Selling By Building

"I Forgot" -vs- " I Chose Not To"

2012-04-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Accepting responsibility for our behavior is not always easy. Making excuses when someone brings something out our attention that we did wrong is easy.

I have finally achieved success in trying to teach my 7-Year-Old Daughter the critical difference between accepting ownership when we do something wrong or even in a less-than-ideal manner.

She used to say "I Forgot" automatically and passionately whenever I would have to discipline her for not doing something properly. This to me implied that she was not accepting responsibility for her actions and not making a mental note to improve or avoid making the same mistake going forward. Which is exactly what kept happening, consistently, and to my dismay and frustration.

After Months of my pleading and educating her on the critically important difference between saying in a flippant manner "I Forgot" and, as a healthier and more beneficial manner, saying "I Chose Not To," she finally understands the difference. She know properly responds "I Chose Not To."

The former ("I Forgot" to clean my room; to bring the dishes to the Kitchen; to put my toys away; etc.) conveys a quick excuse with no responsibility assumed or commitment made to improving in the future.

The ladder ("I Chose Not To") conveys her realization that she needs to accept complete ownership of her actions and that she has the ability to focus on certain matters as needed to improve and avoid making the same mistake twice.

Life Lesson For Us All: Always accept responsibility for our actions and the outcomes we achieve. Excused get us nowhere and actually hurt us be not allowing us to improve, consistently, and as needed to work toward the goal of being the best we can be in life.

Making mistakes is human; not accepting responsibility and making recurring mistakes is unnecessary, hurts us in life and our pursuit of career goals, and is a detriment to our Growth and Personal Improvement.

Never Give Up

2012-04-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Never Give Up

April 16th, 2012

Not When the Goal and Mission is still important to you.

Not When you know that - deep inside your heart and soul where nobody can see - that once you cross that finish line (despite all odds, despite the nay-sayers, despite your personal challenges, despite your known and acknowledged weaknesses, despite the cynics who freely shared their opinion that you could not do it, despite the fact that so many who have gone before you have failed, despite the fact that you were slowed down and nearly stopped numerous times by unanticipated difficult obstacles that arose and tried to prevent your progressing) you will feel exhilarated, proud, renewed, accomplished, and stronger because you Achieved Your Stated Goal!

Giving Up is Easy.

Staying On Task is Hard.

Throwing in the Towel might be what most people have done and would do in your situation and considering what you are facing.......

But, the question is, what are you going to do?

Revisit Your Original Thought Process when you made the personal decision to pursue this particular Goal.

Is the reasoning still sound? Do the factors that prompted you in the first place still exist? Do you remember all of the benefits that you anticipated when you first embarked on this path to be achieved when you successfully achieved the Goal? Consider the Costs and Sacrifices; did you anticipate correctly? Do the forecasted Benefits still outweigh the forecasted Costs and Sacrifices?

The Greater the Benefits to be Achieved the Greater the Sacrifice and Cost Required!

The harder you have to work to get there the greater the feeling of achievement once your Goal is Achieved!

A Renewed Commitment will be required numerous times on the way.

Consider.....

How Close are you?

How Much have you sacrificed?

How Much have you learned along the way?

How Much more will you learn if you persevere?

How Badly do you want it?

How do you think you Will Feel when you overcome all obstacles in your path to Achieve Your Goal?

How do you think your Family, your Friends, and all others you care about Will Feel when you overcome all obstacles in your path to Achieve Your Goal?

After honestly pondering these considerations......how do you feel and what are you thinking?

You know what you have to do. You know where you want to go. You know that deep inside you have the emotional reserves, the energy, the commitment, the drive, the desire; you know you have

what it takes.

Life is Short; Time is Flying By and Finite; You Have Set A Very Important and High-Priority Personal Goal that has not yet been achieved.

Now what are you going to do next?

Never Give Up...Persevere & Recommit

Never Give Up...Be Creative and Find a Way

Never Give Up...Reach Out Openly To Trusted Mentors For Help

Never Give Up...Improve Your Planning & Execution

Never Give Up...Work Harder; and Work Smarter - Strive For Efficiency

Never Give Up...and Focus More On Helping Others Achieve Success & Happiness - doing so will result in greater and increasing success for you; we have to give more to get more!

See You At The Finish Line.

Curiosity & Age

2012-04-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

Are we, once we slip out of Childhood, supposed to stop being curious?

My Four-Year-Old, who will stealthily transition to becoming a Five-Year-Old in less than an month, is increasingly curious about all things. Nothing and no question is out of bounds. His creativity and imagination are sources of priceless questions: some I can easily answer; some I cannot answer; but all of them are welcome.

I tell my Son: keep the questions coming Buddy; this is how we learn. If you keep asking questions, whenever curiosity kicks in and you want to learn more about any subject, concept, process, etc., before you know it you will have great knowledge.

Then, I think to myself, if he, any child, or even us, would not hesitate to ask questions, or conduct immediate research and inquiry to close any knowledge gap that comes to our attention, we would in no time have great knowledge. If we would all continue this worthy goal and process throughout our lives we would never stop learning. We would never get bored. We would continue to grow - and I think that's what life is all about - throughout our lives. Middle-Age is not an excuse to stop asking questions and learning; and retirement is not an excuse to stop asking questions and learning.

My Father is 84-Years-Old. He espouses this philosophy. He always has numerous books at his bedside for periodic reading on diverse subjects such as Calculus, History, Philosophy, etc. Last year he mentioned to me the possibility of and his desire to get a Part-Time Job. Age is no excuse. In fact, my Father conveys that all of his friends who retired extremely young and who both did not work, volunteer, or have a passionate hobby to sink their teeth into, all died young. The mind when not challenged and stretched will give in to atrophy; then rapid aging; towards a slow death. The mind when kept curious, seeking knowledge, challenged by new ideas and concepts, continues to grow and stays sharp.

Recently my Son has out of nowhere offered the following inquiries:

Who created God?
What are trees made of?
How does the lightening cause the power to go out?
What does an engine do? How does it do it?

I always tell my Son keep asking questions; if I don't know the answer (quite common!!) we will research together to find us the answer.

The Joys of Parenthood.

Curiosity is a good thing. I hope my Son is still seeking answers to great questions when he turns 100.

Mental Game

2012-03-01T09:04:00.001-08:00

I am in the Doctor's Office. Awaiting my turn. Patiently. Thinking. Planning. Questioning myself. Doubting myself. Am I on the right path? Does Success or Failure await down the road?

I am thinking........

How do I achieve success despite my known flaws?

Can I focus my Business Plan and efforts solely on doing what I love to do and am passionate about and be able to earn a sufficient income?

What do I need to start doing differently?

What do I need to stop doing to increase the likelihood of ultimate success?

As I ponder these questions I think to myself: I am not alone in my quest to find answers to these questions.

All over Syracuse, New York State, the United States, and all other Countries that share this Planet with us, people are pondering the same. Searching for the answers that will help them succeed.

Everyone has doubts that lurk in our minds and try to sabotage our dreams and most lofty goals.

I don't know the answers.

My search will continue.

I cannot do it all alone.

I will reach out to those who are able and willing to help, support, and guide.

A Team of Supporters. Positive. Experienced. Generous with their knowledge and insights.

That is what I need.

That is what we need.

Achieving Goals takes great effort. Great perseverance; and a willingness to reach out for help when needed.

Still waiting for the Doctor.

Time proceeds as always one measured minute at a time.

Into the Future we go.............

Roadblocks To Success and How We React

2012-02-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Difficult Decisions & Personal Goals

Whenever we make the highly personal decision, after great consideration, to pursue a new particular Career Path or a new exciting Personal Goal, we will shortly thereafter come up against, face-to-face, and inevitably, various Roadblocks To Success that will define us when we look back many years from now.

How successful we are overcoming these roadblocks along each journey we embark on will either make us; or break us. Bring us closer to success and to achieving our personal goals; or set us back, slowing us down, giving us reason to pause, and instilling the powerful and nagging seed of doubt into our minds. We have to tend to these seeds before they firmly take hold; we have to take positive steps so that they never have the opportunity to grow and kill our dreams. We have to replace them with focused action that will move us forward. One step at a time.

What To Do?

When our New Journey began we were enthusiastic; energized; optimistic. Nothing could stop us. Nothing would stand in our way.

Then, without proper notice or warning, a Roadblock arose out on nowhere which now stands as a challenge to be dealt with and between us and our Goals and Dreams:

A sudden personal illness
Suddenly, a family member or close friend is struck with a sudden serious illness that weighs heavily on you
You are layed off from your job
You incur a sudden and significant personal expense which throws a wrench into all of the careful planning, forecasting, and budgeting that you worked on so diligently in your planning phase
You have a very bad experience which has badly weakened your confidence and is causing you to doubt your ability to continue on toward your goals

This list could go on and on. The examples of potential roadblocks and challenges that we can all encounter along the way are endless.

The Question is: How Will We React and What Will We Do?

Our mettle will be tested. Our resolve will be measured. Our commitment, or lack thereof, will be thrust to the forefront and will be the critical factor that will impact our ultimate success or failure more than any other.

Several all-important questions will have to be pondered and then need to be answered on a deeply personal level:

How badly do we want it?
How much passion do we have to give us sufficient strength to overcome each roadblock we discuss that will stand, firmly, between us and our Goals?
Why are we doing what we are doing? What were the original factors that resulted in our personal decision to pursue this particular path or goal?
How will our lives ultimately change for the better if the goal or objective we have set is successfully achieved in the future? What benefits can we predict? Will the quality of our lives improve? Will we be happier? Will the quality of our loved ones improve? Will they be happier?
Finally: Which is stronger and a more formidable force: us or the Roadblock that stands before us? Which has more resolve to win?

