Posted on Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Why Don’t You Zag When Everyone Else Zigs?

I have talked before on this blog about the importance of having a mentor and working with trusted advisers. I have even encouraged getting a coach or investing financially in your development and education. And I am not the only person talking about this. Mentors have become a buzz word and a topic of conversation at networking events (that’s how you know it’s mainstream). You have heard it all before so today let’s zag a little bit; let’s talk unconventional. Your ability to make quantum leaps, to take your family, your business and your life to a higher level of success and fulfillment is dependent on your willingness to look outside the status quote and separate yourself from the ordinary.

You will never find uncommon success focused on common methods. You need to think outside the box to gain different perspectives. You need a Development Council.

A few years ago I was hired by a local nonprofit as the Director of Development. This was a big promotion for me and gave me the opportunity to try new things and face new challenges. It also gave me the opportunity to hold a position of leadership and become a member of the senior management team. This team of upper level managers, including the CEO, meets weekly to discuss strategy, handle personnel issues and ideally catch problems before they grow out of control. This is a pretty conventional group; most companies have a senior management team that gathers periodically to handle these types of issues. And it’s not what I am talking about when it comes to your Development Council.

I am referring to a group of advisors that can give unconventional perspective and ideas to conventional problems. To truly create breakthrough performance you have to think differently, break the norms and, dare I say, be a little crazy. A Development Council will push you to look at your opportunities, and the world, in a way you hadn’t before. That’s the point. So who should be on this distinguished Council?

Your Tribe– Built with a blog, your blog- If you don’t have a personal blog, and if you’re not (at least) semi-active on social media, you really should make the effort. In a later post I will go through all the powerful benefits of doing this. But, for this conversation let’s just briefly say it gives you a platform to gather the perspective of others, a lot of others. On Facebook alone there are over three-quarters of a billion (with a B) people every day checking in. If you want unconventional advice reach out and ask that group how to approach a problem. When you have a blog you have a voice and a platform to state your need. From there you will be able to get advice (good and bad). It is up to you to sort it all out.

Your brother (or sister) – For many years I have held a weekly call with my brother to discuss accountability and goal achievement. While we both focus our careers in very different industries, I continuously draw great ideas from his perspective. He doesn’t see the limitations, real or imagined, that I see and he often poses solutions that I didn’t consider. I love when he gives me a suggestion, I say it will never work, he asks why, I stumble to respond, then go out and try it to success. This also works with my wife who is a great sounding board for problems and a source of insight (and support- thanks babe).

A Competitor – I said we’d need to get a little crazy. In my nonprofit fundraising world it is highly competitive. Donors and companies have a limited charitable dollars and unlimited charitable requests. This is especially true in a big city like the Bay Area. But, I have gotten some great advice from my competitors. Whether they know it or not, every time we have the opportunity to interact I get new insights and perspective. Because we all approach similar problems from differing banks of experience and knowledge we often approach those problems differently. It pays to know how your competition thinks.

A kid – Kids don’t see things as impossibilities only opportunities. Kids don’t focus on what can’t be done but on how it can be done and how quickly we can begin. When you see limitations they see creative solutions. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all think more like kids? The possibilities would be endless. Have you ever watched a kid take apart a machine just to see how it works? They love to take a question, no matter how complex, and break it down, figure it out. Run your ideas past a kid and see where his imagination can take you.

To reach a higher level of success you need to think unconventionally, you need to be different and you need to see things those around you miss or dismiss. Put together your Development Council and create opportunities for growth, learning and experimentation. Be a bit crazy and find unconventional success – Zag when everyone else zigs.

Question: Who do you turn to for unconventional wisdom? Leave your comments below or by clicking here

Goybadi! Join the Community

Posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Three Rules of Making More Money

I could use a little bit more income, couldn’t we all? When it comes to making more money there are three rules that make all the difference.

Like many kids in the eighties, I was a huge Chicago Bulls fan. Let’s be honest, I was really a Michael Jordan fan. I spent many days/nights dribbling a ball and trying to replicate some of the behind the back and over the shoulder plays Jordan made look easy. At eight I took on my first entrepreneurial adventure, selling greeting cards door-to-door hoping to sell enough to get my very own basketball.

