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Good Bye To 2018

The year 2018 started a bit off for me. At the end of the third week, a project that I had been on since mid-October and for which I had left a job of 10 years was scaled back and I was no longer needed. A week later, I found myself unemployed and looking for another new opportunity.

February rolled in and soon a notice came from YouTube that my channel was going to get demonetized. No rules or community guidelines had been violated, I just didn’t have enough subscribers. Some friends tried to help me get over the 1,000 required limit, but it didn’t help. The deadline hit and I was no longer monetized.

March opened with me starting a new job. This was the biggest opportunity of my career and with a large employer. Developer friends of mine wished me luck and were surprised where I as going. There was some trepidation and misgivings, but it really seemed like the right and next step I needed to take. Time would tell, I told myself.

Time didn’t take long to start sending me signs my decision may not have been sound. Part of the time seemed receptive, part did not. My expectations and those of my boss didn’t jell. My first 90 days review did not go anywhere near what I thought it should. A few months later I was starting to second guess myself. Hold on for a year, then make a move. I didn’t get that chance and at 9 months, the ride was over.

One year. Two jobs lost. I turned 50 in the middle of the year. Was I getting too old to program? I didn’t know anything else. What was I going to do?

November was a lean month. One opportunity after another faded. Companies that had opportunities that were a better fit were slow in recruiting and the Thanksgiving holiday played into that. One company was a bit more aggressive and it was one with whom I had interviewed before, several years ago. It was less money than the last job, but it was much closer to what I wanted. I took it.

The year 2018 is closing much better than the start. My current job is more fulfilling than my last two and my opinion is far more respected and my experience has more weight. My coworkers are honestly open to my suggestions. I don’t always have the answer, but the discussion leads to the them.

I’m open to 2019 and what it will bring. I know there will be ups and downs. I’m more aligned with the Universe. Forward and onward.

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Some Say I Am Obsessed

Yes, it is true. There are some, ok not some, nearly many, who say I have a obsession with

Shania Twain
Cover of Shania Twain

Shania Twain. Not in that stalker kind of way, in that fan and “OMG! She is so lovely” manner. Yes, it may be true. And yes, my beautiful too.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I would be reviewing Shania Twain’s song “Today is your day”. This came to me when I was listening to the song. No, truly listening to the song. I realized that it is far more than a feel good song and actually contains the “secret” to success. Holy cow! It was quite the strike of enlightenment. This song encapsulates the way, the path, the steps to success! Yes! I have to blog about it.

That articlehas finally been written. I have no way of knowing if Eileen, I mean Shania, will ever read it. I absolutely love how this song brings the path to song. This is why Shania keeps back up when knocked down. Her parents where killed at the very start of her career journey. At its height, she went through a very painful divorce. Still, she went on. She saw her younger siblings to adulthood. She sees her career now returning. She knows she will win. She knows she has to begin.

There is no telling how a week can go by. Stop wasting time. Start on your path to business success. You deserve to have your desires. IF you have the will to begin. Move.

 

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Commentary

Passion to Clarity

A 1914 half-sovereign minted in Sydney
A 1914 half-sovereign minted in Sydney (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Passion. It keeps you on course. It keeps you moving. It brings action and motivation.

When the going gets tough, passion will keep the you going. Where is it that you are going? What is it you want to do? What does done mean?

Enter clarity.

Clarity is how your target is defined. It allows you to know what you seek, what it feels like, how it smells, how it tastes. Clarity defines what you want.

Knowing what you want in life to such a high level is paramount for success, no matter how you choose to define it. Success has to be personally defined. It cannot be defined by someone else. Success is your goals, your dreams, your aspirations. Know what they are. See them. Feel them. Get very, very clear on them.

Clarity cuts through the fog. It leads to understanding. It guides through the rain. Clarity allows action to be well directed. It pushes passion through all obstacles. While passion is the fuel that drives your engine to success, clarity keeps everything running.

Get crystal clear on your goals. See each step. Fully define what you want. Suppose you want a new car. What model? What color? What options? How much work will you need to do to achieve it? How many calls? How many sales? That is clarity. It is more than just the end goal, it is all the steps in between.

Want to sing at the Apollo theater in Harlem? Don’t settle for performing at the local dinner club. See that goal. See the work. Do the work.

That is what clarity does. It pushes aside all the “can’ts” and “wont’s”. Get clear. See your path. Now go.

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Stop! Get out of the way!

BURLINGTON, ND - JUNE 26: Floodwater nearly c...
(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Ok, stop! Stop what you are doing! Move over! Be quiet! Yeah, you!

It is time to get real with yourself. You are the reason you do not have success. Yes, you. It is not your circumstances. It is not your lack of education. It is you. It is only you.

Look in the mirror. There you will find the person who is holding you back; there is who is in  your way. There is the obstacle to over come. There is why you don’t have what you want. There is why you don’t succeed.

Yes, it is hard to take. Yes, the journey is unfair. Yes, you have a challenge. Yes, yes, yes.

We get in our own way time after time. We justify to ourselves why we do not have time to do something. We invent excuses why things do not happen. We blame others. We point fingers. We do not take responsibility. Everyone of those actions speaks volumes why we don’t have what we want, don’t have the success, don’t have the lifestyle, don’t have the marriage. All of that. We are the problem.

