TYPEARLS

Intimidation

2010-08-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Your obstacles should not be smaller, you should be bigger. Your life should not be easier, you should be tougher.

Life won't shrink so you can feel superior. Yet life will shrivel the moment you soar, the moment you take a stand, the moment you start growling... that no matter what, you won't back away.

The universe will stop trying to intimidate you, once you demonstrate that there's nothing that it can do... to make you feel intimidated.

"Don't ask for a light load, but rather ask for a strong back."
~Unknown

WHAT I WANT IN A MAN

2010-05-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

I CANT SPEAK FOR OTHER WOMEN BUT I WISH I CAN HAVE ALL THESE MEN ROLLED INTO ONE FOR ME. WOULDN’T IT BE PERFECT?
A MAN WITH BRAINS- THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, HE MUST BE BRIGHT, QUICK AND EASY TO TALK TO.
A MAN WITH SYMPATHY- FRIENDLY, PATIENT AND READY TO LISTEN WHENEVER I CALL HIM IN THE NIGHT.
A MAN WITH S DECENCY- HELPFUL, DEPENDABLE AND KIND.
A FATHERLY MAN FOR THE KIDS.
A HANDSOME MAN FOR PARTIES AND SHOWING OFF.
A SPIRIT-FILLED MAN- TO ENCOURAGE, PUSH ME TOWARDS MY GOAL, ALLOW ME EXPLOIT MY POTENTIAL TO THE MAXIMUM AND PRAY WITH.
A MAN SECURED IN HIS FINANCES, EMOTIONS AND HIMSELF- NOT GIVEN TO RAGE OR ANGER, NOT JEALOUS OR EXTREMELY POSSESSIVE, CAN CATER FOR HIS HOUSEHOLD AND CARRY OUT HIS RESPONSIBILITIES, HAVE CAN-DO ATTITUDE AND CONFIDENT IN HIS OWNERSHIP.
A MAN TO TRAVEL WITH, RESOUCEFUL, COMPETENT AND COOL
A MAN FOR SILLY FUN, KIDDING AROUND SO I CAN FEEL YOUNG AND ADORABLE ONCE IN A WHILE
A MAN TO SLEEP WITH AND HUG ALL NIGHT LONG, TO LIE DOWN WITH,MAKE LOVE TO, GET UP IN THE MORNING WITH AND TO ACT AS A WRAPPING AGAINST THE COLD.
THESE QUALITIES ARE LIKE A PATCHWORK OF MEN TO FORM A WHOLE QUILT.
LOVE IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ALWAYS, THOUGH SOME WOMEN HAVE DECIDED THAT IF THEY DEPEND ON THEMSELVES AT LEAST THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, WITH ANYONE ELSE, ESPECIALLY MEN YOU NEVER CAN BE TOO SURE.
BUT I BELIEVE TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. WITH PRAYERS ONE SHOULD TAKE THE RISK, IF I DON’T, HOW WILL I FIND MY MR RIGHT?