From those early days until now I have always had a drive to increase my income and the opportunities that come along with it. I have learned a lot about sells, marketing, budgeting, goal setting and saving. Through it all I think I have found three rules that, if followed, will increase your money making success. The three rules are:

Help other people first
Do what others are unable and unwilling
Education is worth the investment

Rule #1 is rule #1 for a reason- it makes all of the difference. If you are able to help people achieve their desires there is no limit to reciprocal benefits that will come your way. As my mentor Zig Ziglar used to teach, you can have everything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want. Other entrepreneurs would say “find a need and fill it” or “give people what they want and you will never go hungry”. So the first rule of making more money is to focus on helping others, the money will follow.

Rule #2 – Do what others are unable or unwilling to do – This secret is all about getting in and getting the job done. My first job as a teenager came at the young age of 13. For two consecutive summers I would daily ride the bus one hour into town to spend two hours cleaning floors and emptying trash at a popular pizza shop. I made minimum wage, which at the time (age 13) felt like a king’s ransom. I loved the responsibility of getting to work on time and working hard for my pay. I felt so independent.

During that same summer, many of my friends played video games and watched television, unwilling to put in any effort to make a little spending money. The idea of emptying food trash was so “uncool”. But, it was during this time that I realized those who commit to doing a good job in the position they are offered will be offered increased opportunity and increased reward. By the end of my pizza shop days I was behind the counter spinning pizzas and baking the pies, the “cool” job. It was so much fun and an experience I will never forget, all because I was willing to change trash to get started.

Rule #3 – Education is worth the investment. When you visit with a banker or financial planner they focus on your return on investment (ROI). You put in some cash, buy some property or securities and watch the interest compound. What is often overlooked in this process is the FACT that investing in education returns an interest that may be far greater than all your other accounts combined.

According to researchers at the Economic Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, a 4 year college graduate will make an estimated $800,000 more during their lifetime than a person with a high school diploma only. That amount is mindboggling but it probably underestimates the true value of lifelong learning; and it doesn’t even factor in the effect of continuing education either formally through job training or informally at home or in the car. I have long been a student at Automobile University and calculate that I have read over 350 nonfiction books in the past 10 years. The impact of that learning has skyrocketed my career and opened doors I didn’t even know existed.

Throughout my life I have focused on the three rules of making more money and have found success in their implementation. I would not be where I am at today and could never get to where I am going without a focus on helping other people get what they want, doing the job that needs to be done and continuous learning. Watch out world- as I continue to focus on these three rules I will reach the level of success I am destined for.

Question: I want to hear what you think- How have the rules helped you along your journey? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

Get a FREE Copy of the 3 Rules of Making More Money Poster

Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude in 9 Easy Steps

The power of gratitude…how we can cultivate more of it in our lives? I hear very little argument when I tell people that there are benefits to being grateful. Everyone seems to intuitively believe that being a grateful person is important and good. But why? Here are 11 reasons why being grateful is a good idea:

A grateful person builds stronger relationships. We are all in the relationships business, whether we know it or not. Everything we do from work, to home, to charity, to church involves working with others and strengthening bonds. We are a relationship driven society. Grateful people are more fun to be around and attract other people who want to experience that feeling
Grateful people have more friends- not just stronger bonds, but more bonds. Grateful people never lack for friends.
Grateful people tend to pay more attention to their health. Grateful people are healthier because when you feel good inside you are more prone to want to eat healthier, exercise more and consciously watch your health.
Grateful people are happier- There have been numerous studies done on the relationship between gratitude and mental health. It should come as no surprise that grateful people focus on the positive and positive people experience more joy and life satisfaction.
Gratitude reduces anger- cultivating a grateful demeanor could cure your road rage and calm your short temper.
Grateful people have better sex- Ok I have no basis for saying that but it sounds good right? I “assume” it’s correct. So let’s go with it.
Grateful people are more successful- I read a study that found that grateful people have more mental toughness and higher self-esteem. Both are key attributes required for being successful
Good night’s rest- grateful people can rest their heads at night and allow the stress and troubles of the day dissipate. Focusing on what is going right in your life creates peace and happiness and an ability to relax.
Grateful people make better employees- this is a combination of many of the factors above, stronger relationships, more friendships, healthier, happier and more successful- all combine to make a great employee.
Grateful people are more spiritual and less materialistic. This can also be seen in the reverse, more spiritual and less materialistic people tend to be more grateful and have more to be grateful for.
Grateful people look better- grateful people tend to smile more often; this communicates happiness and makes you look fabulous.