Success

There is a reason many people make personal decisions to not pursue their goals and dreams!

They know that achieving their Goals and Great Success would not be easy. Would not be without sacrifice. Hard work. Commitment. Stress. And....Roadblocks. Numerous; and inevitable.

We have chosen an alternate path. The only path that could possibly result in our achieving success and in reaching the personal goals we have set: we chose to commence pursuit of our goals and dreams. We chose to take a chance. A risk. To not be complecent.

Now.....wherever we all are along our personal journeys, we need to stand firm; persevere; and do whatever it takes to stay on mission and moving forward.

We have to muster up every bit of energy and creativity, utilize all of our life experience, and surround ourselves with a Team of Positive Supporters. We have to learn from those who have gone before us. Those who have, before they reached their Goals and Great Success, come face-to-face with their own personal Roadblocks to Success. They choose to not back down. They found a way. They made it.

So can we.....one positive step and interaction at a time.

Success Awaits.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
Michael Jordan

Organization Frustration / Achilles' heel / Ultimate Success

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Imperfection

We all have, if we are honest with ourselves, certain areas of our lives in which we can achieve improvement. Where we need to improve if we are to succeed. Where we are vulnerable. Areas where we have received criticism, constructive and otherwise, from others throughout our lives.

Our individual "Achilles' heel."

An Achilles' heel is defined by Wikipedia as:

An Achilles’ heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, metaphorical references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.
-Wikipedia

Being Honest With Ourselves

We all have one. It's existence is well-known; we have always battled it's existence and tried to either ignore or tried to as I would suggest take and address head-on. A fierce and never-ending life-long battle between our natural and inescapable tendencies and our ideal self which we are trying to create.

Keep This Reality of Life In Mind though:

If life was easy and we did not have any great challenges and personal obstacles (our personal life-long "Achilles' heel") to overcome then achieving success and ultimately reaching our personal goals would not be so deeply rewarding and satisfying!

What is your Achilles' heel?

Poor Organizational Skills which sometimes hamper you and prevent you from achieving success?
An uncontrollable temper and fiery emotions which you cannot contain and often end up hurting you and your efforts to succeed in some way?
Deep-rooted insecurity and a lack of confidence which hold you back and keep you in your place?
A lack of natural people-skills and positive communication skills which sometimes destroys your efforts to go after and implement your Vision and go after your Goals?

This list could be endless. I could go on and on.

Or do you not have one due to the fact you have achieved perfection? A perfect state of being?

Likely this is not the case. Unless you are delusional and not willing to acknowledge reality, your faults, and the areas where you can benefit from improving.

Organization Frustration

My Achilles' heel, as you may have guessed, is a lack of natural Organizational Skills.

To achieve success, and increasing levels of success as I desire, I need to get this fact right out in the open. Recognition is the first step as they say. Denial gets us absolutely no where and, over time, keeps us firmly planted where we began. Held back. Weighed down. Kept from reaching any exciting personal and professional goals which we have set for ourselves and dreamed of.

I have resolved, out of necessity and recognition of the fact that my doing so is critical and vital to my future success, to consistently investing time, money, and energy into improving my Organizational Skills.

I have to take time, to set aside time, every day, to Organize. To Plan. To Prioritize. To Strategize. As the saying goes - nobody plans to fail; they fail to plan.

I need to Organize. Plan. Prioritize. Strategize. Every Single Day.

I recognize this need for improvement and am confident that I will achieve success. I will have fun in the Process and reach out to others for advice, expertise, and support. I will research the subject and read and educate myself consistently on the subject of how to improve organizational skills. I will not give up. Whether or not I achieve ultimate success hangs in the balance!

Ultimate Success

How sad it truly is when someone reaches a point in there lives where they accept the status quo. Where they no longer recognize the need for improvement. Where they no longer take steps to improve themselves. To openly, aggressively, and tenaciously take on their own personal Achilles' heel whatever that may be.

We are all blessed with both strengths and we all, without exception, have weaknesses.

The line between the highly successfully and those who fail to achieve great success and to achieve their personal goals and objectives is drawn and distinguished by either their failure or their success to take on in an honest fashion and overcome, or at least minimize the impact of, their greatest weaknesses and Achilles' heal.

If you, as I am, seek and desire increasing success in the future, then grab a pen and paper. Write down and acknowledge your weaknesses. Then write down how you are going to invest time and take specific steps to begin addressing and overcoming them. Then act. Consistently. Every day. Enlist the help of others. Build a support team. Make it happen.

Our Enemy: Complacency

The alternative - complacency - is a sure recipe for failure and not achieving your goals. Take full advantage of you natural personal strengths that you were blessed with; and with firm resolve address and overcome your weaknesses. Success does not happen by default. It must be purposefully achieved in spite of all that tends to slow you down and hold you back. History abounds with those who have overcome great adversity; and those who have overcome their personal weaknesses and their Achilles' heal. Can you and will you do the same?

Dinosaurs & Career Choices

2012-01-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Superman Last Year

Last Year my Son (3-Years-Old at that time) was obsessed with all things Super-Hero.

Super man. (Needless to say - his Favorite!) Spider man. Bat man. Aqua man. Flash Gordon. He just could not stop thinking about them. He would dress up in his Superman Costume, Red Cape included, and run through the house. Every time I witnessed this, of course, I thought to myself: Simply Priceless. I really don't want my Son to grow out of this childhood phase. But I knew of course that this was inevitable.

Now Dinosaurs

Now, he has suddenly transitioned to a new obsession phase: Dinosaurs.

A Four-Year-Old's capacity to learn about that which they are interested in amazes me. My Son talks non-stop, all day, and in an enthusiastic fashion about the following types of Dinosaurs: Ultras auras; Diplopocus; Stegosaurus; Triceratops; and, his favorite, Tyrannosaurus.

In addition, he pronounces these difficult names in fluent fashion. As opposed to me, who, when he asks me to read his Dinosaur-related Books to him, struggles through pronouncing many of the names.

Do We Have To Loose And Relinquish The Enthusiasm, Joy, & Fun Of Childhood?

Last year with the Super Hero Phase, and now, this year, with the Dinosaur Phase, I see in my Son's behavior and activities while he plays such unbridled enthusiasm, pure joy, great fun, and infinite passion. I am jealous sometimes. I often join him in his play and try to experience these emotions right along with him. Sometimes I think he teaches me more than I teach him. He inspires me; and he uplifts me.

I pose this questions for consideration: is it a necessary part of growing up and being an adult to no longer experience these emotions and feelings? Once we embark on a Career and decide upon a Career Choice must we give in to the notion that we will have fun and experience passion only while we are not working? We work approximately one third of our daily allotment of time. I think this is a sad reality for many people who have decided not to or are unable to pursue a Career and spend their working time doing something they care deeply about; that they are passionate about; then that, at the end of a long day of work gives they a sense of joy.

We only have one life to live. That life flies by; time is fleeting. I think a secret to living a fulfilling and satisfying life is to choose a career path and to make a living doing something that is aligned with our purpose. Something that gives our lives meaning. Something that we feel passionate about.

Career Choices

Can we, you and I, experience enthusiasm, joy, fun, and passion while we work as adults? Are these positive emotions solely reserved for early-life and Childhood?

Deciding upon a particular career path to pursue is no easy decision. There are so many factors; so many variables. There is no one correct decision; there is no one incorrect indecision. There are personal considerations to factor into the equation: one's personal natural strengths, talents, and ability. Then there are external factors which exist in one's time and place to consider: in what fields is there currently great need and demand? What are the projections of future growth and demand in a particular field or industry?

This decision is not an easy one.

This decision will impact the quality of our lives, our Health, and our Happiness for the rest of our days.

So, I suggest we all incorporate the following vitally important questions into our thought process and let the answers guide us to the best possible decision:

What is it that we love to do?

What brings us joy?

What are we passionate about?

What positive change to you want to see in the world?

What are your natural strengths and talents to factor into the equation?

In The End

At the end of the day; at the end of our Careers; at the end of our Lives......this single decision made when young will have impacted the quality of our lives and our legacy more than any other single factor.

So Decide Carefully And With Purpose!

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.
- George Bernard Shaw

Get Your Priorities In Order.....Before It's Too Late

2012-01-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

What are your Personal and Most-Important Priorities?

Have you considered this question lately? What are you focusing your time and energy on every day? Are you achieving success and are you achieving the Goals that you have set for yourself? Might you be in need of a Priority Re-Alignment to get you back on track and heading in the direction you want to go in?

Only you can answer this deeply personal question. Only you know what your most important Goals and Objectives are! Only you know whether or not you are succeeding in life and moving successfully closer to all you want to achieve every single day.

One thing is for sure: time is flying by. We are not getting any younger. If your daily efforts and activity is not in sync with your most important life goals and objectives - you will most likely not achieve them.

Achieving Success

If that is currently the case, immediate correction action is required. Success will not happen by accident or default.

Our Dreams and Most Important Personal Goals will not become reality unless we strategically make them happen; one step and one decision at a time.

