A boxer wouldn’t last a single round in the ring if their trainer and team were telling them they should give up, that they’re not smart enough, strong enough or fast enough! You wouldn’t last a single round in your day-to-day life with all that crap in your corner, either.

You have a person in the ring coming at you with punches, trying to knock you out. Life can be the same. What are the people in your corner saying to help you win?

Some family and friend’s comments may be loving and protective, but ultimately defeating. Other times they’re just plain hurtful and demeaning. Their feedback may be completely unhelpful.

It doesn’t always mean that family and friends don’t love you, it just means they don’t always know how to help you.

You need someone in your corner to help you kick ass – to provide strategic, productive and actionable feedback.

Sometimes a little “believing in somebody” has a huge impact that they don’t get anywhere else.

Customer service is one of the new frontiers for intimate relationships, as well as family and friends. Customer service isn’t just for customers and social media – it’s for your marriage, your business partners, your employees, your vendors, your co-workers, your family and friends. Customer service is YOU being nice to the cashier who’s having a bad day. It’s for ALL of your relationships.

I like what Tony Robbins has to say about relationships. It’s also the best type of customer service – giving, not taking.

“Some of the biggest challenges in relationships come from the fact that most people enter a relationship in order to get something: they’re trying to find someone who’s going to make them feel good. In reality, the only way a relationship will last is if you see your relationship as a place that you go to give, and not a place that you go to take.” – Anthony Robbins

By Bud Caddell

I’ve been working at start-ups and small businesses since I was 14 years old. My father and his father before him owned and operated their own small businesses. There’s something about the fight for survival for a small team that’s coded in my DNA. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy working at Undercurrent so much. We’re small and thus we’re nimble. We’re lean and thus we’re malleable. And our age and our medium demand both.

I doodled this little venn diagram in my notepad the other day when we were talking about our own kung-fu and I realized it’s basically the conversation I’ve had for the last 12 years.

Over the years, I’ve found myself facing the following scenarios. (and I’ve added my two cents on how to move forward)

We can’t determine how to make enough money from the things we want to do, and do really well. I’m constantly surprised at what can be monetized. And on the web, there’s a market for almost anything. But this problem requires you to rapidly iterate your positioning and the type of clients you serve. Often, we’ll get transfixed on a single direction early on (because we’re desperate to solidify our business) and we’ll miss our chance to radically experiment with the market.

We’ve found things we want to do, and can be paid for, but we’re not the best game in town. Mediocrity is not a sustainable strategy. Being able to recognize your own weakness is a profound strength, and acting to improve what you do is key to any kind of long term growth and stability. Find the best talent and steal them. Learn how your competitors run their businesses, and copy what works.

We’ve come across things people want us to do, that we do well (or at least better than the competition) that we really don’t want to do. This is perhaps the most fatal trap for any business I’ve worked in. These are the sirens calling you to shipwreck. You’ll hemorrhage your best people, you’ll stop loving what you do, and you’ll lose the passion that built your business in the first place. Start saying ‘No.’

http://whatconsumesme.com/2009/posts-ive-written/how-to-be-happy-in-business-venn-diagram/

Give a speech. Win a client.

As simple—or even scary—as that formula sounds, a host of entrepreneurs have found that conquering public speaking can be the route to more contacts and customers. Impressing people with your expertise at a conference, in a classroom or over the radio can sometimes win more business than making sales calls or manning a booth at a trade show. Not to mention that the most successful speakers can take home thousands of dollars in fees for an appearance.

Read the full Wall Street Journal article by Barbara Haislip: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303828304575180120931296444.html

Smurf it up! http://garyvaynerchuk.com/post/712229312/smurf-it-up-and-why-it-can-work.
Make sure u pass this on to anyone that says their passion or idea for a biz is too small ;)

~ Gary Vaynerchuk

Starting your own business

It’s one thing to try and convince your family that you’re doing the right thing. It’s an entirely different beast trying to get other people to take the plunge with you.

Motivation is key

If you’re not entirely convinced you can be successful, you won’t be.

The thing people most often tell me is, “I don’t really have the time.” They want success, but they don’t have time for it. How about a single mother with two kids, two jobs, and college classes to attend?

Not having time means you don’t have motivation.

Finding the right people

My journey to find the right kind of people for my team has been tough.

To find the right kind of people, you have to put yourself out there. Get out there and make things happen. Be open and honest.

My selling point is: If you’re not willing to put your heart and soul behind a project, we’re not going to be a good fit. That’s what it all comes down to for me. I don’t care if you’re a genius or have never even touched a computer. You need to be willing to work hard and see it through.

Read Justin Tadlock’s full post “Some Thoughts on Success” at: http://justintadlock.com/archives/2009/08/26/some-thoughts-on-success