So how do we become more grateful? It’s easy to feel gratitude and give thanks during the holidays, around special occasions or when prompted by a good turn but how about being a grateful person year-round and always? Here are 9 ways that you can cultivate an attitude of gratefulness.

Notice your day-to-day world. Be conscious and aware of your surroundings, the beauty, the people, and the uniqueness. Intentionally focusing on your surroundings and the positives therein is step one to being grateful
Keep a gratitude journal- keeping a record of all the things that you have to be grateful for will ensure that it is a conscious part of your thinking. The more you think about gratitude the more you will find to be grateful for.
Walk away from negativity- When you find yourself in a conversation that is negative and draining walk away. I know it is easier said than done but the more you associate with positives the more you will find to be grateful for.
Be humble- recognizing that good things are happening to you and that others are the cause of that goodness will remind you that sometimes we are the beneficiaries of positives we don’t create or control.
Be complimentary- The more positive you act and react to those you interact with the more you will recognize the blessings in your life. People mirror behavior- if you extend gratitude you will receive gratitude in return.
Learn from experience- recognize when you are feeling grateful and do more of that. Also, recognize times when you do not feel gratitude and avoid them in the future.
Never complain- this might be the most difficult of the 9 ways to cultivate an attitude of gratitude which may make it the most important. We are constantly surrounded by gossip and complaining (negativity); make a conscious effort to not participate in any of it. Be the eternal positive optimist.
Smile- Have you ever tried to be grumpy with a smile on your face? Bet you can’t do it. Go ahead try. When you smile on the outside you can’t help but smile on the inside. Also when you smile people you interact with will automatically smile back.
Champion causes of good- go out of your way to find causes or engage in activities that do good for the less fortunate. Engage in a cause that is bigger than you and you will be amazed at how service to others reminds you of your blessings.

Use these 9 steps for cultivating an attitude of gratitude that will allow you to experience the 11 benefits grateful people experience.

Question: What benefit of gratitude have you experienced in your life? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

An Attitude of Gratitude Summary Poster pdf…Free

Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2015

You Can Make A Difference…Indeed You Must

In October 2003 my wife and I woke up Sunday morning to an eerie orange glow in our bedroom. We were newlyweds living in San Diego, CA. As we looked out the window, we saw what looked like snow- this is San Diego mind you. In reality it was ash, the orange glow was fire. We were less than a mile from the largest wildfire ever recorded in California History (burned over 800,000 acres). Fueled by the Santa Ana winds, the fire had grown through the night and surprised many sleeping residents by morning. During the course of this fire 15 people would lose their lives and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage would occur (over 2000 homes were lost).

Our apartment was right next to the San Diego Chargers Football Stadium which became an evacuation shelter. As an aside, the Monday Night Football game was moved to Arizona and work and school were cancelled the entire week. Needless to say, it was a big deal and a very scary time. It took years for the community to recover.

But there is a part of this story that is inspirational; the emergence of a hero. In a community north of where we were living a young boy was evacuated from his home to the nearby elementary school, his school. The school was also being used as a command post for the firefighting efforts. The young man had already lost his home in the fire but, as the news would report, he asked his mom if he could make sandwiches for the firefighters working around the clock. It became a great story of a young man more concerned about others and helping where he could than about his own safety, security and personal loss.

I think there is a lot that we can learn from this young man. I shared this story because we all go through ups and downs in life….right? Sometimes it just feels like our house is on fire and there is a chance we could lose it all. Do you have people in your life willing to stand up and make a difference, to be a part of the solution? Are you that type of person? We should all strive to be that support group for each other.

You can make a difference in someone else’s life.

Join the Goybadi Community

Posted on Tuesday, March 10, 2015

The Essential Eight

I have a huge love affair with books and reading. I am a voracious reader and have been most of my life. A few years ago the job I had took me on the road A LOT. I spent 10s of thousands of miles in the air and around 150 nights a year in a hotel room. While that much travel certainly had its drawbacks it also had its rewards (air miles, hotel points and sightseeing). It also came with the added advantage of hours and hours and hours of reading.

