"Why Do Anything?" by James Altucher
I don’t know.
I don’t want to do anything. Everyone says things like:
“I’m feeling stuck” Or, “I wish I knew what my purpose was” OR “I have lot’s of ideas, what do I do next?”.
Do nothing.
Why do you have to do anything?
I was at a conference this past week. I was very intimidated by the other attendees. At least four bestselling authors there. Another guy who gets millions of views on his beautiful videos. Another guy sells a billion dollars worth of clothes per year. And on and on.
I felt very lazy. I was very scared to be asked to speak there among these incredible people. They were all good looking also. It was a conference of good looking successful people. And me.
It suddenly hit me while I was there – all I want to do is lie in a big field and stare at the sky.
All day long. Or most of the day. I also like to read. I like to eat. Have sex. Sleep. I LOVE to sleep.
I felt like a big fake.
I like to submerge myself completely in water and just float for as long as I can hold my breath. I like to play online chess. I’ve played three games so far since starting this post. I’m an addict.
Sometimes I like to eavesdrop on conversations about relationships or sex.
At the conference someone showed a 3D printing machine. That seems like a real smart thing to invent. I’m not smart enough for that.
So check that off my list. Inventing the next generation 3D printing machines.
I read a book recently about people trying to get salt out of water. And other people that are genetically engineering algae from, I guess, stem cells, in order to get biofuel from them.
I’m really impressed. Those people must wake up in the morning and think to themselves, “I’m going to save the world today because I’m quite possibly the smartest person in the world.”
I’m not one of them. I want to see “The Hangover 3″ today. And laugh. Then maybe I will want to write something that will make people laugh.
I’d even want to be a standup comedian but it’s past my bedtime. I would actually prefer sleeping to being a standup comedian even though I really enjoy making people laugh.
Why do you have to do anything?
I get it – we have to pay the bills. We all do. But here’s the problem:
Income is going down versus inflation. And it has been for forty years. 40 years ago that didn’t matter. 10 years ago it didn’t.
But now it does. Now it’s a big problem.
So eventually if you get a job and try to pay your bills you will go broke. You now have to hustle.
There’s lots of ways to hustle. And you can avoid cubicles and fluorescent lights and stupid bosses and backstabbing colleagues.
I’ll give you one solid idea that will work.
There’s a trillion dollars in student loan debt.
Write a 60 page booklet on 20 ways to get rid of your student loan debt. Are there 20 ways? I have no clue. Figure it out. This is the US government we are talking about. You don’t think they have loopholes? I bet there are 200 ways to avoid paying student loan debt. This would be a no-bullshit real valuable book. Do it.
Then advertise it to people age 22-28 living in the United States on Facebook. Even better: target the people who went to the 200 most expensive colleges in the country.
Sell the booklet for $225. You think they can’t afford it? Of course they can. They owe $200,000 in debt. They can afford $225 to get rid of $200,000 in debt.
Sell 1000 of those booklets a year. That’s all.
Oh! I have another idea. CERTIFY people who buy the book and then take another course with you (price: $1000). Now those people can be official “Student loan debt counselors”. Certified by your “Students Avoid Debt” (SAD) Association.
BAM!
Oh wait, but if everyone does that idea then it’s too many people doing it, right?
WRONG. There’s a TRILLION dollars in debt. That’s a big market. And anyway, do it better than anyone else. Why not?
20 years ago I knew four siblings who inherited $20 million each. One was a doctor, another did something on Wall Street. Another was some sort of holistic healer and the fourth was a professional squash player. Their dad started and owned a newspaper empire.
Each one of them said they were going to stick to their careers. They loved what they were doing.
Within two years none of them were doing anything. One “took a year off”. Another “was going to travel”. Another decided to “write a novel”.
Now, 20 years later, I’ve lost track of all of them. They have vanished.
I’m not advocating doing nothing. Some people love doing things. I met one guy this weekend who is really passionate about making really warm wintercoats.
But for me, I love holding my breath underwater.
Actually, I love writing these posts.
And I hope you love reading them.
Life Advice From 18 of the Wealthiest People in History (Interactive Graphic) BY CATHERINE CLIFFORD
Everyone needs a little inspiration from time to time – especially entrepreneurs.
If you're looking for advice on how to rock the business world and live a successful and meaningful life, consider the words of leaders like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Dell. They might just have a trick or two up their sleeve.
EBay Deals has compiled an interactive flipbook featuring advice from 18 of the wealthiest and most influential leaders in history.
Some excerpts:
"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." – Bill Gates
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." – Steve Jobs
"Failure is the only opportunity to begin again more intelligently." – Henry Ford
"Done is better than perfect." – Mark Zuckerberg
Take a flip through, and let us know which quotes resonate with you most.
Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228239#ixzz2eTsnsykn
"4 Books Every Entrepreneur Must Read" by BY LEWIS HOWES
The greatest lessons you'll ever learn will most likely be from your own experience. But entrepreneurs can also learn a lot from the advice and experiences of others, as long as we allow ourselves to be teachable.
Perhaps you were in grade school the last time you heard this but it's as true today as it was back then: one of the best ways to gain information, inspiration and education is by reading books. As an entrepreneur, I've read a number that I've found invaluable to my professional success.
Consider the following four books your mentors and teachers as they reveal skills and lessons that can possibly shave years off your learning curve, and thousands of dollars from avoidable mistakes:
1. First Things First
by Stephen R. Covey (Free Press, reprinted edition January 1996)
As entrepreneurs, we already know our most valuable asset is time, but not every entrepreneur knows how to properly use that time.
At first glance, First Things First may seem like just another productivity book but, as you'll learn, true productivity is not about getting more things done in less time but rather doing things that matter with the time you have.
At first glance, First Things First may seem like just another productivity book but, as you'll learn, true productivity is not about getting more things done in less time but rather doing things that matter with the time you have.
While many people will recognize Covey for his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this writing focuses on what I consider to be the most important habit: putting "first things first." Anyone who implements even a fraction of what is outlined in this book should begin to see a dramatic shift in his or her life.
2. Built To Sell
by John Warrillow (Portfolio Trade, reprint edition December 2012)
You may have heard the advice "Have an exit strategy" when starting a business. But not many entrepreneurs have considered what it takes to actually sell a business. In Built To Sell, John Warrillow presents a compelling case for entrepreneurs to approach their business from the perspective of selling it one day.