Consider the following:

Have you had deep in the recesses of your mind a strongly-held Personal Dream that you have never acted on? Can you not get this Dream and Desire out of your head? Is this a Dream that uplifts you, fills you with passion and energy, and you believe if pursued and achieved would make you more happy and fulfilled? We only live once. The majority of people fail to muster up the courage and personal initiative to make the decision to Pursue Their Dreams. Are you merely one of the many who fail to act, take the risk, and pursue your dreams? Or.....
Are your days worked according to a flexible and well-though-out Plan that is in alignment with the Goals you want to achieve? Or are you not working according to any plan, always in reactive mode allowing others to dictate how you spend your time and on what you focus your finite energy? No one plans to fail; they just fail to plan. Sit down with a sheet of paper; clarify and write down what are the most important Goals and Objectives you want to achieve; and then translate those into a series of steps and actions you need to take every day. Live and Work according to a Plan. Make it Flexible; but make it strategically effective.
Are you, by habit, doing things that drain you of your limited energy? Things that bring you and increase your stress-levels? Things that are harming your body and mind? Life is Not Easy. Managing Stress is Not Easy. But, succumbing to the lure of bad habits that drain us physically, emotionally, and spiritually is a sure-fire way of loosing sight of our priorities and failing to achieve greatness. Address these habits now; before it's too late. Be honest; reach out and get help; and begin turning your life around.
Have you fallen into the me-first, only-me, strictly self-centered trap that many fall prey to? Are you solely concerned with you? Your needs and wants? One of the Secrets of Successful People is that they make it their life-mission to help others; to help other People, Companies, and Organizations achieve greater Success and Happiness. We are all part of Community. We are not an island. Alone we are limited; working together we can achieve great success. We all need a Support Team.
Are you taking life and the positive aspects of that life for granted? Do you not fully appreciate the following Blessings:

Your Relative Health
Your Family and Loved Ones
Your ability to make a living and put Food on the Table for your and your Family
The fact that you have Sufficient Shelter for you and your Family

How would your Life and Your Priorities Change tomorrow morning if today, as is always a possibility every day for every one of us, that:

You have just been diagnosed with Stage-Four Lung Cancer. The Doctor says you will unfortunately most likely not live beyond six months. How would this impact you and your Priorities? What would you do?

Your Spouse or one of your Children has just been diagnosed with Stage-Four Lung Cancer. The Doctor says they will unfortunately most likely not live beyond six months. How would this impact you and your Priorities? What would you do?

You have either just been fired from you job, or, in an accident, you been rendered incapable of continuing making a living doing what you have been trained to do and what you have been doing your entire adult life. You are suddenly faced with the need to provide for you and your Family in the future but now with severely limited capacity to work. How would this impact you and your Priorities? What would you do?

These thoughts and considerations immediately put our lives in focus. Give us the Clarity we have lacked. They force us to suddenly cut through the fat. The largess. The unnecessary. Then focus on only that which is important. Live with Purpose. Do not fail to appreciate all you have while at the same time striving to increase your success. Live so that you have no regrets.

Again.....after have considered the above thoughts and considerations:

What are your Priorities? What are your Goals? What are you doing, every day, to make sure you Achieve Success? What do you need to start, tomorrow, doing differently to increase the likelihood that your Dreams will be Fulfilled?

Without Passion

2012-01-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

5 Reasons Why Great Passion Is Required To Succeed As A Business Owner and Entrepreneur

Without Passion.....one would not have the Courage, Resolve, and Confidence to leave the 8 to 5 Traditional Workplace to Follow Their Dream and start their own Small Business when they are fully aware that, according to the SBA (Small Business Association) 4 out of every 5 new Small Businesses with fail withing 5 years. The odds are against us. Some risks are not worth taking. Some risks though, after careful consideration, soul-searching, and careful planning, are worth taking...and can change the course of and improve our life if we insist on success and stay the course with fierce determination. Life is Short. Carpe Diem. Dreaming without taking action gets us nowhere and only leaves us with regrets.

Without Passion.....one would not be willing to sacrifice their income and lifestyle at the beginning which is necessary when starting one's own Small Business. One must be willing to sacrifice only that which can and should be sacrificed; and at the same time keep one's priorities - the most important things in life (Family and Friends) in their rightful place at the head of the table.

Without Passion.....one would not be able to successfully navigate and overcome the inevitable failures and mistakes in the beginning. I have made mistakes. I have failed. I have gotten frustrated. I have questioned myself. But I will not quit. I will learn from my mistakes and strive, consistently, and assuredly, to improve every single day. Without doing so - failure would be inevitable.

Without Passion.....one would let the many Nay-Sayer's, negative forces, and non-believers have undue influence on our dreams, goals, and life-choices; and possibly even derail the mission and the commitment. Sufficient Passion Only allows us to keep our eyes and out focus on the goals and objectives that we have set for ourselves and our businesses. A lack of Passion makes us vulnerable. Great Passion allows us to stand tall and strong; determined and resilient.

"Nothing Great In The World Has Ever Been Accomplished Without Passion"

-Hebbel

The Entrepreneurial Decision-Making Process

A ways back - a little over a year ago - when I was considering and pondering venturing out on my own and starting my own Small Consulting Business I had a long and extremely valuable with a very good friend of mine who was and is a highly successful Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner. I have great respect for him and for all he has accomplished in the twenty-five years since he started his Business during our Senior Year in High School.

My friend was walking a fine line between trying to be supportive and enthusiastic while at the same time conveying to me to many risks, difficulties, challenges, and pitfalls of owning one's own Small Business.

He kept - intermittently - apologizing; he was concerned, rightfully, that I might not understand how difficult and risky starting my own business would be.

I remember the conversation so well. I listened intently to and deeply considered every thought, warning, and caveat my friend expressed. I welcomed his ideas and every single "con" to starting one's own business that he shared. He was not someone just being negative and non-supportive; he was being a good friend helping me to shed light on everything I needed to ponder and consider before I proceeded with my life change and starting my own business.

Each time he apologized, I said no need and please continue. This exchange and the ideas that flowed went on for a long time. The conversation was very important to me and valuable to me. He helped me consider all aspects (the positive, the negative, the worst-case scenarios, the sacrifices that would be required) and all considerations that would help me, ultimately, make the best decision for me and my Family.

I made the decision, ultimately, and very carefully and cautiously, to proceed and start my own Small Consulting Business - Selling By Building.

I and Selling By Building are a work-in-progress. I am staying on mission and am going to do all I can within my power to succeed. To help as many Businesses and Individuals as I can. A simple yet worthy mission. At this early stage though I can share this fact: the experience itself, the people I have met, and the process so far, have improved the quality of my life and allowed me to focus solely on what I love to do and am passionate about. What more could I ask for? I heard on the radio just yesterday: "If You Can Make Your Vocation Your Vacation then you can lead a great, fulfilling, and rewarding life." Powerful and So True. We work a third of our lives. Be better make that time count and meaningful.

Closing The Sale With A Roll Of Toilet Paper

2012-01-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Closing The Sale With A Roll Of Toilet Paper

Please note, to be entirely honest with you, the following is, in fact, and maybe sadly, a true story!

I am not quire sure if I should be proud of this fact; or embarrassed. But...we cannot hide from the truth. I was young. Very young. It was, I believe, 1990. I was only 21-Years-Old. Just beginning my Journey into the exciting and at that time intimidating World of Sales. Specifically: I was working at a local Retail Bedding Store. We sold Mattresses and Accessories. We sold "A Good Night's Sleep."

The Toilet Paper Story

At the Retail Bedding Store where I worked the highly experienced, very competitive Salespeople who I worked with and were training me back in 1990 took great pride in Closing Sales. Our Goal: To Close Every Single Sale.

We were on Commission. Our livelihoods depended on it. At the age of 21, as was my priority at that time, I needed to generate money to go out on the town in Syracuse and have fun. (how priorities change the course of 20 Years!)
We were all fully indoctrinated in the theory that if someone makes the decision to, let's say on a Saturday Weekend Afternoon, set aside time to drive to a local Retail Bedding Store, spending their valuable and finite time, that they obviously have a specific and pressing need that needs to be met. A problem which requires a solution. A bad back, which their 20 year old Mattress is contributing to, that is causing them great pain and negatively impacting their life. A Young Child that has outgrown their crib and now requires a bed. And on and on. There is a need. It must be met. If the Customer leaves the Store that need has not been met. If you have truly done your job you will have utilized all of your extensive training, knowledge, and expertise, to provide that customer with a Solution. All this in addition to the cost and investment required to as a first step get that Customer in the Door.
Pride. Salespeople take great pride in achieving positive results. Producing revenue. Closing sales. Being recognized.

My Impenetrable Customer: Retelling The Story In Bullet-Point Fashion

My Customer had been in the store for what I believe was going on two hours. From the start I recognized him as the type of Customer who did not trust any Salespeople. He must have had previous back experiences which he carried with him. He would not make eye contact with me. He communicated disbelieving body language and gestures throughout the time we had spent together. He was a "notebook carrier." A detail man. A Consumer Reports Consumer. Needless to say: he was hell-bent and determined to not make a buying decision on this particular day.
I, conversely, being young, confident, and slightly arrogant after having achieved great results in my young career, was 100% determined, focused, and insistent on meeting this particular customers needs right here, right now, on this particular Saturday Afternoon.
This Gentleman had his Wife with him. This was a positive for me. Both ultimate decision makers were in attendance. Not only that...but she was extremely nice, friendly, and she and I, unlike her Husband and I, had quickly forged a positive, trusting, friendly relationship.
After having tested, discussed, and compared, just about every single Mattress in the Store, along with every single Feature, Advantage, and Benefit of all, I knew that we had successfully narrowed it down the the single best option and solution to successfully meet this Client's needs.
After having tried to Close this Sale for what seemed like eternity......I was nearing the end of my patience as a young 20-Year-Old Man. Granted, we can't, in reality, Close every Sale. That is just the ideal. That is the Goal we strive for. But before I threw the towel in and accepted this reality for this particular customer, a sudden rather creative, in retrospect questionable, idea arose in my mind................................................
Several Minutes Later I walked back onto the Sales floor with a brand new, unopened, roll of toilet-paper carefully held in my hand.
As a last-resort, at wit's end, and in a half-joking half-serious manner I raised that roll of toilet paper high up in the air and theatrically stated my offer that if they could find it in themselves to make a decision to buy that Mattress which we know is best for them and at the very best possible price I would, out of the generosity of my heart, include this Beautiful Roll of Toilet Paper along with their purchase!