At the time I would average a book a week. Since leaving that job I left behind the air miles and hotel points but I retained the reading schedule. In fact, thanks to Audible and their 2x capabilities, I have actually increased the amount of book content that I can consume. I now average about 1 ½ books a week sharing time between my Kindle Paperwhite and Audible (in Automobile University :)) Because of this schedule I have read close to 350 “business” (nonfiction) books in the last 10 years.

From ALL THAT reading, I have learned 2 huge things- 1) there are a lot of great books out there and 2) the more you read the better you can do your job, engage with your family, interact with friends and colleagues – in short….reading makes you a better person.

So this week I am sharing the “Essential Eight”, the 8 books that have had the biggest impact on my growth and development, my motivation and inspiration. Today is the blog but on Thursday I dive even deeper into these books on my podcast. When it goes live you can listen to it here (goes live on March 12^th — episode 021).

The Essential Eight are books that I believe must be read, reread and implemented into your life (they are all favorites so I ordered them in alphabetical by author)

7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Dr. Stephen R. Covey – Had a huge impact on helping to start Family Before Fortune. I think is better and more applicable than his other “Habits” book. (read more here)

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy- I have a very detailed routine that I follow with my goal setting and weekly accountability. That discipline comes from multiple readings of this great book on building step by step to success. (read more here)

Winners Never Cheat by Jon M. Huntsman- Talk about an example of integrity, Jon Huntsman walks through a number of real world scenarios where cheating and dishonesty seemed the easiest course. He became a billionaire philanthropist through hard work and never compromising. (read more here)

Start With Why by Simon Sinek- There is no better book on the sales cycle and creating lifelong raving fans than Start With Why. It is a must read for any business and employee. (read more here)

Smartcuts by Shane Snow- You may have heard me rave about this book on my podcast (episode 012). This book was so transformational for me that I read it twice…back to back. The premise is how the most successful rise to the top of their game through strategic “shortcuts with integrity” (smartcuts). (read more here)

The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall- A short but impactful parable about a young man discovering his value through lessons his deceased uncle Red left as his inheritance. (read more here)

Rule #1 Investing by Phil Town- I think the easiest to understand investment book on the market. Rule #1 comes from Warren Buffett’s famous quote about investing “Rule #1- Never lose money. Rule #2- Never forget rule #1. (read more here)

See You at The Top by Zig Ziglar- If you know me then this comes as no surprise. I love anything and everything from Zig and this book launched his career. The motivation and inspiration needed to reach your full potential and a blueprint for making it happen. (read more here)

Honorable Mentions- I wanted to throw in a couple of highly impactful books that just missed being included in the “Essential Eight”. Too bad we didn’t make it the “Tremendous Ten”

3 books with equal influence The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Question: How many of the “Essential Eight” have you read? Did a miss one that should have been included? Leave your comment below or by clicking here.

Join the Goybadi Community

Posted on Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Tools of the Trade

Over the past several months I have been asked many times about the tools that I am using to create and manage Family Before Fortune, my tools of the trade. When I started actively posting on a weekly basis (over a year ago…wow already), I had a very simple wordpress site and a laptop. I really had no idea what I was doing, nor did I know about all the tools could save me a lot of time and make the experience (your experience) better. As I have traveled this journey I have picked up a few ideas and made adjustments as education has encouraged.

This week, for the first time, I consciously sat down and laid out my entire arsenal on one page. This week I put together a “Resources Page”(you may have noticed it in the navigation bar). It took me quite a while to brainstorm and list everything that I am currently using and how I am using each piece of equipment, software and/or training/lesson.

I was pretty surprised to see just how far I have come from my first blog post (text only, no pictures) to where we are today, the journey and growth. As I have learned new things and experimented with different ideas I have found better ways to do things. My little blog has grown to include a podcast, have a theme and a goal. And my audience has grown too (thank you by the way)!! It has been amazing to see what can be accomplished on a laptop with an internet connection.

I encourage you to check out my new “Resources Page” and I hope that you find it interesting, enjoyable, education and motivating. On the page you will find

The tools I use for my blog
The tools I use for my podcast
Website I love
The “Essential Eight” – 8 books you must read.
Webtools I can’t live without
Podcasts I listen to
Social media tools I use
Plugins
& much more

To access the new resources page you can click the “Resources” link in the title bar above or just click here.