While this may seem counterintuitive for the passionate entrepreneur who loves his or her work and wouldn't want to stop doing it, the real genius of this approach is that it can help readers create more value in their business. Namely, developing a business that is built on systems rather than a legacy business for which the founder has his or her hand in every day-to-day affair. That's just not scalable.
Not only is this book a must-read, but it's also written like a story, which means you should have no problem following along -- unlike other business books which can read more like text books.
3. Choose Yourself!
by James Altucher (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, June 2013)
Author James Altucher will most likely have you shaking your head in disbelief when you hear his story. I loved it so much that I had to get him on my podcast, The School of Greatness.
I believe there are two pivotal moments for every entrepreneur. The first is when they choose to become an entrepreneur, and the second is when they take 100 percent responsibility for their success or failure. Choose Yourself! is about that second part -- taking responsibility.
It's not enough to simply want success or to believe in the possibility of success. Instead, every entrepreneur must face the reality that nobody else is responsible for you. Altucher speaks from experience as someone whose story takes so many twists and turns that you may find yourself loving him and becoming frustrated with him at the same time. But ultimately you'll probably arrive at the same conclusion he did -- that we must choose ourselves if we wish to succeed. This book can be is a wake-up call for entrepreneurs who have not taken the reigns of their life and business.
4. Mastery
by Robert Greene (Viking Adult, November 2012)
You may recognize Robert Greene from his other books:
The Art of Seduction
The 33 Strategies of War
The 48 Laws of Power
The 50th Law
The 33 Strategies of War
The 48 Laws of Power
The 50th Law
Greene is no stranger to influencing lives, and exactly why I interviewed him on my podcast. What I enjoyed the most about Greene's book Mastery are the following principals:
The value of apprenticeship: Too many entrepreneurs want to "fake it till they make it" instead of taking the time to develop the necessary skills it takes to succeed with their craft. It also acknowledges the fact that mastery is a process, which should alleviate entrepreneurs from the idea that greatness is either achieved quickly, or not at all.
The myth of mastery being reserved for 'special' people: It's easy to look at a successful entrepreneur on the cover of a magazine, or a TED speaker on YouTube and think that the person has been blessed with luck, financing or superior genes. But everyone walks the same path to "mastery." And that path contains failure, setback and sometimes years of wandering.
The only thing "special" about people who achieve mastery is their decision to stay committed.
I've never escaped from that moment: Girl in napalm photograph that defined the Vietnam War 40 years on
It only took a second for Associated Press photographer Huynh Cong Ut to snap the iconic black-and-white image 40 years ago.
It communicated the horrors of the Vietnam War in a way words could never describe, helping to end one of the most divisive wars in American history.
But beneath the photo lies a lesser-known story. It's the tale of a dying child brought together by chance with a young photographer.
Crying children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, run down Route 1 near Trang Bang, Vietnam after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places as South Vietnamese forces from the 25th Division walk behind them
A moment captured in the chaos of war that would serve as both her savior and her curse on a journey to understand life's plan for her.
'I really wanted to escape from that little girl,' says Kim Phuc, now 49. 'But it seems to me that the picture didn't let me go.'
Kim Phuc giving a lecture at Oundle Festival of Literature in Cambridgeshire in 2010
It was June 8, 1972, when Phuc heard the soldier's scream: 'We have to run out of this place! They will bomb here, and we will be dead!'
Seconds later, she saw the tails of yellow and purple smoke bombs curling around the Cao Dai temple where her family had sheltered for three days, as north and south Vietnamese forces fought for control of their village.
The little girl heard a roar overhead and twisted her neck to look up. As the South Vietnamese Skyraider plane grew fatter and louder, it swooped down toward her, dropping canisters like tumbling eggs flipping end over end.
'Ba-boom! Ba-boom!'
The ground rocked. Then the heat of a hundred furnaces exploded as orange flames spit in all directions.
Fire danced up Phuc's left arm. The threads of her cotton clothes evaporated on contact. Trees became angry torches. Searing pain bit through skin and muscle.
'I will be ugly, and I'm not normal anymore,' she thought, as her right hand brushed furiously across her blistering arm. 'People will see me in a different way.'
In shock, she sprinted down Highway 1 behind her older brother. She didn't see the foreign journalists gathered as she ran toward them, screaming.
Phan Thi Kim Phuc, left, is visited by Associated Press photographer Nick Ut at her home in Trang Bang, Vietnam in 1973
Ut, the 21-year-old Vietnamese photographer who took the picture, drove Phuc to a small hospital.
There, he was told the child was too far gone to help. But he flashed his American press badge, demanded that doctors treat the girl and left assured that she would not be forgotten.
'I cried when I saw her running,' said Ut, whose older brother was killed on assignment with the AP in the southern Mekong Delta. 'If I don't help her - if something happened and she died - I think I'd kill myself after that.'
Back at the office in what was then U.S.-backed Saigon, he developed his film. When the image of the naked little girl emerged, everyone feared it would be rejected because of the news agency's strict policy against nudity.
But veteran Vietnam photo editor Horst Faas took one look and knew it was a shot made to break the rules. He argued the photo's news value far outweighed any other concerns, and he won.
A copy of the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Associated Press photographer Huynh Cong Ut is held at the place he took it 40 years ago in Trang Bang, Tay Ninh province, Vietnam
A couple of days after the image shocked the world, another journalist found out the little girl had somehow survived the attack. Christopher Wain, a correspondent for the British Independent Television Network who had given Phuc water from his canteen and drizzled it down her burning back at the scene, fought to have her transferred to the American-run Barsky unit. It was the only facility in Saigon equipped to deal with her severe injuries.
'I had no idea where I was or what happened to me,' she said. 'I woke up and I was in the hospital with so much pain, and then the nurses were around me. I woke up with a terrible fear.'
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, right, with Associated Press photographer Nick Ut, left and Phan Thi Kim Phuc, center in London in 2000
Thirty percent of Phuc's tiny body was scorched raw by third-degree burns, though her face somehow remained untouched. Over time, her melted flesh began to heal.
'Every morning at 8 o'clock, the nurses put me in the burn bath to cut all my dead skin off,' she said. 'I just cried and when I could not stand it any longer, I just passed out.'