Creativity and Resourcefulness

Sometimes in life, when the normal protocol and regular steps in a Process fail to produce the results we desire, we must try to be Creative and Resourceful. Where there is a will there is a way!

My last-ditch effort and offer (which they knew was merely an attempt to break through the barrier that stood before me) to include a Beautiful Roll of Toilet Paper actually worked. After a split-second reaction of shock and amazement, they laughed. We all laughed. Then I quickly re summarized the reasons the purchase was the right decision, now with the customer in a lighter and friendlier mood, and they gave the go-ahead. I cannot recall, with 100% certainty, what kind of Toilet Paper it was which played a critical role in my Closing the Deal and Earning the Sale. I'm sorry I can't share that important detail with you. They didn't really take the Toilet Paper. They appreciated the creative effort so much thought that they rewarded me with a Sale.

Sales: Thinking Out Of The Box

Remember The Toilet Paper......and Break Out The Creativity. It might just work!

Your Participation

Have You ever had to resort to an extreme tactic and attempt to Close the Sale and Cross the Finish Line? If so....please share....

Thank you!

Mark

Man in the Arena

2012-01-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

Teddy Roosevelt

Teddy Roosevelt is, in my opinion, right on the mark! Words spoke a hundred years ago still ring true from our Former President. They incorporate great wisdom from a great man who had risen to be President of The United States of America. But I will transition to that subject in a moment.

Who Else Is Seeking To Improve In An Area Of Their Life?

Recently, concluding 15 years of consistent intention but failing to follow through and take action, I joined Toastmasters.

My clear-cut goal: to improve my Public Speaking Skills. (if you find less-than-perfection in my Blog don't worry....I also embrace the goal of improving my Writing Skills as well!)

I have a lifetime of knowledge and experience acquired and many strongly-held beliefs and philosophies that I want to share and utilize to help as many People and Organizations improve and increase their levels of success as they like me strive to make the most out of our lives.

But, I am more comfortable writing than I am speaking in front of large groups.

Therefore, I have taken action. To address this and improve. Now rather than later.

Toastmasters is a side note to the core of this particular message. But, before I proceed, let me convey that joining this Organization is one of the smartest and most rewarding decisions I have made. It is a positive, supportive, knowledgeable, optimistic group of people coming together with a singular purpose to help each other improve and be successful. I am committed to open-minded in receiving the consistent feedback and to focus my efforts on improving my Public Speaking Skills. It will be a long road.

The first time I got up and spoke in front of our group - on day one I might add! - I quickly conveyed to all in attendance why I was there. I spoke rapidly, incorporated "um" into my speech, and lacked organization in my articulation. But...the only way any one of us is ever going to achieve real improvement where we are lacking is to attack the matter head-on. Stand up. Practice. Practice. Consistently. Be secure enough to elicit feedback on how we can improve. Incorporate that feed back. And on and on. Tenaciously. Steadfastly. Over time.....we will improve; by being tenacious and committed, we may even get to be very good.

At our last Toastmasters Meeting a Speaker got up, right after me I might add which, relatively, really made him look like the greatest Public Speaker in the entire world, and read to the group a Famous Quote from Teddy Roosevelt that I had never heard.

Man in the Arena

That Quote - now entitled "Man in the Arena" - was the perfect selection for Jason. It was so relevant for me because I had just sat down red-faced having been reminded how lacking I am in Public Speaking. Jason's delivery was perfect. I was entranced. The content and speech made by Teddy Roosevelt lifted me up! Though I am lacking in an area of life in which I seek to improve; I was now in attendance at a Toastmaster's Meeting with a group of people I had just met. I had gotten up and spoken in front of these people. This took Courage. Resolve. Commitment. I am on my way.

Teddy Roosevelt was, when he first uttered these words back in 1910, absolutely right on.

Following is the "Man in the Arena" by Teddy Roosevelt.

Enjoy....and, If You have not yet done so and are standing on the sidelines of life, reluctant, hesitant, letting concerns about what others may or may not think hold you back....then I hope my Blog and Teddy's give you a slight nudge to get up and Jump Into The Arena!

My Goal is not to remind everyone how great Teddy Roosevelt was and how poetic he could be. My Goal is to remind You and I that Life is Short; we only have one chance and opportunity to make the most of this life; so we had better refuse to sit comfortably on the Sidelines and rather by Fighting in the Arena.

Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena"

Man in the Arena

One of the top three most requested quotes is that regarding the "man in the arena" or "not the critic"

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Succeeding By Getting Mad

2012-01-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'm Mad

Sometimes.....we just have to get mad. Angry. Fired up.

For those of us who are facing the greatest challenges of our lives - in whatever form that great challenge may exist - we need to, somehow, someway, find a way to overcome the obstacles that stand between us and that which we desire; to focus only on the keys to success while not letting significant life distractions derail us; to muster up personal improvement in the areas that our greatest personal challenges lay.

I'm Focused

Succeeding is not going to come easy. In fact, is not going to come at all without our giving 110%.

Achieving difficult Personal Goals may just never happen. Starting to go after and pursue our Personal Dreams, Goals, and Desires is really easy. Sticking to the task at hand though, once the going gets touch and the Obstacles arise, is not easy. Being tenacious, steadfast, and absolutely never giving up until that Personal Goal is achieved is challenging, difficult, and exhausting.

But The Prize Awaits.

Success is Possible.

Goals Can Be Achieved.

Obstacles Can Be Overcome And Destroyed With A Sledge-Hammer.

We can take our negative traits and characteristics and, over time, with a well-though-out game plan of attack, lessen their impact. Even turn negatives into positives. Turn life-long weaknesses
into strengths.

Paying It Forward

I loved the Movie "Pay It Forward." If you've never seen it - you have to see it.

I think it should be required viewing for High-School Students. The Philosophy espoused in the Movie is very much in need these days as we walk into the New Year of 2012.

If you want to start to see good things happen in your life.....start to help others achieve good things in their lives.

We cannot be truly successful until we realize it is not just about us and our accumulation of personal success and material possessions.

We have to, we should, we must, the world will be a much better place to live in if we all, take it upon ourselves to help other people. Help other people in need. Help other people who are sick. Help other people who, as we are, are trying to achieve success and improve their lives in the face of great challenge and difficulty.

We cannot succeed alone. They cannot succeed alone.

Generously Help Others......and Success Will Follow!

Let Passion Prevail

Great Passion is what we need. Getting Mad Without Showing It. Keep a Smile On Your Face while a fire burns within you that drives you forward and propels you closer to, and then unites you with, your Goals.

The Greatest Poem Ever

2011-12-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

The following Classic Poem, entitled "If" was written by Rudyard Kipling in 1895. Just about 117 years ago. This Poem will always hold special meaning to me because of the manner in which I was introduced to it. When I was 17 years old and leaving our home for the first time to go away to College my Father handed me a white envelope; he gave it to me at the very last minute, said to hold on to it and open it when I arrived at my destination. My Father was not always the most expressive of Men. When I finally opened the envelope, opened the letter which was a reproduction of this Poem, and then read this Poem, I was quite moved. I think on that very day back in 1987 I must have read this Poem at least ten times. I thought the Poem was great and moving way back then; and as the years passed, and I, with each passing year, learned more about life and what it takes to succeed in life and as a Man, I learned to appreciate "If" even more. So much timeless wisdom in one Poem written over 100 years ago:

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

-Rudyard Kipling

Father > Son > Son

I'm sure everyone has one favorite Poem that holds great and special meaning for them. This is mine. It still speaks to me and provides me with wisdom and guidance.

I see my Father so clearly in this great, timeless Poem. Raising eight children. An unyielding work-ethic. Always positive; never complaining. An infinite thirst and hunger for learning and the acquisition of knowledge.

Someday, many years from now when my Son is ready to go out on his own to make his mark on the world, I plan to also share this Poem with him. In a simple white envelope; to be opened when he arrives at College. Along with, besides the Poem itself, knowledge of how and why it became and remains my favorite Poem.

.........................................."And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!"

Have you too been witness to pure evil and unfounded hatred?

2011-11-29T08:55:00.000-08:00

I am very sorry to say that this is in fact a true story. Two days ago I walked into a Chinese Restaurant to simply, I had hoped anyway, pick up Dinner for my Family. Two Chicken & Broccoli Combos are what we ordered.

I had my Beautiful and Innocent Six-Year-Old-Daughter with me who I love with all my heart and had not yet, to this point in her life, been subjected to or witnessed the evil that sadly lurks among us.

Twenty minutes later I drove away red-faced, irate, bursting at the seams, disgusted, sad, with less faith in Humanity. My Daughter was still smiling, bubbly, angelic; not having understood what she just personally witnessed right along with me.

