Fear sucks. It's responsible for more of  my persoanl failures and keeps many people from not realizing their true potential. Some fear is good. Some is just plain unncessary and to me, has become an indicator that there's change a comin'!

How we react to that fear is often the decicing factor in whether the change will be a good change or a bad change…

Check out this article by Doug Sundheim from Clarity Consulting. Doug nails it on the head!

"The things we fear most in organizations — fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances — are the primary sources of creativity."
– Margaret J. Wheatley (author, organizational consultant)

Consider This:

One of the most misunderstood gifts that life gives a person or organization is a set of challenges. While rarely welcome, they serve the invaluable purpose of throwing you off of your game - usually when you need it most. They force you to stop - reflect - dig down - and get creative in order survive and thrive. You need challenges. They are the seeds of your greatest ideas.

The biggest mistake you can make when you come face-to-face with a challenge is to resist it. To beat yourself up for having gotten into the situation in the first place. When you do, you're putting your energy in the wrong place. Instead, get curious about how you got there. See it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Talk it out with others. Don't stay in your own head. Challenges themselves don't determine your quality of life - your relationship to them does.

Try This:

1. Think about something you're feeling bad about right now
2. When you think about this situation, what are you most afraid of?
3. Find someone to share your fears with. Make it someone you trust and who you can be honest with (This is an important step as your fears have a way of dissipating when they hit the light of day)
4. As you move past the fear, what do you see on the other side? (hint, your creative mind will re-engage and you'll begin to see possibilities that the fear was hiding)
5. Pursue those creative possibilities
6. Repeat frequently as new challenges arise

- Doug Sundheim

Doug Sundheim is an organizational consultant, author, & speaker. To learn more about his services visit him online at www.clarityconsulting.com

First - Full Disclosure - I am On the Staff of Stompernet as a Professional Coach. I work with hundreds of Stompernet’s Clients, helping them keep their businesses growing and thriving.

Stompernet is a good thing! I really enjoy it a lot!

 For those that are uninitiated to Stompernet -
Stompernet is the state of the art place to learn about marketing your business or services online. It's an "Ultra" comprehensive learning environment where we teach everything from Search Engine Optimization, Pay Per Click, Social Marketing, Business Building, Website building, Shopping Cart optimization and customization, Increasing Website Conversion, Article Marketing, etc, etc, etc. It' s one stop shopping for Online Business Building1

One thing I really love is the interaction with the faculty. The members get a couple of calls a week where they can ask any question they want to of Guru's like Sherman Hu, the Wordpress genius, Dan Thies SEO expert, Don Crowther on Social Marketing or Andy Jenkins on anything online related! It's such a great hands on experience for the members. No where else will you find this kind of high touch environment! It's just too damn expensive to provide! And WAY too much work for most people selling internet marketing education.

So how do you get in to Stompernet. Well… right now you can't. We only open the doors a couple of times a year. You can get tons of free content from --escaped_anchor:bc4e35ed0ae88436aec23ec64665a740-- . Just that's an incredible education!

But I have a better deal for ya, a way that you can meet face to face with all of our Faculty, press the flesh with them, hound them with your most pressing questions as well as meet hundreds of other like minded Entrepreneurs and join me for an incredible dinner where you can question me till the wee hours! If we're lucky we’ll even get some of the faculty to join us. I'm sure if they know I'm paying they'll be there, they may be rich but their cheap! --escaped_anchor:42a9cae7fa6c8abedf34f91f35035cd5--

There's only one way to get this kind of attention from me and there's a very small supply of outsider tickets available. Stompernet Live has always been closed to the public, a 'members only" event. But I have a handful of tickets that I've been asked to share with my readers. Now this is not for you if you are just casually interested in internet marketing. This is Hard Core! Balls To The Walls Incredible content and absolutely no pitching! This isn't one of those come and join us for our flea market seminars. We would NEVER get away with that! Remember this is a members only event. The Members pay 10 grand a year they would crucify us if we went all commercial on them!

To give you a taste of the caliber of education you'll be getting meet our Friday Faculty presenter Paul Lemberg:

Paul is the REAL Deal! if you wanted to hire Paul as a Consultant he usually gets $100,000.00! Maybe you could talk him into a discount,… who knows!

But why even bother when you can get a full day of Paul's "Mind Dump" on Business Building and Product Creation? This one day will be worth at least 3 times what you pay for the full weekend, and remember dinner's on me one night!