After multiple skin grafts and surgeries, Phuc was finally allowed to leave, 13 months after the bombing. She had seen Ut's photo, which by then had won the Pulitzer Prize, but she was still unaware of its reach and power.
She just wanted to go home and be a child again.
Phan Thi Kim Phuc embraces Associated Press staff photographer Nick Ut during a reunion in Cuba in 1989
For a while, life did go somewhat back to normal. The photo was famous, but Phuc largely remained unknown except to those living in her tiny village near the Cambodian border. Ut and a few other journalists sometimes visited her, but that stopped after northern communist forces seized control of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975, ending the war.
Life under the new regime became tough. Medical treatment and painkillers were expensive and hard to find for the teenager, who still suffered extreme headaches and pain.
She worked hard and was accepted into medical school to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. But all that ended once the new communist leaders realized the propaganda value of the `napalm girl' in the photo.
She was forced to quit college and return to her home province, where she was trotted out to meet foreign journalists. The visits were monitored and controlled, her words scripted. She smiled and played her role, but the rage inside began to build and consume her.
'I wanted to escape that picture,' she said. 'I got burned by napalm, and I became a victim of war ... but growing up then, I became another kind of victim.'
She turned to Cao Dai, her Vietnamese religion, for answers. But they didn't come.
In this 1992 photo provided by Phan Thi Kim Phuc shows her, top row second from right, and her husband Bui Huy Toan, top row right, with guests during their wedding day in Havana, Cuba
'My heart was exactly like a black coffee cup,' she said. 'I wished I died in that attack with my cousin, with my south Vietnamese soldiers. I wish I died at that time so I won't suffer like that anymore ... it was so hard for me to carry all that burden with that hatred, with that anger and bitterness.'
One day, while visiting a library, Phuc found a Bible. For the first time, she started believing her life had a plan.
Then suddenly, once again, the photo that had given her unwanted fame brought opportunity.
She traveled to West Germany in 1982 for medical care with the help of a foreign journalist. Later, Vietnam's prime minister, also touched by her story, made arrangements for her to study in Cuba.
She was finally free from the minders and reporters hounding her at home, but her life was far from normal. Ut, then working at the AP in Los Angeles, traveled to meet her in 1989, but they never had a moment alone. There was no way for him to know she desperately wanted his help again.
While at school, Phuc met a young Vietnamese man. She had never believed anyone would ever want her because of the ugly patchwork of scars that banded across her back and pitted her arm, but Bui Huy Toan seemed to love her more because of them.
In this May 25, 1997 file photo, Phan Thi Kim Phuc holds her son Thomas, 3, in their apartment in Toronto. Her husband, Bui Huy Toan is to the left.
The two decided to marry in 1992 and honeymoon in Moscow. On the flight back to Cuba, the newlyweds defected during a refueling stop in Canada. She was free.
Phuc contacted Ut to share the news, and he encouraged her to tell her story to the world. But she was done giving interviews and posing for photos.
'I have a husband and a new life and want to be normal like everyone else,' she said.
The media eventually found Phuc living near Toronto, and she decided she needed to take control of her story. A book was written in 1999 and a documentary came out, at last the way she wanted it told.
She was asked to become a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador to help victims of war. She and Ut have since reunited many times to tell their story, even traveling to London to meet the Queen.
'Today, I'm so happy I helped Kim,' said Ut, who still works for AP and recently returned to Trang Bang village. 'I call her my daughter.'
Huynh Cong Ut visits Kim Phuc's house near the place he took his famous Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of her as a terrified 9-year-old in Trang Bang, Tay Ninh province, Vietnam
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2153091/Napalm-girl-photo-Vietnam-War-turns-40.html#ixzz2cW9TfGx6
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Geras vadovas – geras verslas: bendrovės kultūra kuriama pavyzdžiu
Honkonge dirbančio Allano Zemeno
susidomėjimą verslu paskatino asmeninė tragedija. „Mano tėvas mirė, kai
man buvo vos aštuoneri. Aš jo beveik neatsimenu“, – sakė A. Zemenas.
Netektis vyrą, be tėvo likusį su mama ir vyresne seserimi, paskatino
būti savarankišku nuo ankstyvo amžiaus, rašoma britų transliuotojo BBC
naujienų portale.
Vadovaujantis pavyzdžiu
Honkonge A. Zemenas įkūrė įmonę pavadinimu „Lan Kwai Fong Group“, kuri įžiebė to paties pavadinimo rajono naktinį gyvenimą. 2003 metais, verslininkas buvo paskirtas valstybės valdomo „Ocean Park“ pramogų parko vadovu. Verslininko teigimu, kiekvienos įmonės kultūra yra kuriama tų, kurie stovi prie jos vairo, todėl vadovas privalo rodyti gerą pavyzdį savo darbuotojams. „Dažniausiai geras pavyzdys perduodamas vertikaliai iš viršaus į apačią. Jei viršininkas geras – gera ir kompanija, jei situacija atvirkščia – verslui galiausiai nepasiseks“, – patirtimi dalijosi A. Zemenas. BBC teigimu, panašios nuomonės laikosi ir energiją tiekiančios kompanijos „Aggreko“ vadovas Rupertas Soamesas. „Žmonės daug akyliau žiūri, o ne klausosi“, – britų naujienų portalui sakė verslininkas. R. Soamesas teigė nesuprantantis viršininkų, kurie atleisdami darbuotojus pasakoja pasakas, kad įmonei viskas gerai. „Tarp tavo žodžių ir veiksmų turi būti aiškus ryšys, kitaip įmonės vidinė atmosfera ir kultūra kenčia“, – pasakojo verslininkas. Verslininkas pasakojo, kad galiausiai kiekvienas įmonės darbuotojas privalo būti pavyzdžiu kitiems. „Žmonės kur kas daugiau dėmesio kreipia į realius savo kolegų ir viršininkų veiksmus nei į vadybinę propagandą“, – sakė R. Soamesas.
Įgalina per atsakomybę
Tuo tarpu prekybos tinklo „Whole Foods“ vadovas Walteris Robbas BBC žurnalistams pasakojo, kad norint sukurti stiprią įmonės vidaus kultūrą, darbuotojams privalu suteikti daugiau atsakomybės. Sutikdamas su nuomone, kad viršininkas turi vadovauti rodydamas pavyzdį, pašnekovas pridūrė, kad įmonė turi būti formuojama joje dirbančių asmenų priimamų sprendimų pagrindu.