We are also the solution. You hold the keys to your success. Yes, you. Not some guru on television or the Internet. You and only you. You have to do the work. You have to get the experience. You must obtained the skills. A coach can help guide you, show you direction, point out a weakness. A mentor can show you better ways and better avenues. Only you can take the field. Only you can walk down the road. Your success is your business. It does not belong to someone else. It belongs to you.

See how to get started on your path.

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Going the Distance

Reaching success is not a quick trip. It takes dedication and determination. There are pitfalls and problems. There are distractions and detours. The path is not straight. It weaves and forks, zigs and zags. It requires a plan.

From time to time, your determination and dedication will be tested. Obstacles will arise that will seem insurmountable. They will require rethinking and redirection. Having a mentor will greatly help your efforts. The right coaching will teach you need techniques, give you new directions.

Going the distance takes perseverance. Going in the distance in the wrong direction will only result in wasted effort, leading to frustration and emptiness. Get the mentor you need. Get the training you need. Go the distance to Success.

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Tired and Frustrated

I must admit. I am tired. Very tired. I am tired of placing ads, writing blogs, writing articles, pushing tweets, pinning interesting content, making funnels…all to get leads that are not there. Oh, I get clicks. Clicks cost me money. Clicks that not become leads most me more. Arg.

I am tired of seeing others do the same thing. They get clicks. They get leads. Some of the leads convert. They make sales. Yeah, I am excited for them. I am frustrated.

Being tired and frustrated is a part of being an entrepreneur. Being tired and frustrated is part of creating your own path. It is to be expected. It is how you learn where you need direction, where you need to work on  yourself.

Don’t dwell. Admit it. Shout. Move on.

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You Are Your Brand, Not Your Opportunity

A New Business

It is seen quite often. Someone starts a new on-line business. They are enthusiastic. They are ready to go. Ready to rock. They place ads everywhere. They send e-mails to every list they can find. All of them tout this brand new thing-a-majig. All fail.

Why?

It is the classic misunderstanding of what kind of business they are in. They believe they are in an Internet business. They believe they are in a Marketing business. They believe they are in everything but what they are.

Imagine you have applied to manage a new restaurant opening down the street. It doesn’t mater what kind of restaurant it is. If it help you, suppose it is a McDonald’s. The owner asks you about your experience. They ask what you like about their company. They are quite impressed. They have one more question, “As the manager of this restaurant, what kind of business are you in?” You answer, “the restaurant business.” The owner looks sad. They sigh, shake your hand and thank you for your time.

You leave knowing you did not get the job. You cannot understand why.

Your Actual Business

It doesn’t matter if you are a manager of a restaurant or if you started the latest and smoking hot Internet business. All of these are in the same business.

“Wait!” you exclaim. “They sell food and I see widgets. They are not the same business.”

Yes they are. You are concentrating on the what and not the why. You are not looking at what the course business is. Why you are in business. Why you believe you will be successful. Why is the core, the heart, the very center of your business.

All of these business are in the People business. As a manager, you are mostly in the business of empowering and leading your workers. They in turn are your direct link to the customer. They are the face and the attitude of your business.

As an owner of an Internet business, you are all of those. You are the manager. You are the face. You are the heart. You are your brand. What you are selling is not your brand. What you are selling is not your business. You are your business. And you are in the People Business. Say hello.

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Getting With People, Living With People

Life

We go from day-to-day. We see people. We come and go. We arrive. We depart. We get up, eat, go about our business and sleep. Life is a movement. Life is dynamic. Life ebbs and flows. Life pushes forward, no matter what. Life creates. Life spreads. Life is.

Everyday, new life is started. Everyday, old life is over. Everyday a new beginning. Everyday a final end. Everyday.

People

People interact with one another. People buy. People sell. People talk, cry, love, hate, shout, play. People are people. People have feelings. People get depressed. People have joy. People get relaxed.

Business

Putting people and life together brings about change. It brings creativity. It brings destruction.

People and life together create the most wonderful of results. People and life built the great pyramids. People and life built Stonehenge. People and life built Notre Dame.

People and life together create philosophy. People and life together created the best experiment of personal Liberty the world has seen in America. People and life created love.

Life is a people business

Life is about coming along side another for a time, creating something greater than the parts and separating into different paths. Life is about helping people. Life is about knowing people.

Life is a people business.

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Have Faith

The Apostle Paul writes in Hebrews that without faith it is impossible to please God. Dani Johnson writes that it is the lack of faith in one’s self that causes failure. Faith is more than just a religious expression, it is how we live our lives.

For the Entrepreneur, faith is an all important component. It is what let’s one know that success will be had. It is more than just leaping blindly from the ledge, it is in knowing that there is a place to land and it will be reached. Faith is that knowing.

Having constant failure in your business venture? Working very hard, but not seeing any results? Take a good step back and examine yourself. Do you believe you will have success or are you just wishing? Having the latter means you do not have faith. Success in business is not about winning the lottery. It is not dumb luck that a business grows and brings rewards to those who start. It is about faith.

Faith is the underlying support. Someone’s why is what drives them, what keeps them going. It is their faith that allows them to see success before it happens. It is their faith that cuts through all the murkiness. They have faith in their abilities. They know they have what it takes. They know they will be successful and realize their dreams. They have faith.

Work on your faith this week. Examine and meditate on how you truly see your abilities. Where you find lack, seek training and guidance. Build on small successes and increase your faith in yourself. After all, you are an Entrepreneur. You did start a business. You much have at least a mustard seed of faith in yourself to get that far. Grow it.