Back to Our Entrance

My Daughter and I walked in following a Woman and a Man who I assumed to be her Son; they walked right up to the Employee working at the counter; then twenty minutes of uncalled for fiery stress, tension, and commotion began.

They were there to pick up their Chinese Food which they must have called in and ordered by phone. But....they came in to pick up the food an hour late. So, naturally, their food had cooled. You could see some smoke still elevating off of the food they had ordered; but it was not as hot as it would have been if they had been in when they said they would.

The Woman, who appeared to have been drinking and/or doing drugs all day, said, in a loud and rude tone, that she was not going to pay for the food. She demanded they throw it out and cook her new, replacement food. The Owner stated, in a personable and professional tone of voice, that they unfortunately could not do that.

The Woman immediately started swearing, screaming, and threatening. The Owners and his Family tried to not respond in kind; but after a while, and understandably, he grew upset and yelled back in defense of themselves.

(My Young Daughter stood next to me, holding my hand, watching all of this escalate with a blank, not-understanding, innocent, and scared look on her face.)

(I was thinking to myself....you have got to be kidding me! Imaging the timing required for me to arrive at the exact same moment as they Woman and Man who have to be the two rudest, most offensive, evil people I have seen in my life!)

Some People Just Lack Perspective

I thought to myself: there are sick people dying in Hospitals; Soldiers sacrificing their lives to defend our freedom, our rights, and to help others achieve the same; and there are Homeless People living on the streets simply praying for their next meal. There are innocent people being killed by natural disasters such as Earthquakes and Tornado's.

Yet, before me stood this lady; about to have a heart attack, cursing every bad word in the book in front of my Six-Year-Old-Daughter, and absolutely ruining the day of this hard-working Owner who was sweating his butt off and working hard along with his Family to make an honest living, all because she was very late and her food was not piping hot!

It got so bad (the worst possible curse words flying non-stop) that I asked them to be mindful of the Beautiful Little Girl standing next to me; they both responded by screaming that they "don't give a " "" and by saying they would kick my " ".

I had to stay calm because my sole concern at the time was getting out of there with my Daughter safe and sound. I feared they were looking for any reason to pull a knife or even a gun. I had not witnessed such pure evil and intent to create conflict in a long time.

Not Giving In To Hatred / Our Children

I still get upset as I type and re-tell this Real-Life and highly depressing Story that just occurred less than 48-hours-ago.

But....I will not give in to hatred.

People like the ones I have just described are fortunately the exception. In retrospect I understand there are underlying stresses and difficulties which result in this seemingly incomprehensible behavior.

We try to be empathetic. Though it is not easy.

Those of us that are raising young children who we love into this World have to beware of the evil and danger that unfortunately exists. We have to live with it to a certain extent; and at the same time do all we can to address and lessen the evil circumstances around us. Our Children will, as they grow, witness evil. We can't shield them forever. They will see it in their Schools. On TV. Read about in on the Internet; on their I-Phones.

All we can do is try to raise our Children with strong values, high morals, and a clear sense of right and wrong.

Faith, Hope, & Peace.

That is what we all need!

Change: Fear or Embrace?

2011-11-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) English Naturalist
Fearing Change

Why do so many fear change?

Because:

It is much easier to continue on with the status quo and to keep doing that which we have already mastered and does not require a great deal of conscious thought and effort. Embracing and successfully navigating change is hard and requires that we renew our commitment to learning and growing; that we be comfortable with ambiguity and imperfection.
Change, and any new challenge or endeavor which we embrace, brings with it the possibility of failure. A likelihood that we will be less than perfect. This fact makes people nervous and uneasy; they avoid potential change like the plague. The fear of failure, sadly, holds many people back. Keeps them stuck where they stand; firmly planted in their present situation and personal circumstances. Unable to break free, move forward into unknown territory, and grow. This is a sad fact.
Some people lack the self-esteem and personal confidence required to succeed when making a life-change.

Without positive change....we cannot grow.

Embracing Change

Why should we not fear change?

Because life is short. Why not, instead of limiting ourselves, try to embrace change and a variety of life experience so that we can expand our horizons and grow? Why be complacent and continue doing that which does not stretch our mind and broaden our experience? That is how we grow. That is how we gain perspective. With infinite places to go, things to do, people to meet, experiences to be had, and unique moments to incorporate into our lives, we should embrace change. Conquer our fear. Overcome our reluctance and hesitancy to branch out and challenge ourselves.
New experiences are what gives us perspective, knowledge, and wisdom. Sheepishly avoiding change and doing the same thing, in rote fashion, over and over again, keeps us where we are. Prevents us from great and diverse possibilities that are available to those bold enough to pursue them.
Change keeps us young. Keeps us sharp. Forces us to stay on top of our game. Keep learning. Never stop acquiring new skills.
Meeting new people. Usually inherent in change is meeting new people; forging and building new positive relationships with diverse people. That is what life is all about. The media just reported that the population of Earth has surpassed 7 Billion People. 7 Billion! Hard to fathom. Why limit ourselves to the same people in the same circle of friends and family that we have always had? Change always us to meet great new people and to be gain access to new knowledge, ideas, and experience.

Three Indisputable Facts

We are getting older every day (if you deem a potential change to be a positive one which will help you grow and improve your circumstances, life, and happiness.....then muster up the courage to make that change; the opportunity will not always be there!)
If you do as you have always done.....you will keep getting the same result. If you have a Dream or a Goal which you believe in passionately with all your heart - then find the courage to commence pursuit of that Dream or Goal. If you don't, you will never know what might have been.
Opportunities abound. Listen, research, read, network, and never stop communicating with positive people that you trust. Life can always change for the better if you so desire. Be open-minded to recognizing great opportunities and then be confident and courageous is seizing them.

As Michael Jackson stated in one of his most famous Songs: "If you want to make a change, take a look at yourself, and make that change."

Stop 4 1 Second

2011-11-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

Stop 4 1 Second!

Often, we find ourselves stuck in a routine. A victim and hostage of our long-time habits. We've been doing certain things, or certain things in a certain way, for so long, possibly for so many years, that we find it extremely difficult to stop, step back, and ask ourselves a couple important questions:

Why am I doing this?
Is this the best way to do what I am doing?
Is this the best use of my time?
Should I stop doing this and do something else?
Is what I am doing and how I am spending my time, my days, and my life in line with and in support of my most important personal goals and objectives?

Life is so, so short. Every minute, day, week, month, and year is flying by. Consistently, forcibly, and in an unstoppable manner.

Someday towards the end of our lives we will be sitting in a chair, looking back, and assessing our life; we will ponder what we accomplished, what we did not accomplish but wish we had, and what our legacy will be. How did we impact people lives? Did we make a difference? Did we make things better? Were we successful according to our own personal definition of success?

(We devote our time, money, and energy into what we value the most!)

Sometimes we have to force ourselves to Stop 4 1 Second. Assess. Evaluate. Give ourselves a report card. Critique ourselves. Be honest.

Change course if you must; make a change if needed! Be brave. Be courageous. Be willing to adapt and proceed in a different manner if that is what is needed to help you with time achieve your goals. To be successful. To lead a purposeful life. To make a difference.

Do not let the force of habit, complacency, and a fear of change hold you down.

Stop 4 1 Second.

But then get moving again, steadfast, in the direction you choose..........time is of the essence!

When you look back at your life, many years from now, you want to be able to say "no regrets." Good Job. Success. If you let life slide by and live without periodically taking time to assess and adjust to all of the inevitable change if your life and the world around you, you may be looking back without such admiration.....and instead with regret.

Website: Selling By Building
Twitter: SellByBuild

Don't Over Complicate Networking!

2011-11-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

Simplifying and Enjoying the Process of Networking

The Focus is Simple:

1. Consistently meet new people who are or will be in a position to help you, as well as you helping them in return of course, meet your personal goals. To achieve long-term success the need for this will not diminish with time. Make this an enjoyable part of the fabric of your life and you will forever reap the benefits.

2. Confidently and Clearly articulate and spread your message. Believe in yourself. Have faith. Be mindful that you are not bothering people or interrupting people; in fact, you are trying to get a very important message to them.....the message that you are unique, special, honest (I hope!), and have great knowledge and expertise. Your Business can and would love to help them identify and implement solutions to their problems. You can actually help them reach their goals. Why be reluctant to deliver such a positive message? You only have very short and brief periods of time to get your message across to those you are communicating with.

Perception of Networking

Do you avoid Networking?
Do you perceive the Process of Networking as a "chore" which you must reluctantly force yourself to complete?
Are you uncomfortable in Networking settings?
Do you fear that no one really wants to meet you and learn more about you and your business and the value you have to offer?

Networking should be fun! If you learn to enjoy the Process you will in fact be much more successful! Remove the stress. Do not procrastinate. Keep in mind that everyone is in the same boat. Regardless of what particular industry one works in or what one does for a living, they can benefit from consistent and successful networking. They too (they very people you desire to meet and network with) are also pondering how they can be more successful, meet more people, and maximize the results of all of their interactions with decision makers and influential people.

They want to meet you! So what are you waiting for? Change your mindset, approach the Process with Enthusiasm, and you will achieve far greater success and results!