--escaped_anchor:de1189cb37ad71e90a1d6c3868fa996e--

Paul’s Friday presentation is just the beginning of what you'll experience. We'll have site reviews, tons of breakout sessions, cocktail hours where you and the other attendee's will hob-nob with the Faculty and share you challenges and success with each other.,

Don't blow these off, these are where millions of dollars are made in JV deals, problems solved, new ideas and innovations created! If Captain Morgan knew he'd definitely want his piece!

So you know you should be there, you know ya want to be there, how can ya get in?

Oh it's so great to be the gatekeeper! There’s only one way to get into this members only event AND have Dinner with and on me on Saturday night. Click below:

Once you have gotten your ticket E-mail me a copy of your receipt  (MAKE SURE YOUR CELL PHONE IS ON THE RECEIPT)and I'll have Cate from my office call you to confirm our meetup for Dinner on Saturday,

Cate will be making the reservations and contacting you, so if you miss this step, you miss the boat for dinner! No Excuses, you need to take this last step or you'll be looking in from the outside!

I look forward to seeing you there! You WON"T regret it!

John

So… today for the first time in 20 years we’ll have someone in the highest office of our Government that’s not a Bush or Clinton.

 Will it make a difference – God I hope so! And I am optimistically hopeful too!

 Barack Obama has a lot to prove and a lot that he’ll be held accountable for. 

1. He’s a Democrat taking over Republican regime. He told us during his campaign the problem was with Bush and the Government under Bush. OK… Now’s the time to prove it. If he proves that things really are better under a Democrat regime than he’ll be a hero! If we get more of the same; rising taxes, job losses at record highs, Big Business Bailouts with no accountability, Health Care stays in the crapper, Health Insurance premiums at an all time high, Health Insurance Big Wigs salaries at an all time high, (hmmm coincidence – I Don’t Think So!) etc. 
   
   If things stay as they are or get worse… He’ll be the biggest Loser! He will have let down all the people that he sold  that a change to Democrats was what we needed. 

2. He said he was a “New Idea Guy” John McCain was old and outdated – Well – now’s the time to prove it. Let’s see some razzle-dazzle and not just the same old – same old.
   
   We bought change, we need change, we want change, you sold us change,     NOW Deliver CHANGE! 

3. He is the first African American to be voted – by popular vote – to lead our nation. MAN! That's COOL! Does this mean we are finally a nation ready to be equal, ready to really believe that “ALL” men are created equal.   Does it mean that we will get rid of elitist organizations that cater to only one income level, class, religion, or skin color? Do we finally get rid of organizations that cater and specifically are for only one class, religion. Or skin color?
   
   

Really? Will we?

Does that mean that the NAACP will become the NAAP? Are we REALLY ready for that?

Honestly I don’t think so. I would love to think that we are ready for a change to taking care and advancing all people, and we didn’t ever feel a need to segregate, black people, from white people, from Chinese people, from Indian people etc.

But – I don’t think we’re there yet. We still like people that are like us. Not  all of us  do, but a LOT of us do.

I hope Obama can help with that.

I really do.

I have a dream that we will all really live in peace as one human race.

One people, happy to help everyone.

 What if he fails?

Obama is the first African American to land his seat in the White House.  Maybe we should just call it “The Presidents House” now!

What happens if Obama fails as a President?

What happens if he does a worse job – GULP – than GW?  

Will America turn on him, turn on each other? Will there be cries of “He didn’t succeed because he is a Black man?” I hope not. I fear for him. He’s a target for hate mongers. Folks that will allow him only one misstep… than cry foul and want to get rid of him, crying for our country out of one side of their mouth while cursing him because of his race from the other side.

I hope we never even have to think of that because he does such a remarkable, wonderful
job! 

FYI - I like Barack Obama. I‘m neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I look at the issues and make my decision who I will vote for. And I guess in the end you hope and pray that we made the right decision, Ya roll the dice and you take your chances…

I really hope Obama is the “Peoples President”. I hope he never forgets who got him here. I hope he forgets dollar signs and remembers peace signs. I hope he never forgets that his job is to watch over us and represent us as individuals, never as groups, never as companies, never as just “the taxpayers”.

We ARE the People. We need to be represented!

Congratulations Mr. President, Yes You DID! Now… respectfully… get to work!

Symmetry IS beauty…
Originally uploaded by Miguel Van Dijk Grilo

Just thought this was too cute! Gotta love dogs and the folks that love them!

Sorry for the non-business interruption, hey when it really comes down to it, we grow our businesses so we can enjoy the lifestyle we love!

