Add sautéed mushrooms for two bucks more? No problem… Another glass of wine? Sure, why not!
2. Do What You Want During The Week
Besides the occasional meeting, the self-employed choose their hours. There are no too weak, I mean two weeks, vacation time RFP’s. Daughter’s Afternoon Music Recital? Sit in the front row… Case of the Mondays? Go golfing and catch up on work a little later. [click to continue…]
In Warren Buffett’s biography, The Snowball, I found an intriguing concept. The Oracle of Omaha said that he had won the Ovarian Lottery:
I’ve had it so good in this world, you know. The odds were fifty-to-one against me being born in the United States in 1930. I won the lottery the day I emerged from the womb by being in the United States instead of in some other country where my chances would have been way different.
Imagine there are two identical twins in the womb, both equally bright and energetic. And the genie says to them, “One of you is going to be born in the United States, and one of you is going to be born in Bangladesh. And if you wind up in Bangladesh, you will pay no taxes. What percentage of your income would you bid to be the one that is born in the United States?” It says something about the fact that society has something to do with your fate and not just your innate qualities. The people who say, “I did it all myself,” and think of themselves as Horatio Alger – believe me, they’d bid more to be in the United States than in Bangladesh. That’s the Ovarian Lottery.
Warren Buffett won it. And if you’re reading this (hold for applause), you’ve won it too. Congrats!
The world we live in is an amazing place. Anyone with an Internet connection and a passion can completely transform their lives for the better. Even the poorest and lowest-class individuals of 1st world countries have unbelievable potential to be great.
So think about the words of Warren Buffett the next time something discourages you from accomplishing your dreams. And do not forget the incredible opportunities available to us Ovarian Lottery winners.
There is a very intriguing trait of crabs. When placed in a bucket, a single crab easily climbs out. Adding two or more crabs to the bucket, however, none will ever escape. The lower crabs will grab onto the higher climbers and yank them down. This phenomenon is analogous to anyone striving for a better life. Your current scenario is the bucket and your critics are the fellow crabs. And the world is not short of crabs who love to pull you down.
The Escape
After weeks of brutal torture, André Devigny successfully escaped a WWII POW camp by, among other things, scaling a massive fortress wall. Talk about climbing out of a mighty extreme bucket! And he did so when the German army considered his living arrangements permanent. Yet he didn’t allow his current situation to determine his future. Neither should anyone else.
Everyone looking to escape his or her circumstances will face similar detractors. Remember, those who think you can never break free will forever doubt your intentions. So it’s best to realize early on that no matter what you do, others will find ways to criticize.
Luckily we are not crabs. By recognizing that others are trying to pull you down, you can overcome their flak. We are free to create a better lifestyle and the commentators can stay in their self-imposed lair of fear. Also, we are not in a bucket, we can choose who we associate with. If someone says you cannot do something, impose a social embargo and cut all ties.
Put in other words; ditch the critics and their pent-up hostility towards success. You have a remarkable life ahead and you don’t need them.
Intro: Motivation in the workplace is an important factor for entrepreneurs. And I often explore the many fascinating psychology research studies that have led us to a deep understanding of employee motivation. The following post is a thorough list of the best psychology concepts for motivating your workforce.
A Road Not Taken…
There was a time in my life when I was studying to become an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. Basically I thought that listening to, and attempting to vanquish, the workplace-based depression of a Fortune 500 company’s middle managers would be an interesting career. Looking at my current life, I am extremely glad I didn’t venture down that path!
My formal training in psychology, on the other hand, has taught me a ton of valuable concepts that I now use daily. These ideas translate well for almost any situation in the business and marketing world.
A couple of days ago I was speaking to a few budding entrepreneurs and the topic of motivation came up. While speaking with them, I realized how I forgot the actual psychology terms for the theories even though I think about the concepts almost on a daily basis. So I dug out my textbooks and gave myself a refresher course. The following concepts are some of the more important theories in motivational psychology in terms of workplace behavior: [click to continue…]
Is your brand not performing as expected? Before you start blaming the economy, your clients, your employees or anything else. Realize that this so-called less-bad economy is the new normal. And unfortunately, the problem is with your brand. So it’s time to do something extraordinary. Create something different, something new, something remarkable. And stop complaining. The world has changed, and so must you. Luckily, it has never been easier to gain an audience, target your business model and dominate your market. But you must recognize the needs of the new world. [click to continue…]
Most people are not happy with their life. Yet they continually venture down the same road of unhappiness. Never willing to change. As you take a birds eye view of your current lifestyle, do you like what you see? Are your relationships, career choices, financial situation and other aspects of your life truly satisfying? Or do you feel there should be more?