Networking Tips

Prepare, Practice, and Build your Confidence in advance. Your level of confidence will be broadcast by your voice, your message, and your body language. If you lack confidence it will show. So work on this in advance.
Be Genuine. Always. Authentic. Make sure you are not perceived as being phony and solely meeting someone to be a vulture who is solely trying to extract market knowledge or information for your personal benefit. Mutually Beneficial. Over time all relationships, whether personal or business, have to be mutually beneficial. This is a critical objective when communicating that is not easily achieved. No body wants to establish a relationship with someone they perceive as selfish and only seeking personal gain. What can you do for them? Are you the kind of person who enjoys helping others succeed or are you solely interested in your own success? Keely observant people have a sixth sense. The will quickly filter out and remove from their line of sight people they do not trust.
Be Positive.
Be Enthusiastic.
Be a Great and Empathetic Listener! I can tell when somebody is only 20% listening and tuned in to the the conversation in progress. Very annoying and damaging to establishing a relationship! I can also quickly tell when someone is not making good eye-contact and trying to sneak looks around the room to see who else they should be networking and marketing to. This certainly does not help establish trust and a strong relationship right off the bat.
Be Unique and Memorable. If someone is at a Networking/Marketing Event and they meet 20 people they are not going to clearly remember and recall all 20 people. They are going to remember those who succeeded at standing out; being unique; and leaving an indelible positive impression. They are going to remember that person who quickly and clearly conveyed the fact they have something valuable that can help people or businesses improve and achieve a higher level of success. They are going to hold on tightly that business card and not toss it into a trash can at their earliest convenience.

Success

Approach Networking from the Perspective that nothing is more important to your long-term success than your ability to successfully build strong and trusting positive relationships with everyone you interact with; and the more people with whom you achieve this goal the better! Your Success depends on it! The more people you meet and interact with the more ideas and information you have access to and can learn from.

"Business, after all, is nothing more than a bunch of human relationships."

-Lee Iaccoca

Master, Embrace, and Enjoy the Process and Art of Networking. Success will follow.

Title & Subject Unknown At This Point!

2011-11-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

Subject Unknown

I have not posted a new Selling By Building Blog since September 27th, 2011.

I need to; I enjoy writing; and it is very important for my Business.

Since that date (since 9/27/11) I have signed on to Blogger numerous (many I should say) times with the honest intention or writing a new Blog. Yet, the fact remains I have not completed and published a new Blog recently.

Why?

Procrastination; Hesitation; Busy Schedule; Lack of Faith; Uncertainty; Inspiration Missing.

Sometimes in life, quite frequently in fact, we have to be creative and take a risk to get beyond a stumbling block. To regain momentum. To push forth towards our Goals and Dreams!

Today, I am proceeding in an unusual and most likely not-highly-recommended manner. Conventional Wisdom will not agree with what I am attempting to achieve. I have inserted the Title "Title & Subject Unknown At This Point" because, well, that fact is the unfortunate truth as of this very point in time.

I have not been able to complete a new Blog recently because I have not been inspired with a specific idea about which to write. I have been awaiting specific inspiration. The specific inspiration I have sought never surfaced. So today, right now in fact, I have begun without yet having a clear subject to write about.

Where shall I start?

I am writing this Blog to help support and promote my Small Consulting Business: Selling By Building. I try to keep the subjects of this Blog related to and in support of the same areas I choose to focus on in my Business: Sales & Customer Care; Accounting & Finance; Communications; Business Development.

To assist me with my Goal here of coming up with a specific subject......I ponder all of the other Great Blogs I have been reading recently. I am immersed in Social Media so I am consistently introduced to great recommended Blogs by people I am "connected with" and share content with on Twitter, LinkedIn, Stumbleupon, Google+ etc.

I follow the recommendations of people I am connected with who steer me to specific content on a daily basis and read great Blogs on the subjects of Sales, Customer Care, Accounting & Finance, Communications, and Business Development. I really enjoy and learn a great deal from this content and these Blogs. Over time I have grown to fully appreciate the great and infinite power of and value of the Internet and Social Media. I actually do not consider it "work" which I must endure to try to promote my Consulting Business. In fact, I really love the process. Building Relationships is fun. Life before Social Media is now hard to remember.

Twitter Power

When I first heard about "Twitter" I thought it was something on the "fringe" that I would never need to learn about. Now, it is a part of my daily existence. The first time I finally pushed the "Enter Button" to Post a Tweet I was so nervous and reluctant that it is now, in retrospect, laughable. It was like I selfishly thought that when I Posted that very first Tweet that all 7 Billion People on the Planet were going to instantly read it and collectively laugh at what I had just "Tweeted." Now, I Tweet daily and confidently. With a clear mission of simply and honestly sharing content, ideas, and my philosophy to try to help everyone that I am connected with, I proceed without hesitation. I proceed with a mission. And I believe in what I am doing.

Being consistently immersed in the World of Blogging and Content-Sharing on a daily basis one would think that I would be able to quickly and easily come up with a clear, concise, and interesting specific Subject for this Blog. It should be easy. With no hesitation.

Don't you agree? Or have you too experienced "writer's block?" Do you from time to time not know where to begin on a particular project?

Conclusion

I began writing this Blog without a specific subject at the forefront of my mind. But I proceeded anyway with an honest desire and commitment to create with my written word something that a reader might enjoy. An entertaining Blog. Unique. A Blog that, despite having no official Title and known Subject-Matter, might retain the interest of my Readers to the very end. I have actually enjoyed the creative process of writing this Blog, the Blog With No-Subject. I have overcome the hurdle of getting another Blog posted. I have achieve this one small Goal on this very day. Next time of course I will have to start with a Known Title & Subject.

But this was fun!

Looking back now since I am in Blog-Closing Mode, the Subject Areas which ended up being the focus of this Blog were: Goals & Stumbling Blocks; Social Media & Communication; Creativity; and, of course, Blogging! These are all great subjects which interest me a great day. So there we go. The Subjects of this Blog have, over time, revealed themselves.

Now why didn't I just think of those Subjects to begin with before I began writing this Blog? It just wasn't meant to be. But, actually, it was more fun and rewarding proceeding as I did.

Lesson Learned

The next time you come face-to-face with an annoying and stubborn stumbling-block try proceeding in a creative, unique, unconventional manner. Take a Risk. Push Forth. Think out-of-the-box. Find a way to have fun. Continued inaction and procrastination is a sure-fire recipe for failure. Taking action and taking a calculated risk can be a prudent step forward to help move you closer to your goals and greater success.

Thank You and Have a Great Day!
Mark

Stand Firm

2011-09-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Undergoing Great Change and Commencing Pursuit of Your Dream and Most Ambitious Goal is no easy task. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.

When one purposely walks out of their Personal Comfort Zone, they will, undoubtedly, become uncomfortable. Challenged. Squeezed. Pushed & Pulled in all directions. Forced to question their motives and their ability. Forced to ask themselves, in no uncertain terms, what am I doing? Why am I doing this? Have I made the right decision?

We must, when the going gets tough, remind ourselves of the following:

Nothing Great comes easy.
Great Success cannot be achieved without Sacrifice, Dedication, Focus, and Perseverance, and Resiliency.

Do Not Give Up.

Do Not Relent.

Renew and Refocus.

Continue surrounding ourselves only with those who strive to support, elevate, and help us in any way they can to stay on course and be successful in achieving the Worthy Goals we have set.

Continue to educate ourselves. Continue to be steadfast. Move forward with force and a bulldozer-like positive and confident attitude. We've already thrown Complacency out the window and headed in a new direction. Very Exciting, Invigorating, and Inspiring.

It is not easy. But it is worthwhile. The greater the difficulty and sacrifice required the greater the success and achievement When the Goal is Reached.

Stand Firm!

Enthusiasm Contagion Wanted

2011-09-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Our Four-Year-Old is So Enthusiastic about just about everything that when you are around him you cannot help but be Positively Influenced; his Great Enthusiasm is Highly Contagious.

Which is a good thing. A very good thing. It is contagious.

According to www.opposite-word.com, opposite words of "enthusiastic" are:

"apathetic, disinterested, doubting, indifferent, lethargic, pessimistic, unenthusiastic, unexcited,weary"

Collectively......a very depressing portrait of an individual!

These terms all describe people that are, sadly, living their lives with a lack of energy, zest, excitement, and natural motivation.

Enthusiasm is one of the Finer Things in Life! Having it, as a natural trait, is no-doubt a tremendous asset to have to help one navigate through the many challenges and great difficulties we all face from time to time which we all must face. How we handle and overcome these times will largely define how successful we are in life and whether or not we can achieve the personal goals and objectives we have set for ourselves.

Enthusiasm. When you see it: Appreciate it; Catch it; Grab it; Hold on tight. It will help you get through the most difficult times. Having it will be a great benefit. Then pass it along to others. "Pay It Forward." Be a positive influence in the lives of others by being, consistently, Enthusiastic. Upbeat. Positive.

I don't want our Four-Year-Old to ever loose his Enthusiasm.

I hope you too are blessed by the presence of an Enthusiastic Child in your Life. If not, by someone else. Someone, who, whenever you are around them, exudes the great quality of being Enthusiastic. Every time you are around them, you leave them feeling a little bit better. Feeling more confident. Feeling like life is good. Feeling that you can achieve the worthy Goals you have set for yourself.

I, personally, don't want to be around, too much anyway, people who are not Enthusiastic. Just a personal choice. We should associate only with those who will, by their mere presence, help support, motivate, and elevate us.

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Courage is going from failure to failure without loosing enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

Future Uncertain

2011-09-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

We, really, have no guarantee that we will be here tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next.

Our Future is Uncertain. We will run out of time. Eventually. The question and unknown variable is when.