I love Dogs!
See ya!
John

On a side note I thought the movie rocked. My Wife and I commented on how James Bond is sort of a "new" James Bond. When Sean Connery and Roger Moore used to get in a scuffle they rarely got a wrinkle on their suit. The new James Bond the Daniel Craig plays is a more troubled and perhaps a little broken Bond. He really gets his ass kicked and it shows! He was filthy, bloody and battered by the end, but my wife still thought he was sexy… note to self…guess I need to get my ass kicked more often!

So the movie was great the experience wasn't.

$21 bucks to get in. Popcorn, soda etc another $22. So we have 43 dollars invested in this night-o-fun, plus the time etc. Just for information purposes we saw this at The Bow Tie Cinemas in Trumbull Ct.. FYI - not a bow tie in the house - I'm just sayin'…

The theatre was kinda full, but we still found good seats, the snacks were almost OK. The popcorn was stale… it just plain sucked…

Theaters everywhere take note -if you want to charge $7.00 for a 30 cents worth of popcorn I'm OK with that. I understand the Sundries are where you make your money. But… the popcorn better be damn good! Throw out the old stuff and pop fresh! You'll have a hard time convincing me that the popcorn is worth buying the next time for $7.00 if it's not delicious Tonight!

So.. we find our seats, and the movie starts. Right behind us there was a group of  young boys about 14 years old. Now I understand kids will be kids, but these kids were out of control…they started talking on their cell phones, talking with each other, laughing, giggling, etc through the entire movie.

FYI - I'm working on my anger issues so I contained myself pretty well until they started getting up and down for about 15 minutes. Banging, the back of my chair and head. Now I'm pissed… so I kindly turned around and said - "Hey Guys could ya keep it down please!," .

And they did - a for a little bit. Then they started back up and kept it up for the rest of the movie until it ended and two or three of them said - "F*c&k;… Thank God it's finally over!" and they left.

Like I said kids will be kids, but this is just nuts. These kids were getting calls from friends, parents etc.

People calling them - they are in a movie! They told you they are in a movie - stop calling them!

Kids getting calls - if you want to be on the phone - leave the theatre to talk.

Kids if you don't want to be there go out into the lobby. Sitting there for 2 hours, chatting and giggling like a group of 11 year old Nancie's is pissing everyone else off. GROW UP. I would've loved to call you young men earlier but you acted like little boys.

OK… So what should have happened.

The popcorn should have been fresh - simple - pop fresh corn. DOH!

The theatre needs ushers patrolling the cinema at least twice an hour.

Yes that costs money - oh well… your job is to create a good experience for me and a good value for my forty bucks… didn't happen. These kids should have been kicked out.

My wife insisted that we talk to the manager, she was more pissed than me, guess my anger work is starting to pay off!

So I spoke to a manager, a young guy, very friendly and sympathetic. He understood our frustration, (by that time I had forgotten about the stale popcorn , once again… chalk one up for me - anger vanished quickly!) He said kids had been thrown out if they are like that. He said it happened tonight in another theatre and the parents of the kids came to him and complained there kids were thrown out without being warned.

Note to parents - A public movie theatre is not a baby sitter. If you think your kids are behaving and you are challenged you damn well better be prepared to sit there with them. Don't make me do your parenting job.

Second note to parents - They weren't warned - Parents give me a break! You teach them responsibility, not me. If you won't teach them they WILL  learn the hard way in the real world!

In the real world there are no warnings. You take action - you reap the rewards or repercussions of that action. PERIOD! Teach your kids that they are responsible for their actions and they won't need or expect warnings thet will not get. In a  previous life one of your kids might be in need of permanent dentures this morning and I would be sitting massaging my aching fists in a jail cell. It happens. They got the "new "me. You're welcome. Send a Thank you note to my Reiki Master!

The Manager pointed out that that demographic spends the most money so it's hard to kick them out, you don't want to piss off the top customers… great point… I hadn't thought of it like that! I am not the target customer - the teens are! So how do we handle that?

First - Do they spend the most - they buy more tickets, because they come in herds… but do they buy more sundries? These kids brought their own drinks and snacks… no money there… And reader…shame on you if you encourage this. Don't bitch when your favorite local theatre goes belly up. They survive on the sundries, not the tickets! The Studios get most of that ticket!

Here's an idea…. For the popular movies, have one showing a night for each movie, for adults only. 21 and over. Make it the less popular time.  If 7:00 is prime time, make it the 10PM showing. Adults only.

And MARKET THE CRAP OUT OF THAT! That's your USP! We know kids will be kids and adults go out for a night of adult fun, so we are looking out for you too! Yes you'll have to police it, and explain it, but that's OK. If I was the manager I would rather explain the new policies than apologize for the crappy experience.