„Vadovai suteikdami galios kitiems, sukuria erdvę vešėti darbuotojų kūrybiškumui. Manau, kad mūsų, kaip vadovų, darbas yra užtikrinti, kad augant darbuotojų skaičiui, visus vienijantis įmonės laivas išliktų savo kurse“, – pasakojo W. Robbas.
Prieinamas vadovas
A. Zemeno nuomone, įmonės vidaus kultūra privalo būti panaši į šeimą, kitaip atsiranda santykių mechanizacijos rizika. Būtent todėl vadovas turėtų būti pasiekiamas kiekvienam darbuotojui, tačiau kartu – laikomas atsakingu už visus. „Kai darbuotojai supranta tokią tendenciją, kiekvienas jų gali veikti išvien su įmone ir rasti savo vietą, taip tik pagerindami aplinką ir efektyvumą“, – sakė verslininkas. Didžiausio Kinijos socialinio tinklo, turinčio 170 mln. aktyvių vartotojų, „Renren“ vadovas, Joe Chenas, BBC pasakojo sunkiai dirbantis tam, kad sukurtų tinkamą verslo aplinką. Pašnekovo įmonė darbuotojams praneša apie savo pusmečio planus ir tariasi su darbuotojais, kokie sprendimai turėtų būti priimti, o kokie ne. „Stengiamės su kolektyvu būti kuo atviresni“, – sakė J. Chenas.
Mylėk savo darbą
A. Zemenas žurnalistams pasakojo, kad kertinis bet kokios veiklos pamatas – meilė atliekamam darbui. Verslininko nuomone, geriausi rezultatai pasiekiami būtent tada, kuomet didžiuojamasi užsiėmimu. „Visada sakau savo darbuotojams, kad jei nemėgsti to ką darai – nepasilik čia“, – pasakojo A. Zemenas. Verslininkas, kaip ir pridera vadovui kuriančiam kultūrą pavyzdžio pagalba, teigė visa širdimi mylintis savo darbą.
10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to a Business Partner
Like a marriage, a business partnership often begins with enthusiasm
and high expectations -- only to end in acrimony and legal proceedings.
It's important to know as much as possible about a potential partner,
including how his or her finances and family life may affect the
business, before signing on the dotted line.Here are some questions to ask before deciding if partnering is a good idea:
You should look for a business partner who brings something different to the table than you do. If you're creative, maybe you need a more detail-oriented partner. If you have money to invest in the business, you may want to look for a partner with access to a market, or with great connections. Or if you're shy, you might need a good "people person" to balance the equation. "If they're similar to you, it might be more comfortable, but it may not be what you need," says William M. Moore, founder of the Moore Firm in San Diego, a law firm that serves entrepreneurs. "You need someone who complements your skills and personality."
2. What is your potential partner's financial situation?
It is important to have an understanding of someone's financial status and commitments before getting into a venture together. "It is tough to ask what they are currently spending on a house or in payments to an ex-spouse, but someone's prior financial commitments shape the decisions they will make in the short term," says Gregory Kratofil, an attorney and shareholder with the law firm Polsinelli Shughart in Kansas City, Mo., who specializes in small business interests. "If he has large outstanding obligations, but says he can get by on $35,000 salary, it is a red flag."
3. What are the potential partner's expectations on the time involved?
Partners don't have to spend the same amount of time, but it is important that they are on the same page as to each other's expected time commitments. How many hours a day does your partner expect to put into the venture, and do his expectations meet yours? "It is equally important to level set your partner's expectations on your time commitments," Kratofil says. "The age old adage that it's better to under-promise and over-deliver applies here."
4. Is your potential partner's commitment to the business as strong as yours?
"I don't care if it's a coffee house or a design firm, the business partner's commitment has to equal yours," says Bob Phibbs, consultant and CEO of The Retail Doctor, a site that provides information to small and medium-sized businesses. A partnership -- especially one between friends -- can start off with fun and excitement, but within a short time, the slog of every day catches up with you. If they're not as committed to the business as you, they may lose their enthusiasm and may actually be damaging the brand every time you open your doors.
5. Is there something in your potential partner's family life that might make the business a secondary interest?
If your potential partner has a pregnant wife or is taking care of an elderly parent, he may be distracted from the business. That's why you have to be brutally honest when thinking of forming a partnership. "The partner can say, 'My wife is behind me 100 percent.' But I want to talk to the wife," Phibbs says. "If they're too distracted by a family issue or their family isn't behind them, the business may be doomed from the start."
6. How would he or she handle a tough situation?
It's important to know what your potential business partner will do if he has his back up against the wall -- and it will happen, Phibbs says. The best way to discover this is to look at what he's done in past business ventures. If he couldn't meet payroll, for example: Did he do the right thing and dip into savings or borrow from a credit card or a friend? Or did he pay employees late, or not at all? Or worse, did he skip paying payroll taxes? It all comes down to character issue, Phibbs says, adding, "Payroll taxes are a federal obligation. If that's negotiable, you can bet your partnership is also negotiable."
7. What questions do they have for me?
If a potential employee doesn't ask any questions in a job interview, you might be less likely to hire him because of a perceived lack of interest. The same applies to a potential business partner, who should want to know about your character, reliability and expectations. "I want them to ask me the same tough questions I ask them. If they say it doesn't really matter, it could mean two things: their expectations are too high or they might be kind of flighty," Phibbs says. "Things may be fine now, but in a month or two, they may want to change things or even get out of the deal."
8. What is the potential partner's standing in the community?
A lot of people seem good at first, but that may be their skill -- seeming good at first, Moore says. Once they get their foot in the door, it may be difficult to get them out. Talk to former employees to see what they were like to work with, or for. If you're looking for someone with money connections, verify that they have money. If they say they have great connections, see if those connections go beyond just being recognized and given a slap on the back. "A business partnership is not a marriage, but there should be some sort of courtship process that you can verify that they are who they say they are," Moore says.