P.S IF YOU HAVE MORE OUTSTANDING QUALITIES YOU WISH IN A MAN,ADD THEM

Things Never to Say to Your Boss

2010-03-19T05:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a boss. Even if you "work for yourself," you're still an employee to your client.
A big part of maintaining the boss-employee relationship is to never allow a boss to think you dislike your work, are incapable of doing it, or--worse--consider it beneath you.
These sound like no-brainers, but many statements heard commonly around the workplace violate these basic rules. Looking for an example? Here are seven heard in workplaces all the time. They may seem ordinary, even harmless. But try reading these from your boss's point of view. You'll see right away why it's smart to never allow these seven sentences to pass your lips:
"That's not my job." You know what? A lot of bosses are simple souls who think your job is to do what's asked of you. So even if you're assigned a task that is, indeed, not your job, refrain from saying so. Instead, try to find out why your boss is assigning you this task--there may be a valid reason. If you believe that doing the task is a bad idea (as in, bad for the company) you can try explaining why and suggesting how it could be better done by someone else. This may work, depending on the boss. In any case, remember that doing what's asked of you, even tasks outside your job description, is good karma.
"It's not my problem." When people say something is not their problem it makes them look like they don't care. This does not endear them to anybody, especially the boss. If a problem is brewing and you have nothing constructive to say, it's better to say nothing at all. Even better is to pitch in and try to help. Because, ultimately, a problem in the workplace is everyone's problem. We're all in it together.
"It's not my fault." Yet another four words to be avoided. Human nature is weird. Claiming that something is not our fault often has the result of making people suspect it is. Besides, what's the real issue here? It's that something went wrong and needs to be fixed. That's what people should be thinking about--not who is to blame.
"I can only do one thing at a time." News flash: Complaining you are overworked will not make your boss feel sorry for you or go easier on you. Instead, a boss will think: (1) you resent your job, and/or (2) you aren't up to your job. Everybody, especially nowadays, feels pressured and overworked. If you're trying to be funny, please note that some sarcasm is funny and lightens the mood. Some just ticks people off.
"I am way overqualified for this job." Hey, maybe you are. But the fact is, this is the job you have. You agreed to take it on and, while you may now regret that decision, it's still your job. Complaining that it's beneath you only makes you look bad. Plus, coworkers doing similar jobs may resent and dislike you. And guess what? Bosses will not think, "Oh, this is a superior person whom I need to promote." Nope, they'll think, "What a jerk."
"This job is easy! Anyone could do it!" Maybe what you're trying to convey here is that you're so brilliant your work is easy. Unfortunately, it comes off sounding more like, "This work is stupid." Bosses don't like hearing that any work is stupid. Nor do they really like hearing that a job is easy peasy. It belittles the whole enterprise. If a task is simple, be glad and do it as quickly as you can. Even "stupid" work needs to get done.
"It can't be done." Saying something can't be done is like waving a red flag in a boss's eyes. Even if the thing being suggested truly is impossible, saying it is can make you look ineffectual or incapable. Better to play detective. Why is the boss asking you to do whatever it is? What's the problem that needs to be solved? What's the goal? Search for doable ways of solving that problem or reaching that goal. That's what bosses really want. Most of them do not expect the impossible.
Last words: When in doubt, remember that silence really is golden.

Count

2010-03-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

Count

You want to count. Count something worth counting. Count how
many times you got back up, not the times you fell.

You want to count. Count the times you succeeded, count the
times when you were at your best; count when good deeds were
done; count the times when people were fair, honest, and kind.

If you counted more wrong than right, more evil than good, more
hatred than kindness then perhaps you count was off...off of
what's worth counting.