You want to know something too… I would likely pay more for this better experience! You'll have to present the value to me first, but if I KNEW my experience would be better I would pay more, that makes me a lot more profittable than the kids that bring their own drinks and snacks!

The manager did give us two passes to see another movie any time in the next year, we'll be back I'm sure, hopefully for an adult only showing.

The lesson - Sell Value, Create That Value, And protect that value with everything you have - cause kiddies - it's all you are selling - period!

The question… Are you sacrificing what could be a profitable demographic for the easy simple demographic? Tell me how you could remake your strategy to include and worship all of your demograophics, not  just the simple one? How would you do that…

Drink up me hearties… yo ho!

 If you dig this post - digg it!

 I was less than excited, actually my feet started hurting as soon as she mentioned shopping. Then she told me she had scored a couple of VIP passes to the event. That means we get the privilege of coming in the night before the sale.  Now I started to get interested - "Hey maybe these guys can teach me something here!" says I!

So I decide what the heck, I have nothing against the Swiss, heck they've never lost a war!

We get there and the parking lot of this High School they were holding the sale at is Jammed. I saw they had a football game though so I figured that was the real attraction (sadly for the kids playing I was wrong, only about 11 people between both teams watching, sad…)

The real attraction was the sale! We round the corner and slam into a line 76 yards long! Seems that if your not a VIP and have to shop like the little folks the line WRAPS AROUND THE BUILDING!

Clearly something is going on here!

After about a 90 minute wait in the line and a bunch of bitching from me, we get into the school, only to find that this is the staging area, not the beginning of the sale… can you say "anticipation" kiddies?

so another 15 minutes slogs by and we get into the sale and it is MAYHEM - but kinda "Organized Mayhem"! They have a gymnasium full of their products, luggage clothes, teeny weeny little knives with toothpicks and scissors, LED flashlights, big scissors, watches, sunglasses, everything except cheese and chocolate!

So I figure OK - Manufactured excitement, but I was wrong. these were KILLER deals on firsts, no seconds, returns, etc. This was the gear they sell at Nordstroms etc. Luggage that usually sells for 300 bucks a piece for $79! I got a $600 titanium MAVERICK II watch that sells for $600 on line and in the stores for only $150! Can you say 'Real Value" kiddies?

This was a great example of an event that has pretty much become this popular virally. They post signs on street corners in the town, they get some mentions on the news and give employees "VIP passes" to hand out but this is something people talk about. People come from HOURS away to shop at this event.

The lessons here - offer a great value, create scarcity (only this weekend), and make your promotion an event. The really cool thing is ALL the proceeds go to "Swim Across The Sound" a local CT charity that raise a lot of money for Cancer research. On a personal note - "C'mon folks when are we gonna get that licked!"

Great time, average ring seemed to be about $400.00. I'll be back, maybe this weekend!

Good Job Victorinox! You get my vote!
 

I somehow found this site while hunting around for something else t-shirthell . Check out the site so you will understand the lesson here…

They sell lots of what I think are funny T-shirts, many off color and some just weird and disgusting. Gotta love someone that knows how to niche!

This is from one of their latest e-mails:

You hate him, you love him…he's Joe..the f'ing plumber.  And it's time for you to capitalize on the newest election catch phrase by buying one of the shirts.

That's right, two new Joe The Plumber t-shirts.  One if you hate him, one if you wanna be him.  Now give us your hardly earned money so we can capitalize as well…

(Get them in black and we'll ship them to you on Friday.)

So they know their market, they understand what their Customers will stand for and what they won't. They understand their Customers sense of humor, and how to treat them. What I like is their consistent treatment and conversation.

Through the shopping experience the feel is all the same. Right down to the receipt in the box! Heres a picture of the receipt:

Now this wouldn't work for a lot of my businesses but it works for them. they KNOW their market. The experience even down to getting the product opening the box and seein g the recipt is ALL T-Shirt Hell.

Can you adapt that to your business:

Tell me how you'll do the same thing to be in congruency with your message to your Customers!

PS - Check out their return instructions the message never stops…

People want to help just about anybody. The lower the donation the less thought it takes to give. i.e. giving a buck is a lot easier to do than $100.00.  So…
I'm asking people after tugging at their heart strings and hopefully making them laugh a little to please just PayPal the campaign a dollar, more if you can! Just buy a Grande Latte instead of a Venti - just  today, the coffee you don't drink  may mean the difference between someone son die-ing of aids or not…

That sort of thing…

My proposal is to start a Social Campaign to raise money. I could talk about Fantasy Fest and try to gain traction there, or talk about Aids and gain traction there.