9. Are they willing to put everything in writing?
Many partnerships are cemented with a handshake, but this can be a recipe for disaster. It's crucial to put it on paper -- not only what is expected of each partner, but the consequences if expectations aren't met. "There's something about actually putting it in writing that exposes the potential problem areas in the partnership," Moore says. If someone has a family emergency and disappears the first six months of the business -- even though it may not be through any fault of his own -- are you still expected to give that person a certain percentage of the business? "If someone simply isn't pulling his or her weight, you need to be able to get them out without destroying the business," he adds. "And if it's in writing, there's no arguing it."
10. Do I really need a partner?
If you can get someone to do something without giving them a stake in your business, it's always better, Moore says. People get wrapped up in the idea of needing to work with someone, but it's not always a good idea. Sometimes you need somebody to show up from 9-5, work hard and go home, he says, adding. "If you're cash poor, or it's a startup and you don't expect to make money right away, taking on a partner might be the better option. But if you can just pay somebody to show up and work, it's generally a better option than giving them a stake in the company."
And now a bonus question....
What happens if we can't work it out?
Most people don't envision the rough times ahead for a new venture, so this question is probably the hardest to remember to ask and the beginning. Yet, the best time to address potential problems with your partner is at the beginning before emotions run high. "You can't predict every potential problem, but a good startup lawyer can help you work through some of the common problems and put a framework in place to help address unforeseen circumstances," Kratofil says.
Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227576#ixzz2auXJPPLB
Why You Should Learn From Steve Jobs, Not Idolize Him
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but it’s not a winning-business strategy.Steve Jobs not only revolutionized the way we listen to music and use a telephone, he also changed our understanding of a computer and even recaptured our ability to fall in love with films through his work with Pixar.
Without a doubt, young entrepreneurs can learn endlessly from Jobs’ example, but they shouldn’t adhere too closely to his image. After all, he may have been a design genius but he did ruffle a few feathers.
He disregarded every “rule” and regarded his mentors and role models loosely. Even he would hardly advise someone to emulate him. I think it’s far more likely he would say: “The best way to be like me is to be more fully yourself.”
Related: Trust, Fairness, Respect: Qualities of a Good Boss and a Great Leader (Infographic)
Still, you can learn an awful lot from the man. Here are a few very specific things that up-and-comers can learn from Jobs’ example:
1. Keep the customer experience in focus. Jobs was a master at getting into customers’ minds. He knew what we wanted — and how we wanted it — often long before we did.
2. Have an eye for beauty. It couldn’t just work well. Steve knew that it also had to feel good to touch, be delightful to use, and be exceptionally beautiful to look at.
3. Foster innovation. Do you remember a time without an iPhone? How about an iPod? Steve created products and product categories no one even had a frame of reference for and made them central to our lives.
Related: How to Find the Right Mentor for Your Startup
4. Insist upon excellence. Jobs had little patience for people who didn’t think things through, and he pushed the people around him to be their best. He accepted no substitutes and inspired great loyalty.
Finally, if there is one powerful absolute to learn from Steve Jobs, it is to focus on your customers and put them before everything else. Think about rabid Apple users — the ones who stand in line outside of a store for hours awaiting the release of the next iPhone. They’ve done more to grow the brand than Apple itself ever has.
You will never replicate that by trying to be Steve Jobs. But, if you ask these questions to apply his laser-focused attention to your own customers, you can definitely inspire that kind of brand advocacy.
- Are we surprising and delighting our customers while also delivering a consistent experience?
- Are our products and services frictionless for our customers to use and enjoy?
- Are we meeting their needs each and every time they interact with our company?
- Are we iterating and innovating with a product pipeline that’s in line with (or ahead of) the market?
- Are we blazing new trails?
5-year-old Entrepreneur Lands Her Flip-Flop in Nordstrom
Madison Robinson is like any ordinary creative teen who doodles her designs, except her designs have landed $1 million-plus in sales.
How did the name FishFlops come about?
When I was 8, I drew an outline of a flip-flop and added my drawings of sea creatures. I took the drawings to my dad and said, “Hey, look dad, FishFlops!” I thought the name was catchy, and so did my dad, because he got excited and purchased the FishFlops.com domain name that day!
Do you draw the designs, or do you work with designers? What is the design process like?
I am the creator and founder of FishFlops. I create the designs, approve the samples and attend tradeshows where I interact with the store buyers. I get ideas from the ocean, beaches, books and magazines. I like changing up the colors based on what I like.
You have proved age is not a factor in starting your own business. How has your experience as a young entrepreneur been unique?
I enjoy being an entrepreneur at such a young age. It allows me to have an experience that not many teenagers can have. I have donated thousands of FishFlops to hospitals, military families, and to needy kids around the world. I think it’s important to give back. I don’t want to just send shoes to these causes; I want to be a part of it. So that’s why I go to the hospitals to meet the children, interact with the military families, and help sort and pack the shoes that are shipped around the world. It feels good to do good.
How do you manage both school and your business?
My schoolwork always comes first, but I’ll work on some things with my dad daily during the school year. I have been traveling a lot more for meetings, charity events or public appearances. I devote more time in the summer working on FishFlops.
You are also an author. Do you plan to write more books? What else do you have planned for your brand and your own future?
Right now we are focusing on footwear. I want to continue to grow in all areas of my life. I will finish high school and do the things that teenagers do. I want to attend college and see where that takes me. I’d like to see FishFlops become a lifestyle brand and continue to expand my shoe collection in Nordstrom. I would like to find a company that will help me create an animated show using my FishFlops characters. I can see it as a way of educating children about the ocean and the life in it, and things we can do to protect it. I will continue to give back because that is important to me. And one day I want to create a fashion brand called Madison Nicole.
What lessons have you learned and what advice do you have about becoming an entrepreneur?