I am curious to know what you think- did I miss anything, which tools do you use? Let me know in the comments section below.

Get Your Free Copy of 13 Life Quotes (the complete eBook) Here

Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2015

8 Ways We Are Led Off The Path of Success

How well can you swim? I think I’m a pretty good swimmer, but I don’t want my airplane landing in the ocean. How about you? But using your seat cushion as a flotation device is a real possibility if you are on a plane from JFK airport (New York, NY) to LAX airport (Los Angeles, CA) and that plane flies off course 1 degree. Only 1 single degree… it seems like such a small inconsequential amount but the results can be life changing.

In airplanes, missing your destination can result in outcomes ranging from the minor, inconvenience, to the catastrophic and tragic. The same principle is true with our lives and our goals. If you are not committed and determined to staying on course, you can easily find yourself drifting. And the longer that you travel “off course”, the further you will be from your desired destination (results). In our airplane example, a plane that is off by 1 degree will end up 1 mile off course for every 60 miles traveled; meaning our JFK plane from above would end up 40 miles away from Los Angeles.

Throughout your success journey there will be times when you need to readjust and reorient yourself, get back on the path. No one can walk the path to success directly without making adjustments. The key to arriving at your destination is to recognize when you are off course and make the adjustment quickly, bringing yourself back in line with your desired outcomes. 1 way that we can do this is to recognize the obstacles that will challenge us.

Here are the 8 most common obstacles that will try to lead you off the path of success.

1. Imposter syndrome– not believing in yourself and your goals. Everybody experiences a little self-doubt, that feeling that you are not “good enough” or “worthy enough” to have success. Even those you look up to as mentors and leaders experience self-doubt.

Solution- Remember the quote by SNL’s Stuart Smalley – “I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!” Recognize that you have talents and abilities that others don’t have. To be truly successful you must learn to overcome self-limitation and rise above doubt.

2. Over extending– having too much on your plate to get it all done. Sometimes in our desire to please everybody we set ourselves up for failure. We take on more than we can accomplish effectively and accurately. Often the area that suffers from this overextension is our personal goals and desires as we try to meet the needs of others.

Solution- Remember the Paolo Coelho quote – “When You Say Yes To Others, Make Sure You’re Not Saying No To Yourself.” Choose yourself, your dreams and aspirations first before agreeing to give time to others.

3. Shiny object syndrome– chasing every new technology, strategy or process can distract you from what you need to accomplish. Rather than seeing objectives through to completion, you abandon goals already started and chase after something new that has caught your eye.

Solution- Remember the Gabby Douglas quote- “It’s very tough for me to focus. I’m like: ‘Look, something shiny! No, focus. Oh, there goes a butterfly!’”. Focusing on your objective without distraction is vital to staying on course. No, focus!

4. Fear of failure– There will always be the possibility of failure. If there isn’t you haven’t set your objectives high enough. Don’t be petrified by possibility of failure and miss the opportunity of success.

Solution- Remember the Michael Jordan quote- “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” The real failure is in not trying.

5. Failure to launch– ready aim aim aim…. Many “would be” successful goal-setters miss their objective because they never get out of the planning and preparing stage. They find paralysis by analysis more comforting that progress.

Solution- Remember the Francis of Assisi quote- “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible”. Just start and as you move down the path, opportunity and answers will appear.

6. Lack of clarity– As Zig Ziglar inquired “are you a meaningful specific or a wandering generality”? If you do not know the steps needed to reach your destination you will not take the shortest route to success. You will wander aimlessly hoping to stumble upon it; always busy but never productive.

Solution- Remember the Brendon Burchard quote- “People are remarkably bad at remembering long lists of goals….the longer their lists of to-dos and goals, the more overwhelmed and off-track they got. Clarity comes with simplicity”. Having a road map and a simple direction will keep you on course.

7. No end in mind– related to clarity, no end in mind is not understanding what you really want out of life. The result will be missing success. How can you hit a target you do not have? You must have goals to hit and dreams to aspire to.