Here's where I get caught up:

How do I attach this to a conversation (mostly what conversation) so that I can create a viral campaign?  What conversation is already going on that I can piggy back on?
Is there a way to start my own conversation quickly?

Remember I have till the middle of October to raise the money… so time is of the essence… each day that slips away is well… an important day that slips away!

Please help me.
All Ideas are welcome. All help is welcome. All critiques are welcome. IS there a fatal flaw in my thinking. Have I missed something? Should I just ask 1000 people  to give $100 and get a free Group Coaching call with me?

I really want to make a difference for this campaign. I have lost a number of friends to aids in Key West,  personally I think Alcohol abuse is a big problem there, but Captain Morgan is a big Sponsor of Fantasy Fest so I can’t trod on those hallowed grounds!

I look forward to your comments and help. In advance… I thank you from the bottom of my heart and the heart of my bottom!
John Jaworski
 

Jimmy sees Saint Peter at the gates and goes to walk in and Saint Peter stops him. He says " Hi Jimmy, welcome to the other side!" "Where ya going?"

Jimmy says…" well heaven of course!" Peter says " tell me about your life Jimmy".

So Jimmy tells him about his job, his family and his 10 days of vacation every year. Peter asks him" Is that all?" " Jimmy looks at him quizzically.

Peter asks "Was that everything?"  Jimmy tells him "Sure, I mean ya can't do everything… after all I'm just a guy from the burbs."

Peter smiles and takes Jimmy to a huge banquet size room that's packed so full that the doors are bulging. Peter takes out his big old key chain and unlocks the door. When it opens Jimmy sees wonderful things spilling out, he sees love, he sees tropical Islands, He sees kids, he sees mansions,

Jimmy says "Wow this is incredible stuff, can I have these? Are these for me?"

Peter says "Well…yes they were yours, this could have all been yours Jimmy."

Now Jimmy is really confused.

Peter tells Jimmy "This room is where all your dreams were locked up." Now Jimmy gets kinda mad. " What do ya mean! You kept my dreams locked up? That's not fair. If these were my dreams why didn't you let me have them?"

Peter smiles,"He says I understand your frustration Jimmy, I get that a lot. Jimmy, we could not unlock the door. We didn't have the key to unlock them." Now Jimmy is really pissed! " Well what do ya mean by that, why are you showing me all this stuff if you can't unlock the door, geez this is just torture!" 

Peter smiles… "Jimmy, only you have the key to unlock your dreams. No one else has access to them. Only you can unlock your dreams." 

"Well.  where was the key… I never saw it, where is it, why is it hiding"? Jimmy asks.

"It's not hidden" Peter tells him. "It's always been with you. The key is action, faith and courage. All you have to do is take baby steps towards these dreams and they can all be yours!'

Well now Jimmy is sad, he says  "I did try to get some of these but I always get discouraged or overwhelmed. I hit dead ends, got bored and some of them I was just plain scared to try." "Man… if I had only known…!"

Then Jimmy realizes what Peter has told him…" Hey you said I CAN have these - how if I'm dead?".

Peter says… good news Jimmy…. it's not your time yet… you're going back… you're going back now…. dare to live your dreams Jimmy. You'll find out your not just a guy… you're THE guy. The MAN!"

"Remember Jimmy - your dreams are you reality waiting to happen - your dreams are what could be!"

Are you like Jimmy?

Is the future really in your hands?

I say YES! Your future is filled with the dreams you have today BUT you have to TAKE ACTION! Only the dreams you act on have any hope of becoming your future.

Simple? Yes! Easy - Yes and no. It;s really about choices. You choose what you dream about and how big. You choose what dreams you say "Nahhh… that'll never happen" and those that you say "yes… I can do this"!

I suggest you start saying yes to a lot more dreams. It's your choice.

Imagine if Bill Gates said "Nahhh… IBM will never want to deal with some kids in a garage" or John Kennedy had said "Nahhh… who would ever vote for me?" or Mother Theresa had said" Nahh why would they listen to me?".

The world would be a very different place if some of us didn't have the courage… or maybe it's not courage… maybe it's actually the confidence to say, "Ok I'll give it a good shot!".

Trust your dreams. Trust yourself. Develop your intuition. Trust your intuition. Dare to do everything you can dream and commit to doing it really well. Will some dreams die a miserable death? Sure… but they always open doors and take you down paths that create more dreams and successes!

Dreaming is easy! Acting on your dreams is easy too… you just have to decide to take action.

The saddest song ever sung is… what might have been.

Talk to me, what dreams have you had that you acted on in faith and are now a reality… C'mon I'm dieing to hear about your dreams and your successes and even the flops that took you in a life changing path!