The Reality of Life is that our Time Here is Limited and Finite.

We are So Lucky to even be here today! Many, who we have known and loved, are already gone; with no more tomorrows. How many more tomorrows do we have? What would we do differently if you had a Date Certain when you will be parting ways with life as we know it? What if we had, beginning right now at this very moment and point in time, only 24 Hours To Live? One Week? One Year?

We sometimes live and act as though we do not fully grasp this reality and the ramifications. Are we living with a Sense of Urgency and are we Passionately Pursuing all of the Personal Goals that we have set for ourselves ever single day that we are fortunate enough to be alive? Are we packing in the excitement, the challenge, the personal achievements, and great accomplishments which we consistently achieve every single day?

Or, are we living Passively? Reactively? Like we are just passengers who have no control over in which direction we are heading. Have we lost our focus? Our drive? Do we no longer have a core set of top priorities, goals, and objectives, that drive us and towards which we should be focusing all of our energy and time on every day? Have we lost our Passion?

Is there a personal dream you once had that you have since forgotten or just given up on as the years passed? Lost all hope and desire as a result of the everyday grind of life and the many obstacles that we periodically face which slow us down and leave us deflated? Have we decided to take the easier path with less challenge, less resistance, and requiring less commitment?

What are your Personal Priorities? What are the most important things to you? A very wise person once wrote to me that "We Devote Our Time, Energy, and Money Into What We Value The Most." Think about that just for a moment. What have you been focusing on these days? Are your actions in line with and fully supportive of all of your stated Priorities and your Personal Goals? Or, have you over time fallen prey to the superficial aspects and negative temptations of life and moved away from spending time where you should be?

If You, If We, are not absolutely Fired Up and Highly Motivated, we most certainly should be! Life is Short. Our Days Are Finite. We are certainly not getting any younger. When we look back at our lives at an older age our goal should be to be able to say "No Regrets" as opposed to "how much better would things have been if I did this or didn't do that."

What If (not out of the realm of possibility!)you received notification right now: your Future is No Longer Uncertain. You Have One Month To Live. Think about it. Slowly. Think hard about what your thought process would then be...... What would you do? How would you feel? Who would you call?

On what, if you received the "Deadline" Notification stated above, and with your assumed newfound focus and clarity, would you begin spending your precious time?? What would you do differently tomorrow? What would your five most important Personal Goals be to achieve during your remaining time? What components of your life would you know label as "no longer a priority" considering your new knowledge of how much time you have remaining?

My Message: We Should Focus Only On What is Important And A Priority To Us; We Should Shed The Rest. And Get Moving.......Procrastination Is The Thief Of Time.......and We Have Only So Much (?)Time.

Social Media Magic!

2011-08-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I basically had no knowledge of "Social Media."

One year ago my knowledge was limited to my personal Facebook Account experience alone.

Today, I find myself immersed in Social Media on a daily basis. Actually, I can share without reservation, that I have quickly grown to love all things Social Media. Early in 2011 I began planning and taking some important steps to help me begin my exciting journey towards starting my own Business: Selling By Building.

Early on in that process, a trusted confidant and supporter (who also is a highly experienced and successful Small Business Owner) enthusiastically conveyed to me the importance of quickly educating myself with and harnessing the Power and Magic of Social Media to assist me with making connections and spreading the message of my business, my philosophy, and what I am all about as I assume the challenge of becoming a Small Business Owner.

Social Media actually is a natural fit with the overriding philosophy behind Selling By Building: the belief that the most important ingredient to achieving long-term personal and business success is one's ability to successfully build strong, trusting, long-term relationships with everyone who we interact with on a daily basis. This includes Business Owners, Employees, Management, Customers/Clients, Vendors, etc. Communication is the Key. Strong Relationships are the Building Blocks.

A highly efficient means of achieving the critical goal of making connections, spreading one's message, and building strong, long-term, trusting relationships is Social Media.

I am utilizing Twitter, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, etc., to help me achieve the following important and long-term benefits:

Establish new connections and begin establishing mutually beneficial relationships with similar-minded people who share similar interests, philosophies, and goals for the future. I especially appreciate the fact that I can easily connect with, share with, and learn from great people all over the world in many countries. Being Married with two little ones under six, my ability to travel to far-away places and many countries is limited. But, being a people person, I want to connect with as many people as I can. The Technology and Wonder of Twitter grants me the wonderful and unparalleled opportunity to link up with and then share ideas, thoughts, and motivation with great people all over the world. I consider this fact priceless!
The ability and blessing to be able to share my diverse life experience and all of the great information, content, resources, quotes, etc., that I come across on a daily basis with my Connections. I greatly enjoy this fact. Helping other people and helping other people improve, get motivated, and achieve their goals is what I love doing the most. Social Media has allowed me to do this easily on a daily basis. Again.....priceless.
Lastly: Since I have become heavily engaged in Social Media I have gained immediate access to the thoughts of others and to the Web Content being shared by and recommended by others every single day. This has allowed me to broaden my horizons and become renewed, invigorated, fired-up again, and rejuvenated at the age of 41. I learn from great content and links shared daily on Social Media. I cannot emphasize this benefit of utilizing Social Media enough. I am no longer limited to just the Great People of Syracuse, NY, that I happen to come in contact with and communicate with. I am learning from, being educated by, and drawing inspiration from friends and connections in India, Ireland, England, Africa, etc.; in addition to those spread across the United States. Twitter, Technology, and Social Media have brought people together. Social Media, Technology, and the Web have increased, without bounds, the free-flow of information, ideas, and education across the Globe and between all people access to the Internet. One last time.....priceless.

I am going to attend and participate in the upcoming BizBuzz Social Media Conference to be help in Liverpool, NY, on November 1, 2011.

I am excited to be involved and a firm believer of attending this Conference because of the knowledge and appreciation I have gained recently during my transition to being an Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner.

This Conference will allow me to continue educating myself and to share what I have learned with others.

I have heeded the advice that was given to me early in 2011 and now I am fully engaged in (with a great deal more to learn of course) Social Media.

In retrospect: I was given great advice that I would now share with anyone reaching out to me for guidance.

My Selling By Building Journey is just beginning. I am loving it; and Social Media is a Tool that I will continue to educate myself about and utilize to help me with my Mission: positively impacting the lives of others and long-term success with being able to do what I love to do and am passionate about.

Social Media Magic. Bringing People Together. Utilizing Technology And The Web. Full Speed Ahead To Greater Success For All.

Life: Health & Wealth

2011-07-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

As I pondered the various possibilities for the Subject of this Blog Posting I planned on writing today I received a timely phone call from my Sister. After my meaningful conversation with her the Subject and Theme that I wanted to write about today became very clear: "Health & Wealth."

Wealth is perceived and defined in a multitude of ways. The definition is often dependent on each individuals uniqueness and own personal life experience, background, values, character, goals, and priorities.

Wikipedia defines "Wealth" as follows:

Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem.^[1] An individual, community, region or country that possesses an abundance of such possessions or resources is known as wealthy.
The concept of wealth is of significance in all areas of economics, especially development economics, yet the meaning of wealth is context-dependent and there is no universally agreed upon definition. Generally, economists define wealth as "anything of value" which captures both the subjective nature of the idea and the idea that it is not a fixed or static concept. Various definitions and concepts of wealth have been asserted by various individuals and in different contexts.^[2] Defining wealth can be a normative process with various ethical implications, since often wealth maximization is seen as a goal or is thought to be a normative principle of its own.^[3]

Wikipedia defines "Health" as follows:

Health is the level of functional and (or) metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person in mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to being free from illness, injury or pain (as in “good health” or “healthy”).^[1] The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."^[2]^[3] Although this definition has been subject to controversy, in particular as having a lack of operational value and the problem created by use of the word "complete", it remains the most enduring.

Many people spend their entire lives obsessed with and pursuing greater Wealth. But at what point do we become Wealthy? I am all for striving to make a good living beyond the basic necessities of daily living and working hard to be able to enjoy the betters things in life.

But I wonder if sometimes people are not much more "Wealthy" than they appreciate and realize. Life is not just about the accumulation of money, houses, and boats, etc. These things are nice, very nice in fact, but, if you were sitting in a Hospital Room with a serious life-threatening disease you would suddenly have gained much greater perspective. Money, a new house, a new boat, etc., would suddenly have moved down the "Ladder of Priorities" in your Life. You would be thinking the following simple and clear thought: you would be praying that a miracle would be granted; and that you could go back in time to a point where you were in general, relative, Good Health.

Consider this question:

Are you Wealthy if you are Healthy?

Today my Sister informed me during our telephone conversation that a Cousin of ours has just been just diagnosed with Melanoma; my Sister asked that we say a Prayer for her and keep her in our thoughts. My Sister is a Nurse. We do not know all of the details at this time other than the fact it sounds quite serious. My Sister conveys that this is a serious disease that gives cause for concern and worry.

My immediate thought upon hanging up: Life is So Short. We Take Our Health For Granted. Thank God For My Relative Good Health! Kind of a selfish thought.

We will as requested Pray for our Cousin and keep her in our thoughts.

Shortly after the conclusion of the conversation with my Sister I began thinking about and pondering the reality of our daily existence:

Any one of us could, possibly, and at any time, receive a phone call informing us that one of our Family Members or close Friends has suffered great tragedy or been stricken ill. Or even died.
Any one of us could, possibly, and at any time, suffer great tragedy or become suddenly ill. Seriously ill. Or even die.