To be an entrepreneur you have to take the first step on your own—be patient, persistent and never give up. I learned if you have an idea that you love and can see the possibilities, then go for it! You never know where it will take you and how you can help others with what you’ve done. Be open to suggestions and patient because it can be a long process, but eventually things do start happening. Make sure you balance your time and enjoy life while working.
http://www.success.com/articles/2468-15-year-old-entrepreneur-lands-flip-flop-nordstrom
In Lithuanian: „PepsiCo“ vadovės I. Nooyi verslo taisyklės"/"PepsoC" leader I. Nooyi business rules"
Vienos iš stambiausių kompanijų vadovė apie nesėkmes ir klaidų naudą, mokslą ir moterų vaidmenį. Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi gimė Indijoje, ten gavo matematikos bakalaurės laipsnį, vėliau Indijos vadybos instituto verslo administravimo magistro (MBA) kvalifikacinį laipsnį. Savo karjerą Indra pradėjo kaip kompanijos „Johnson&Johnson“ vietinio padalinio vadybininkė. 1978 metais (jai tada sukako 23 metai) Indra išvažiavo mokytis į Jeilio vadybos mokyklą ir toliau tęsė karjerą JAV. Ji atėjo į „PepsiCo“ 1994 metais, dar po 6 metų tapo finansų direktore, 2006 metais paskirta generaline direktore, o po metų buvo išrinkta direktorių valdybos pirmininke, derinant šias pareigas su generalinės direktorės pareigomis. „PepsiCo“ – antroji didžiausia pasaulyje kompanija pagal maisto produktų ir gėrimų gamybą, jos metinė apyvarta siekia virš 60 mlrd. dolerių. Indrai 57 metai, kartu su vyru ji užaugino dvi dukteris ir pateko į pačių įtakingiausių pasaulio moterų dešimtuką pagal „Forbes“ versiją.
REUTERS/SCANPIX nuotr.
•Aš dirbau sunkiau, negu bet kuris iš vyrų, bet aš nedariau to vien tik dėl to, kad aš moteris.
• Atstumas tarp pirmo numerio ir antro numerio visada toks pat. Jeigu tu nori pagerinti savo organizaciją, turi pagerinti save patį, ir organizacija pasitemps įkandin tavęs.
• Jeigu jūsų gyvenime dar nebuvo nesėkmių dėl klaidų, tai greičiau padarykite klaidą, ir aš paaiškinsiu jums, kodėl. Todėl kad, kada aš žengiu žingsnį atgal ir žiūriu į pačias svarbiausias savo gyvenimo pamokas, visos jos išauga iš klaidų, kurias aš dariau ir dėl kurių patyriau nesėkmių. Ir kada taip nutinka, nesislėpkite savo kiaute ir nepulkite į neviltį... Pasėdėkite minutėlę ir atsakykite sau į klausimą: ko aš išmokau iš šios patirties ir kaip padaryti taip, kad to neatsitiktų ateityje.
• Judėkite pirma gilyn, o ne platyn, nes jeigu jūs nežinote kiekvieno veiklos aspekto iš pašaknių, jūs niekada nebūsite vertas pasitikėjimo lyderis.
• Jeigu jūs nusiteiksite mokytis visą gyvenimą, bet koks susitikimas su bet kuo, ar tai būtų budintis sargas, valytoja, šeimos narys, jaunųjų kadrų globotojas ar viršininkas, jums bus reikšmingas, nes kiekvienas iš jų kažko jus moko: gyvenimo, žmogiškumo, darbo, ir kol jūs į viską žiūrite atmerktomis akimis ir mokotės, kiekviena tarpusavio sąveika yra reikšminga.
• Sėkmė – tai ne pinigai, prestižas ar valdžia, kadangi savęs įvertinimas niekuomet neapibrėžiamas turto dydiu. Tikroji sėkmė – tai būti laimingam pačiam su savimi, būti save realizavusiam. Ir tai ateina tada, kada jūs visas savo jėgas, laiką, savo gyvenimą skiriate tam, ką jūs labiausiai mėgstate daryti.
• Kada aš tapau generaline direktore, aš grįžau namo 10 valandą vakaro ir pasakiau: „Mama, turiu labai svarbių naujienų“. Ir išgirdau atsakymą: „Palik savo svarbias naujienas ir nueik, nupirk pieno“. Aš nuėjau, nupirkau pieno, tėškiau priešais ją ant virtuvės stalo ir paklausiau: „Pasakyk man, kodėl būtent aš, o ne kas nors kitas, turi pirkti pieną?“ Ji pažvelgė į mane ir atsakė: „Paklausyk, kada tu įvažiuoji į garažą, palik karūną ten. Nepareik su ja į namus, nes pirmiausia tu – žmona ir motina. Ir jeigu šeimai reikia pieno, tu eini ir perki pieno. Tai tavo svarbiausias vaidmuo gyvenime“. • Jeigu mes visi nepraktikuosime sąmoningo kapitalizmo, aš manau, mes blogai pasitarnausime pasauliui: mes priimsime pasaulį, kuris jau nepatikimas, nesubalansuotas, nestabilus, ir visa tai tik padidinsime.
Šiandieniniame tinklaraščių ir „Twitter“ pasaulyje pokalbiai tampa labiau kapoti. Daugeliu požiūrių mes tapome efektyvesni, bet aš manau, kad ilgų pokalbių, kurie turi daugiau šilumos, matomai, mažėja.
• Kuriems galams ateiti į darbą ir apsimesti, kad tau viskas gerai? Aš ateinu į darbą ir sakau: „Aš susikivirčijau su vyru, man reikia 15 minučių atsigauti“. Visi supranta, kad aš irgi esu žmogus.
• Tu negali susikurti asmenybės darbui, kuri skirtųsi nuo tos, kuri lieka namuose. Tu negali to padaryti paprasčiausiai dėl to, kad jeigu tu bandai taip gyventi, tu gyveni melu.
• Mokytojai patys jus suranda. Jeigu jūs einate pas ką nors ir sakote „būk mano mokytoju“, ir tas žmogus sutinka, iš tikrųjų jis nėra jūsų mokytojas. Nes mokytojai turi patys susirasti jus, kadangi jūs turite kažką tokio, ką jie laiko vertu mokymo... Jeigu kažkas tampa jūsų mokytoju, prašau, klausykite jo. Nėra nieko blogiau, kaip neklausyti mokytojų ir neskirti jiems laiko. Tuo pačiu jūs labai greitai nugręšite juos nuo savęs.
• Aš palinkėčiau moterims atsikratyti kaltės jausmo. Manau, mes visos genetiškai užprogramuotos jausti kaltę dėl to, kad ne visiškai atsidedame darbui. O jeigu mes tai darome, tai nerimaujame, kad ne visiškai aukojamės vaikams ar vyrui. Jeigu jūs atsikratysite kaltės jausmo, jūs nusimesite nuo pečių didžiulę naštą.
