Top Shelf Life

Exhale: Success Around The Corner

2013-03-25T17:23:00.001-07:00

“Success is… knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefits others.” – John C. Maxwell

To breathe is to sustain life and to exhale is to breathe out air in a deliberate manner. Well I believe that every significant journey beings with the first step. There are many missteps and pitfalls along the way but its important to always persevere. Through continual growth and endurance one is able to reach their end goal, and simply, EXHALE. Jon Bon Jovi stated that ‘Success is falling nine times and getting up ten.” There is great truth found in this definition of success.

As my formal education voyage comes to an end there are many questions that arise. The most significant question I am currently facing is, what is success? How do I define and measure success? Through this post I would like to define my own personal meaning of success. The pursuit of excellence is what I am striving towards, but how will I know when I get there?

Originally, I believed that success solely had to do with winning. We are taught by many sources that anyone can do anything. But realistically our chances of becoming the next Bill Gates are fairly slim. The media is loves selling a rags-to-riches story, but the definition of ‘riches’ and ‘success’ are very skewed in mainstream media.

JohnWooden, more affectionately known as Coach, served as head coach for the UCLA men’s basketball team for forty years. During a TED talk in 2001 Wooden recalled a piece of advice he received from his father before defining his own meaning for success. He stated that one should “never try to be better than someone else, and to always learn from others.” He then continued on with his own definition; “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable.” Peace of Mind knowing that you gave your best effort. Pretty Powerful.

Another great American sporting coach was Vince Lombardi. Lombardi defined success as “hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” Giving your all in all you do is vital to achieve personal fulfillment.

I believe that each of us should take the time to conceive our own personal definition of success. What are the key areas of your personal fulfillment? Take the time to address your core values to and develop your own definition of success.

If I had to define success it would be ‘Persistent hard work and dedication to achieve the task at hand, while concentrating on attaining your purpose in life. Persevering through the storm to reach a higher height. Giving ones best in all they do, to achieve a personal sense of fulfillment and joy, is success.’

With my own personal definition of success, I am happy to say that I have achieved personal success with the communication of this Entertainment Business Masters of Science program. Now I can exhale, a deliberate release of fresh air!

“….I firmly believe that any man’s finest hours – his greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”

- Vince Lombardi

Making Dreams a Reality: The Importance of Goals

2013-03-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

“Achievement to most people is something you do… to the high achiever, it is something you are.” – Doug Firebaugh

Many people say that if you want your dreams to be come a reality, write them down. But as simple as that may seem, its not always that easy. For our dreams to become our reality we must have an in-depth plan that requires action. The plan can no longer just be goals and dreams, but also must consist of financial plans and realistic milestones with measurable metrics, that can allow us to improve on life goals. For goals to be achievable they first must be SMART; specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, with a designated time frame for each specific goal.

Goals help to give perspective on the situations of life. They are steps on the ladder of personal growth. Therefore self-reflection is a must; it will allow you to see where you are now, where you have come from and where you still need to go. Take the time to develop strategies that can maximize your personal growth.

A person must know their identity to achieve goals that lead to sustainable growth. The ability to define ones identity and path in life is critical for personal and professional development. No progress can be gained if you are self-sabotaging yourself, therefore take control of your life and set goals of growth. Stedman Graham states in his book ‘Identity: Your Passport to Success’ that “life isn’t always outside forces controlling you. At some point, you can get back in control of your life – and the sooner you do so, the better."

Goal must be realistic. Start where you are, at your foundation. Begin small, but make it significant. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes; learn from the mistakes, they make us strong and wiser. Through hard work, a useful skill set, and a solid foundation, goals can and will be obtained.

Take a look at these useful tips on setting goals.

It is important to understand that personal growth doesn’t just happen and that you must know yourself to grow yourself. The goal setting process should give you the determination to achieve what you have set out to reach. Motivation is always useful to get started with the process but discipline is what sustains you and keep you growing. Finally, develop strategies to maximize your growth because the secret of your success is found in your daily routine.

Peace and Blessings

-RB

“If you go to work on your goals, your goals will work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you, whatever good things we build end up building us.” – Jim Rohn

Business Plan Development Advice pt 2.

2013-03-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

Many believe that business plans are an essential element guaranteeing success within the business. But honestly a business plan is an out of date proposal of how one hoped a business would run. No one can forecast or predict the future of a business, but one can get to know their consumers to better serve their future needs. Entrepreneurial expert Carl Schramm believes that one should survey their market to find out who, what, and why a customer will choose their business over a competitor.

A target market analysis is conducted through research when developing a business plan. But how can a business actually know what their consumers desire with out getting to know them. To have the strongest and most effective business possible, start-up entrepreneurs should obtain feedback from their perspective client base. The feedback can assist business owners in developing a unique advantage and an impressive following.

A business plan may be the formal planned that is mapped out but it is not the actual path that you take in business. Therefore we at RB Entertainment Group will take the necessary time to survey and get to know our customer base. With the rapid changes in technology and trends, we understand that our customers’ desires are most important to ensure fruitful longevity.

Investors are interested in personal character rather than financial projections. Investors must be willing to work with a business owner as a professional individual. Therefore they expect you to be teachable and able to adapt to changes within a business, before one is willing to invest capital within a business. Investors also must ensure that they are making a healthy investment. A start-up entrepreneur that has a reputable name within their market, and a confident grasp on their consumers wants, is more favorable in the eyes of an investor.

We at RB Entertainment Group fully understand that a business plan becomes out-of-date at the very second of completion. Therefore we see our business plan as a working document that should constantly be updated to reflect changes within the market as well as the company. By doing so, ensures strategic and competitive company growth.