What if you received "the phone call" today about a Family Member or Friend or from a Doctor about your Health that would immediately change your Life forever?

The Prospect and Potential of this phone call for all of us always exists and will never go away.

I ask you and I the following logical questions to ponder in light of the undeniable fact that our continued healthy existence is by no means a guarantee and that life is so short:

Why do we take so much for granted?
Why do we not fully appreciate our relative good health to a much greater extent than we do?
Why do we not sacrifice more of our Time, Energy, and Money to help others - and there are many! - who have already been stricken ill and and really, really suffering and struggling on a daily basis due to poor health?
Why do we all, myself included, so often choose to make the wrong things priorities and focus on or complain about trivial, inconsequential, and in retrospect meaningless, matters on a daily basis?
Why do we sometimes go about our lives in a robotic manner?

Why do we not spend more quality time with our Family and loved ones?

Why do we not exercise more and follow healthier diets that are proven will increase our level of health and reduce the likelihood of suffering poor health and being stricken by disease?

I have known friends who have died young. I have a friend with two very young children who is courageously battling ALS Disease (and embracing the opportunity to inspire others!) Today I just learned I have a Cousin who is battling Melanoma.

If you've been blessed with relative good health and have not thought about and truly appreciated this fact in a long time, I remind you not to take such things for granted.

If you are amongst the many battling a serious health issue: my thoughts and prayers are with you to give you strength and courage to battle on and to fight.

Consider again this question:

Are you Wealthy if you are Healthy?

I argue in many ways yes.

Considering the Wikipedia definition noted above would we consider Good Health to be a "Valuable Resource?" You bet. Without sufficient energy levels and a general feeling of good health it would be difficult for us to be able to live the life we desire and achieve the goals we set for ourselves.

Good Health is truly and undoubtedly a Blessing that not everyone is fortunate enough to have. Let's not take relative Good Health for granted and be truly grateful every single day; at the same time let us not turn a blind and selfish eye to those who are suffering and in need.

It could be any one of us any day. Carry that thought with you. Every Day.

I Wish You Good Health And The Perspective And Ability To Appreciate It When You Have It!

10 Tips To Help Achieve Your Worthy Goal

2011-07-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Achieving a Worthy Goal is not easy. We need to consistently set and achieve specific goals if we want to achieve great success and be the very best we can be. Following are some Tips and Suggestions to help us Successfully Achieve our Goals:

Write your Goal down on paper. Be specific. Set and write down a Target Date. Included with this should be the personal reasons why you are setting this Goal, the challenges and obstacles you have identified that you will need to overcome if you are to achieve your Goal, and, in precise detail, all of the Benefits and Advantages to be had when you successfully achieve the Goal.
Do not loose #1. Refer to it often for a refresher and reminder as to why you are expending the great energy that you are (or should be!) on a daily basis to move you toward the successful achievement of the Goal.
Adopt and Maintain a Positive Mental Attitude. This takes work. Self-doubt, negative thoughts, pessimism; these trouble-makers will undoubtedly hurt you and your Goal-Achieving efforts.
Expect the unexpected and expect to overcome the unexpected without ever being thrown off course. Life is unpredictable. Sometimes things happen at the worst possible times. One curve-ball or one set-back will not the not-truly-committed off-course.
Be Steadfast. I've always loved that word! Maintain a clear focus and keep your eye on the Goal and the Benefits to be had that you memorialized in Step 1 and keep mentally strong; nothing can keep you from achieving your Goal unless you let it happen. Again: Be Steadfast.
Earn and benefit from the support of those around you. If sacrifice is required that impacts the lives of your Family or your Closest Friends, then you need to educate them and enlist their support. You will need their support and their motivation when life gets tough, you feel overwhelmed, and achievement of your Goal lay in jeopardy. Help Family and Friends understand the sacrifices you are making and the commitment you are making by openly sharing with them why you're doing what you're doing and what you are going to gain by achieving your Goal. Nothing is more important than our Family and our Friends. We need them and their support.
Keep Healthy. We need Great Energy to be able to pursue our Goals Relentlessly. Great Energy is a direct result of Living a Healthy Lifestyle: eat well; exercise daily; minimize stress; embrace healthy habits. The more difficult and challenging a Goal is the more Energy we need. Continuously educate yourself on how to be as healthy as possible and live according to that knowledge.
Make the Process Fun. Life is Short. Enjoy and Respect the difficult journey often necessary to achieve a Worthy Goal.
Let each successive successful step that brings you closer to achieving your Goal inspire you and provide you with some positive motivation to help continue to carry you forward, remain committed, stay focused, and ultimately Reach That Goal!
Don't give up. Never give up. Nothing truly great has never been achieve without great sacrifice, commitment, dedication, and resilience.

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." Fitzhugh Dodson
Good Luck! Go grab a pen a paper and get a jump-start on your next Goal? What will it be?

Entrepreneur? You?

2011-06-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

Are you cut out to be an Entrepreneur?

Am I cut out to be an Entrepreneur?

How do the successful ones succeed while so many....the majority....fail for no lack of effort?

Might you be the next Bill Gates?

Could you succeed and might you be much happier and more fulfilled if you carefully and cautiously started your own Small Business which would enable you to finally focus on simply doing what you love to do and are truly passionate about?

What really is an Entrepreneur? Why are they collectively considered such a unique and special group of human beings?

Wikipedia defines this so-often used and often-misunderstood term as follows:

An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome.^{[note 1]} The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to help launch a new venture or enterprise and accept full responsibility for the outcome. Jean-Baptiste Say, a French economist, is believed to have coined the word "entrepreneur" in the 19th century - he defined an entrepreneur as "one who undertakes an enterprise, especially a contractor, acting as intermediatory between capital and labour".^{[note 2]} A broader definition by Say: "The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of lower and into higher productivity and greater yield."^{[clarification needed]}

Regardless of how anyone specifically defines an Entrepreneur one thing is for sure: it takes a highly special and creative individual with great drive, perseverance, and passion, to be able to, in the face of all the nay-sayers, many doubters, and willing negative anti-risk advisers, push forward with a dream, a vision, and a plan, and to successfully start their own business.

Whether I will ultimately fail or succeed with my dream and vision (Selling By Building) remains to seen: only time will tell if I will be successful in making the transition to doing what I love to do and am passionate about and be able to make a living. But I am confident. I believe. I am committed.

But, regardless of trying to predict the future, I am absolutely loving and enjoying the entire entrepreneurial process and all of the accompanying challenges inherent with starting a new business.

As a result of my current efforts in starting my own Small Consulting Business I have gained a much greater understanding of and appreciation for Entrepreneurs. Their chosen path is not easy! Those without sufficient perseverance, passion, and dedication may give up in the face of the varying challenges that all Entrepreneurs face on a daily basis.

But......I believe and I think most Entrepreneurs will tell you that it is all worth it!

To Succeed against great odds an Entrepreneur must be blessed with or committed to continually developing the following success traits and characteristics:

Strong Work Ethic
Highly Competitive
Great Passion
Great Vision
Unyielding Drive
Genuine Empathy
High Level of Organization (or at least keep striving to improve in this area like me!)
Uncanny Communication Skills: the ability to easily communicate in a positive manner in any given moment
Exhibit Strong Leadership Skills
Strong Presentation Skills
Highly Developed Listening Skills
Be Patient When Necessary
Great Confidence
Not Be Patient When Necessary To Make Things Happen!
Want To Genuinely Help Other People and Other Businesses To Succeed and Develop Solutions To Problems
I could go on. But for brevity sake and because I know you have other things to do I will stop.

For anyone who is dissatisfied with their current lot and personal situation and who is in the research and personal exploration phase of potentially taking on the biggest and most exciting challenge of their life there is an infinite amount of knowledge and tips available at all times on the Web and many great books on being an Entrepreneur and what it takes. We must all be committed to continual learning and never, ever giving in to "complacency."

http://www.entrepreneur.com/ is a great source of knowledge and guidance.

If you are interested in starting a Consulting Business I highly recommend "Getting Started In Consulting" by Alan Weiss, PhD. This is a fantastic book which has helped me a great deal; I share his Philosophy and like the the way he lays out information in an easy-read manner.

I have also been learning a great deal from the life experience of several Entrepreneurs and Business Owners that I know and have met during my Journey. There is no better source of knowledge and help that from those who have already been down the road, survived, and achieved success. So do not hesitate to reach out; I have found Business Owners are more than willing to share their success and experience and to help teach and coach others.

"When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure."
- Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

"If it really was a no-brainer to make it on your own in business there'd be millions of no-brained, harebrained, and otherwise dubiously brained individuals quitting their day jobs and hanging out their own shingles. Nobody would be left to round out the workforce and execute the business plan."
- Bill Rancic, winner on Donald Trump's "The Apprentice"

"The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it."
- Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies

Being an eternal optimist and annoyingly positive person who loves to help others I am going to say if we are 100% confident in our ability and passionate our Personal Dream and Vision that we should leave the hesitation behind Get Moving. Then is it all up to you to make it happen.

Life is Short. Do Not Settle. Develop a Plan. Build a Team of Mentors and Supporters. Progress Carefully and Thoughtfully. Never Stop Asking Questions. Keep on Learning. Stay Positive. Remain Flexible. Follow Your Dreams. Persevere. Prioritize. Focus. Push Forth. Help Others. Do Not Give Up. Do Not Loose Sight Of What Is Important In Life. Appreciate Your Health. Take Nothing For Granted. Enjoy!