• Aš myliu savo šeimą, bet „PepsiCo“ taip pat yra mano vaikas, ir todėl aš nežiūriu į darbą čia kaip į rutiną. Aš manau, kad jis turi gydomąjį poveikį.
Skaityti daugiau: http://www.ekonomika.lt/naujiena/pepsico-vadoves-i-nooyi-verslo-taisykles-41092.html#ixzz2ZNcCcCyo
How Do I Conquer a Male-Dominant Field as a Female Entrepreneur?
Pamela Yellen discusses how she overcame the ‘good old boys’ and succeeded in the insurance industry.
Ask SUCCESS is your place to get questions answered on how to market more effectively. In each column, marketing expert Bob Serling is joined by another expert to answer your questions. Have a question you’d like answered? Just email it to webeditor@success.com
Today’s question is: As a female in a traditionally male-dominated industry, what strategies can I adopt to succeed?
Bob Serling:This issue still occurs with females in certain industries. It has gotten better, but it still exists. I’ve invited one of the most successful female business owners and marketers I know, Pamela Yellen, to answer this question with me this month.
When Pamela first started out in the insurance industry, it was back in the days of the “good old boy network” and almost all insurance agents were male. There were a lot of stumbling blocks for Pamela at that time, but she was able to overcome them and became a leading sales trainer in the insurance industry.
Pamela, you’re so well positioned to answer this question that I’d like to turn the whole thing over to you now.
Pamela Yellen: As you mentioned, I started in 1990 as a consultant to financial advisors and insurance agents. At that time and still today, it was a male-dominated industry. I was speaking, training and consulting audiences and clients that were 98 percent male. Even today, they’re about 90 to 95 percent male.
When I started out, I began earning praise and accolades quickly, and earned a reputation as a top business consultant. As a result, I discovered these tips to have more credibility speaking to a predominantly male audience.
Tip No. 1. Get voice and/or speech coaching. This would apply to both men and women if they’re out there training, speaking and dealing with clients on the phone. Bob, have you ever talked to a woman whose voice is very high pitched and very soft? If you didn’t see them in person, you would think they sound like they’re in their teens or very early 20s, when they’re actually older than that.
Bob: Yes, absolutely, and as you said, it can happen with males as well. There are males who speak in muted tones and it’s almost as if they are perilously shy, when, in fact, they aren’t. But they haven’t learned how to speak in a way that fully projects their voice.
Pamela: Absolutely, and it is a bit hard to take someone with a voice like that terribly seriously, and all of that happens on a very unconscious level. People don’t intentionally think, “I won’t pay that much attention to that person.” They just don’t feel commanded by that person.
Bob: Where would somebody find this type of voice training?
Pamela: You can get recommendations from professional speakers. Or you could do a Google search for “local voice coach.”
The key is to learn to speak from your diaphragm, which will give you two advantages. The first advantage is that your voice pitch will almost always drop down some, and you’re going to be able to better project your voice, which translates into commanding your listeners and your audience better.
You want to speak also with energy. Like you said, many people sound like they’re shy, when they really aren’t. You want to get that energy into your voice; but if you don’t do it right, you’ll strain your vocal cords, and possibly even damage your vocal cords. That was something that was happening to me, and I didn’t even know it. That’s what prompted me to get voice coaching. You’ll save your vocal cords, and it’s essential to learn how to speak from your diaphragm.
Bob: Great! What’s tip No. 2?
Pamela: Learn how to effectively communicate with a male business audience. It’s true what they say about men being from Mars and women being from Venus. We are very different, and that’s especially true in our communication styles. So I would suggest that you read some books on the topic and that you begin to practice and experiment communicating with your audience in a style that they can relate to better.
I’ll give you a few examples. Women tend to minimize what they offer and their advice. They might preface things by saying, “You might already know this,” or “This might be a stupid question” or “I’m no expert.”
Bob: You mentioned reading books on this. Are there any titles that come to mind that you’d recommend?
Pamela: I like any books by Connie Glaser. She’s an expert at gender communications in the workplace and in business. She has several books out and they’re all excellent.
Along those lines, another thing to consider is using some metaphors about sports or war rather than relying only on anecdotes about home and relationships. You’ll often hear women who focus on those areas and don’t really get into analogies or anecdotes that are from what we consider the more male domain.
You also want to get to the bottom line more quickly. Women have a tendency to beat around the bush, at least that’s how men perceive it, before getting to the point. Try getting to the bottom line more quickly; and above all, do not be tentative. In the words you use and the way you present yourself, you don’t want to sound tentative. You don’t want to end declarative sentences with an uptick in your voice.
You want to finish a declarative sentence with a strong downbeat. Then it comes across with authority. And you should also be making eye contact to connect with people. When you’re face to face with people, try to connect with each person and hold eye contact with them for three to four seconds.
Bob: Great! How about our final tip, No. 3?
Pamela: The first time someone told me they thought I had hit the glass ceiling and could be even more successful if I wasn’t a woman, I was stunned. That thought had never even occurred to me and I refused to believe that it affected me in any way. But let’s take a look at this. Even if I did let that thought into my head, what good could it possibly have done me? None.
Bob: Absolutely. There’s nothing you can take from that to help you move forward. All it can do is make you feel bad and possibly get you to do less because you feel paralyzed by it.
Pamela: You feel paralyzed and you feel like that’s your lot in life. I’m a woman, I have a glass ceiling, so why bother trying harder? I really think that belief in yourself and getting out from under the stereotypical images and the imprinting that our culture and society has put on us is really key.
Bob: Let me ask you an add-on question that occurs to me from what you just said. Once you have established yourself in a male-dominated market, as a female, does that then give you an advantage in a sense, because now you’re viewed as being kind of a champion in that industry?
Pamela: Absolutely. Being different is good. It makes you stand out and it makes you more memorable. Prospects and audiences are not going to forget you. Either they’re going to remember your name or your face, or they might say, “I’m looking for ‘that woman’ who I spoke to in our industry.” But if you were just one of literally hundreds of men who are experts and trainers in the industry, they all kind of start to blend together. So, yes, I have that advantage, and it’s a great advantage to have.
Bob Serling helps business owners and entrepreneurs generate more traffic, make more sales, and do both more often. Get his free e-book of interviews with 30 leading experts, including SUCCESSPublisher Darren Hardy, at www.ProfitAlchemy.com/success.