While most of us have moments of joy, they are usually overshadowed by hours, days and even years of affliction. Stress, depression, heartache and overall anxiety are human nature. But it doesn’t have to be the case for you. You deserve to have the best life possible.
The good news? Change is also a part of human nature. In fact, I believe there is an unwritten rule of life stating that the only constant is change. Put in other words, nothing will ever stay the same. This is a huge concept. The reason this is significant for you? Your life is going to change. But it is completely up to you which direction you will take your life when these inevitable changes approach. Will you choose to stay on your current melancholy life direction? Or will you rise up and pursue a life of fulfillment and happiness? The ball is in your court.
Below are the specific steps every person needs to explore, embrace and ultimately take action on before life-altering change can truly occur: [click to continue…]
Where can you spend countless hours watching the world’s smartest people give passionate speeches, at no charge? TED.com, that’s where. TED is amazing. Seriously. And below is a collection of my 5 favorite TED talks every entrepreneur should watch. Enjoy!
There you go! Five great TED talks to inspire, motivate and further develop yourself as an extraordinary entrepreneur. I hope you enjoyed these videos!
As I talk with others about investing or starting a business, I very often hear, “I don’t have any money to do that, I’m poor.” And other times they say, “not right now, I’m broke.” These are interesting statements to me as the dictionary defines broke and poor similarly. However, subconsciously the two words set off strongly opposing implications.
Broke is a scenario. Nothing more than a temporary setback. A broke person is simply someone that is low on funds. But they can change their financial situation. Poor, on the other hand, is a lifestyle. These people actively chose to pursue a poor life. And can be identified as the moneyless folks that love the couch, do not care about education and are not willing to change. They’ve been poor, they’re currently poor and they’ll always be poor.
The next time you are low on funds, how are you going to explain your situation? Are you poor? Or just broke?
I came to a huge self-actualization this past month. It resulted from a temporary setback to the expansion plans for one of my businesses. The result? More motivation with a stronger drive to succeed. And now a banker to prove wrong.
The Story
One of my companies needs four new employees. And although I have great credentials with a substantial accounts receivable ledger, my business was turned down for a line of credit. The decision came from a commercial banker I have known very well – since I had my first business at 16 years of age. Anyway, this so-called go-to bank for SBA lending decided that creating more jobs wasn’t in the playing cards for me. Based on the denial phone call, I feel the decision came from incompetence of the banker rather than any analytical rational. Needless to say, I was not happy. And while I know I can simply move onto the next bank, it triggered something inside me that was unfamiliar: fear.
As a young entrepreneur, online marketing expert, public speaker, real estate investor and eco-activist I have chosen the road less traveled. I'm a compulsive perfectionist and thoroughly research every major decision and investment. This has helped me create a lifestyle free of the rat race and that dreaded 40+ hour work week. And while I am years from retiring, I am quickly on my way to financial freedom.
My passion is helping other entrepreneurs create extraordinary businesses & lifestyles. I love meeting new people and learning everything I can from them. So please, feel free to reach out:
Is your brand not performing as expected? Before you start blaming the economy, your clients, your employees or anything else. Realize that this so-called less-bad economy is the new normal. And unfortunately, the problem is with your brand. So it’s time to do something extraordinary. Create something different, something new, something remarkable. And stop complaining. The world has changed, and so must you. Luckily, it has never been easier to gain an audience, target your business model and dominate your market. But you must recognize the needs of the new world.
As I talk with others about investing or starting a business, I very often hear, “I don’t have any money to do that, I’m poor.” And other times they say, “not right now, I’m broke.” These are interesting statements to me as the dictionary defines broke and poor similarly. However, subconsciously the two words set off strongly opposing implications.