Solution- Remember the Lewis Carrol quote- “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

8. Listening to critics and naysayers– The world is filled with people willing to tear you down and trample your dreams. If you listen to the critics, the nonbelievers, you will be distracted and begin to drift off course. The more you surround yourself with negativity, the more you become a part of that negativity. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Solution- Remember the Paolo Coelho quote- “[C]ritics don’t hurt me, because it is me. If it was not me, if I was pretending to be someone else, then this could unbalance my world, but I know who I am”. Knowing who you are, that your dream has value, and igniting your passion for it with shut even the most obnoxious critic up.

There will always be obstacles. The more something is worth to you the more you may have to fight for it. Do not let anything stand in the way of your success. As you get closer to achieving your goals, as your success destination gets closer, the above 8 obstacles will be more present. Commit now to reaching your potential.

Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way. – Les Brown

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. – Christopher Reeve

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. – Henry Ford

Get Your Free Poster Containing The Article’s Quotes

Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Do These Jeans Make Me Look Fat & Other Lies We Tell

Have you ever been caught with your hand in the proverbial cookie jar? Maybe it wasn’t an intentional act, you lost track of time and didn’t complete an assignment or circumstances were such that before you recognized what was happening a mistake had been made.

How do you react? What if telling the truth meant you would lose your job?

Hopefully it is rare that you have found yourself in a situation where honesty could cost you your job, but I’d be willing to bet that you have found yourself in situations where telling the truth is difficult. The social pressure and desires to not embarrass ourselves (ego) tempt us to fudge the truth a little.

Of course you are not alone. Little kids begin to lie or use deception as young as 6 months old. Maybe you have experienced the pretended laugh or cry to get attention or a result. In a 2002 study by Dr. Robert Feldman, University of Massachusetts) he found that on average people told 2-3 lies in a 10 minute conversation and 60% of people cannot have a 10 minute conversation without lying once. In a separate study research found that only 18%-25% of lies are ever discovered. That means a lot of people are getting away with a lot of untruths. (source of above statistics).

Most of the deceptions we experience, and participate in, are small and generally minimally consequential in the long term, but those are still some pretty scary statistics. So what can we do to be a stand up person even when it is hard? Here are 10 suggestions for overcoming the temptation to lie.
1- Determine that you will be intentional in your avoidance of deceit. The first and most important step is to decide that you will be honest; a firm resolve and commitment to the truth. Draw that line in the sand. If you make the decision ahead of time you will be prepared to respond when opportunities arise.

2- Think about honesty in your quiet time or meditation. You become what you think about. If you put into your mind that you are a truthful person and view yourself in that frame you will act accordingly. Reinforce your commitment. Do not spend time looking for excuses or fashioning deflections, spend time reinforcing your honesty.

3- Recognize your limitations. Knowing your abilities and what you can accomplish, in terms of time and ability, will help you to always deliver on your promises and will reduce the temptation to skirt the truth later.

4- Admit mistakes. We all make mistakes and sometimes exaggerate or fail to be completely honest. When you recognize that you are not being as honest as your expect yourself to be, apologize and admit mistake. It might take a little notch off your ego but will garner you the reputation of integrity – the trait most employers and business partners rate as the most important quality in an employee. Own up to your shortcomings and avoid blaming others.

5- Know what tempts you to compromise integrity. As an alcoholic avoids bars, so should you avoid situations where you are more prone to compromise your integrity. This relates to #3 above, if you know your limits there is less cause to hide shortcomings.

6- Build relationships. the closer you are to the people you work and interact with, the more comfortable you will get with being truthful. If you have a relationship built on shared trust and integrity you will be confident in sharing the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Have respect for the people you interact with.

7- Ask for help. if you feel that you are really struggling with honesty you may need to enlist the support of a mentor or trusted colleague. Someone you can confide in and work through the process of identifying when you are not being truthful and how you can change.

8- Recognize the consequences of dishonesty. Even though most dishonesty is never discovered there are still consequences. Recognizing the possible, potential and likely results of deception will help you to avoid venturing in that direction.

9- Be persistent. The path to being fully honest may be a journey for you. It may even be a long journey. Take it one step at a time and keep moving forward. If you stumble, recognize your mistake, admit it (see #4) and move on. You are not alone but we need you to be a leader for change.

10- Think before you speak. this goes for dirty jokes, inappropriate language and gossip too. If our natural tendency is to exaggerate, blame, deflect or skirt the truth then stop….think….and retry with the truth.