Pamela Yellenis a best-selling author who shows entrepreneurs how to bypass banks and Wall Street to grow wealth safely and predictably, and have access to capital they need by answering just one question: How much do you want? Download Pamela's free Wealth-Building Guide atwww.BankOnYourself.com/report.
http://www.success.com/articles/2464
Today’s question is: As a female in a traditionally male-dominated industry, what strategies can I adopt to succeed?
Bob Serling:This issue still occurs with females in certain industries. It has gotten better, but it still exists. I’ve invited one of the most successful female business owners and marketers I know, Pamela Yellen, to answer this question with me this month.
When Pamela first started out in the insurance industry, it was back in the days of the “good old boy network” and almost all insurance agents were male. There were a lot of stumbling blocks for Pamela at that time, but she was able to overcome them and became a leading sales trainer in the insurance industry.
Pamela, you’re so well positioned to answer this question that I’d like to turn the whole thing over to you now.
Pamela Yellen: As you mentioned, I started in 1990 as a consultant to financial advisors and insurance agents. At that time and still today, it was a male-dominated industry. I was speaking, training and consulting audiences and clients that were 98 percent male. Even today, they’re about 90 to 95 percent male.
When I started out, I began earning praise and accolades quickly, and earned a reputation as a top business consultant. As a result, I discovered these tips to have more credibility speaking to a predominantly male audience.
Tip No. 1. Get voice and/or speech coaching. This would apply to both men and women if they’re out there training, speaking and dealing with clients on the phone. Bob, have you ever talked to a woman whose voice is very high pitched and very soft? If you didn’t see them in person, you would think they sound like they’re in their teens or very early 20s, when they’re actually older than that.
Bob: Yes, absolutely, and as you said, it can happen with males as well. There are males who speak in muted tones and it’s almost as if they are perilously shy, when, in fact, they aren’t. But they haven’t learned how to speak in a way that fully projects their voice.
Pamela: Absolutely, and it is a bit hard to take someone with a voice like that terribly seriously, and all of that happens on a very unconscious level. People don’t intentionally think, “I won’t pay that much attention to that person.” They just don’t feel commanded by that person.
Bob: Where would somebody find this type of voice training?
Pamela: You can get recommendations from professional speakers. Or you could do a Google search for “local voice coach.”
The key is to learn to speak from your diaphragm, which will give you two advantages. The first advantage is that your voice pitch will almost always drop down some, and you’re going to be able to better project your voice, which translates into commanding your listeners and your audience better.
You want to speak also with energy. Like you said, many people sound like they’re shy, when they really aren’t. You want to get that energy into your voice; but if you don’t do it right, you’ll strain your vocal cords, and possibly even damage your vocal cords. That was something that was happening to me, and I didn’t even know it. That’s what prompted me to get voice coaching. You’ll save your vocal cords, and it’s essential to learn how to speak from your diaphragm.
Bob: Great! What’s tip No. 2?
Pamela: Learn how to effectively communicate with a male business audience. It’s true what they say about men being from Mars and women being from Venus. We are very different, and that’s especially true in our communication styles. So I would suggest that you read some books on the topic and that you begin to practice and experiment communicating with your audience in a style that they can relate to better.
I’ll give you a few examples. Women tend to minimize what they offer and their advice. They might preface things by saying, “You might already know this,” or “This might be a stupid question” or “I’m no expert.”
Bob: You mentioned reading books on this. Are there any titles that come to mind that you’d recommend?
Pamela: I like any books by Connie Glaser. She’s an expert at gender communications in the workplace and in business. She has several books out and they’re all excellent.
Along those lines, another thing to consider is using some metaphors about sports or war rather than relying only on anecdotes about home and relationships. You’ll often hear women who focus on those areas and don’t really get into analogies or anecdotes that are from what we consider the more male domain.
You also want to get to the bottom line more quickly. Women have a tendency to beat around the bush, at least that’s how men perceive it, before getting to the point. Try getting to the bottom line more quickly; and above all, do not be tentative. In the words you use and the way you present yourself, you don’t want to sound tentative. You don’t want to end declarative sentences with an uptick in your voice.
You want to finish a declarative sentence with a strong downbeat. Then it comes across with authority. And you should also be making eye contact to connect with people. When you’re face to face with people, try to connect with each person and hold eye contact with them for three to four seconds.
Bob: Great! How about our final tip, No. 3?
Pamela: The first time someone told me they thought I had hit the glass ceiling and could be even more successful if I wasn’t a woman, I was stunned. That thought had never even occurred to me and I refused to believe that it affected me in any way. But let’s take a look at this. Even if I did let that thought into my head, what good could it possibly have done me? None.
Bob: Absolutely. There’s nothing you can take from that to help you move forward. All it can do is make you feel bad and possibly get you to do less because you feel paralyzed by it.
Pamela: You feel paralyzed and you feel like that’s your lot in life. I’m a woman, I have a glass ceiling, so why bother trying harder? I really think that belief in yourself and getting out from under the stereotypical images and the imprinting that our culture and society has put on us is really key.
Bob: Let me ask you an add-on question that occurs to me from what you just said. Once you have established yourself in a male-dominated market, as a female, does that then give you an advantage in a sense, because now you’re viewed as being kind of a champion in that industry?
Pamela: Absolutely. Being different is good. It makes you stand out and it makes you more memorable. Prospects and audiences are not going to forget you. Either they’re going to remember your name or your face, or they might say, “I’m looking for ‘that woman’ who I spoke to in our industry.” But if you were just one of literally hundreds of men who are experts and trainers in the industry, they all kind of start to blend together. So, yes, I have that advantage, and it’s a great advantage to have.
Bob Serling helps business owners and entrepreneurs generate more traffic, make more sales, and do both more often. Get his free e-book of interviews with 30 leading experts, including SUCCESSPublisher Darren Hardy, at www.ProfitAlchemy.com/success.
Pamela Yellenis a best-selling author who shows entrepreneurs how to bypass banks and Wall Street to grow wealth safely and predictably, and have access to capital they need by answering just one question: How much do you want? Download Pamela's free Wealth-Building Guide atwww.BankOnYourself.com/report.
http://www.success.com/articles/2464
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