Honesty, as we all know, is the best policy….though not always the easiest. I continuously work on genuine integrity in all my interactions and follow the above 10 suggestions in my own life. I know my weaknesses and try to have the confidence to accept responsibility. Integrity is the trait that makes the difference in success, confidence, friendships and reaching our potential. How honest are you? By the way…..you look great in those jeans.

Free Integrity Poster

Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2015

There is Never a Traffic Jam on the Extra Mile

There is never a traffic jam on the extra mile – Roger Staubach

an excerpt from my free eBook – 13 Life Quotes- Inspirational Life Lessons w/ a Bonus

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Did you know that the act of just “doing” puts you in the top 1% of online business owners? Ideas are common; execution on those ideas is rare. Have you ever started a project, gotten really excited about it and then after a few days lost interest? Of course you have, we all have. Gyms are filled with people the first two weeks of January that won’t be back week three. There are millions of half written books, probably even some really good ones, sitting on the hard drives of people who got excited, started and then lost excitement and quit. Persevering until completion and getting over the mid-goal hump is important. So is going the extra mile.

The extra mile is not just good customer service, like at Nordstrom’s, but refers to everything we do. My close friend in real estate spends 2-3 hours every morning cold calling expired listings and for sale by owner properties. The work is tough and many recipients are rude but the effort has paid off. He has a number of new clients and the experience is building his character and determination. There are very few people willing to do that next step, to wake up a little earlier, come home a little later or turn off the television and put down the social distractions. Few are willing to make the effort necessary to be successful. To break out of the crowd you just need to be willing to take that extra step and go that extra mile. Because. there is never a traffic jam on the extra mile (and never will be)

Get Your Free Copy of 13 Life Quotes (the complete eBook) Here

Posted on Tuesday, February 3, 2015

The Future of Podcasts – Join The Wave

Today is such a great day. I started this morning with a quick 20 minute listen to one of my favorite podcasts- so motivational. I love podcasts and have a little bit of an obsession with consuming content. I even listen to them at twice the speed so I can get through more great info. I estimate that I consume about 40 hours worth of podcasts each and every week. Crazy I know.

I think that podcasting will someday takeover talk radio. It’s just so much more convenient. You can listen when you want, with no (or very few) ads and you select the topics relevant to you. Win, win…..win.

A few quick stats on podcasting that I recently read from an Edison Research Study (Share of Ear)

The average American spends more than 4 hours a day consuming audio. The study didn’t look outside the United States but I imagine it is similar- if not more. Most of that (52%) is AM/FM radio. But podcast is the fastest growing category.
Americans listen to approximately 21,117,000 hours of podcast audio each and every day.
Those who listen to podcasts “listen to a lot of podcasts”.
In recent years podcast awareness has grown 105%, listening has gone up 163%
The study concluded that America is in the “golden age of audio consumption”

But the study also found that while podcast listening has skyrocketed only about 1/3 of Americans have listened to a podcast. Many do not even know what a podcast is. So let me explain.

I think of a podcast as an internet radio show. Basically a podcaster (someone recording a podcast) will prepare and research information on a topic of interest, sit down and record an episode. After recording there is some postproduction and editing and then the episode is posted online. Listeners can listen when convenient, directly through a website or through some service like iTunes or Stitcher. The best part about it…..it’s FREE.

I recently started a podcast of my own here at Family Before Fortune and I am having a blast recording episodes. I have been humbled and blown away by the response. So many people have given the podcast a try and shared with their friends. I even spent 8 weeks on iTunes New & Noteworthy list which was incredible.

I’d like to invite you, if you haven’t already, to give podcasting a try. A few that I love and recommend are:

How Did You Get Into That w/ Grant Baldwin

This is Your Life w/ Michael Hyatt

Serial (a different kind of podcast- real-life investigative research)

And of course- a little personal plug for my own

The Family Before Fortune Podcast

The future of podcasts is very bright- join the wave!!

If you love listening to podcasts shoot me a quick message on Twitter and let me know what your favorite is. I am always adding good ones to my list

PS – If you have never listened to a podcast before it is super simple. Click here and you will be directed to a short tutorial.

PPS- If you like my podcast please consider *Subscribing*, *Reviewing* and *Sharing*- it would mean a lot to me. It’s easy to do- (On Apple Device click here, on a PC click here)

New to Podcasting? Podcast Beginner Guide