"If it's not worth counting, then why bother." ~Andres Lara

100 Rules for a successful and Happy Life

2010-02-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

1. Work hard.
2. Do your best.
3. Put your nose to the grindstone.
4. Put your shoulder to the wheel.
5. Be cheerful.
6. Be loyal.
7. Be brave.
8. Be obedient.
9. Be courteous.
10. Be thrifty.
11. Be kind.
12. Be reverent.
13. Do good deeds every day.
14. Shine your shoes.
15. Blessing.
16. Think good thoughts.
17. Don’t be mean.
18. Don’t be rude.
19. Don’t cut in line.
20. Don’t call people names.
21. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
22. And be happy for the success of others, even it they didn’t deserve it
23. Don’t waste your time with complainers and whiners.
24. Tell them to leave you alone.
25. Tell them to go away.
26. Tell them to get lost.
27. Tell them to take a bike.
28. Tell them to get out of town.
29. Tell them to put a sock in it.
30. Tell them you’ll be friends when they stop whining.
31. And if you’re the one who’s whining, please quit you’re driving the rest of us crazy.
32. Stop making exercise.
33. Stop acting like a victim.
34. Count your blessing.
35. Take responsibilities.
36. Eat right.
37. Don’t eat too much.
38. Don’t eat too fast.
39. Exercise more.
40. Don’t get drunk it makes you stupid and you get sick.
41. Don’t smoke; don’t do drugs.
42. If at first you don’t succeed try –try again.
43. Don’t ever quit.
44. Don’t ever give up.
45. Don’t be a whip.
46. Be tough.
47. Be persistent.
48. Be resilient.
49. Be flexible.
50. Be resourceful.
51. Be smart.
52. Be clever.
53. Be strong.
54. Be nimble.
55. Be quick.
56. If somebody need your help-help.
57. Be generous.
58. Be giving.
59. Don’t be afraid to express your feelings.
60. Don’t ever give up your dreams.
61. Stop waiting for the right time.
62. Quit stalling.
63. The time has come.
64. Go for it.
65. Get on with it.
66. Do it yourself.
67. It’s nobody else’s job.
68. Be all you can be.
69. Don’t mix plaids and stripes.
70. Be good to older people and kids.
71. Be good to dogs.
72. Be good to all living things.
73. Tell the truth.
74. Be dependable.
75. Keep your promises.
76. Pay your debts.
77. Learn from your mistakes.
78. Celebrate your victories.
79. Write more letters.
80. Send more gift and present.
81. Know that on a scale of 1 t0 10 you’re a 10.
82. Now act like one.
83. Remember that you’re just as good as anybody else.
84. And not one bit better than any body else.
85. Don’t take yourself so serious.
86. Lighten up.
87. Don’t frown so bad.
88. Thing a aren’t that bad.
89. Try singing out loud at least a couple of a day.
90. And while you’re at it just break into dancing every now and then at work, with or without a partner. It’ll be amaze your friends and confess your enemies.
91. Be friend her.
92. Laugh more.
93. Smile more.
94. Don’t worry.
95. Be happy.
96. Giggle.
97. Don’t sweat the small stuff
98. It’s small stuff.
99. Just do it.
Know you maker.

The Brand Called You

2010-02-08T04:54:00.000-08:00

It's a new brand world.
That cross-trainer you're wearing -- one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who's got you branded. That coffee travel mug you're carrying -- ah, you're a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion "C" on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi's rivets, the watch with the hey-this-certifies-I-made-it icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker's symbol crafted into the end ...
You're branded, branded, branded, branded.
It's time for me -- and you -- to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that's true for anyone who's interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world of work.
Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.
It's that simple -- and that hard. And that inescapable.
Behemoth companies may take turns buying each other or acquiring every hot startup that catches their eye -- mergers in 1996 set records. Hollywood may be interested in only blockbusters and book publishers may want to put out only guaranteed best-sellers. But don't be fooled by all the frenzy at the humongous end of the size spectrum.
The real action is at the other end: the main chance is becoming a free agent in an economy of free agents, looking to have the best season you can imagine in your field, looking to do your best work and chalk up a remarkable track record, and looking to establish your own micro equivalent of the Nike swoosh. Because if you do, you'll not only reach out toward every opportunity within arm's (or laptop's) length, you'll not only make a noteworthy contribution to your team's success -- you'll also put yourself in a great bargaining position for next season's free-agency market.
The good news -- and it is largely good news -- is that everyone has a chance to stand out. Everyone has a chance to learn, improve, and build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of remark.
Who understands this fundamental principle? The big companies do. They've come a long way in a short time: it was just over four years ago, April 2, 1993 to be precise, when Philip Morris cut the price of Marlboro cigarettes by 40 cents a pack. That was on a Friday. On Monday, the stock market value of packaged goods companies fell by $25 billion. Everybody agreed: brands were doomed.
Today brands are everything, and all kinds of products and services -- from accounting firms to sneaker makers to restaurants -- are figuring out how to transcend the narrow boundaries of their categories and become a brand surrounded by a Tommy Hilfiger-like buzz.
Who else understands it? Every single Web site sponsor. In fact, the Web makes the case for branding more directly than any packaged good or consumer product ever could. Here's what the Web says: Anyone can have a Web site. And today, because anyone can ... anyone does! So how do you know which sites are worth visiting, which sites to bookmark, which sites are worth going to more than once? The answer: branding. The sites you go back to are the sites you trust. They're the sites where the brand name tells you that the visit will be worth your time -- again and again. The brand is a promise of the value you'll receive.
The same holds true for that other killer app of the Net -- email. When everybody has email and anybody can send you email, how do you decide whose messages you're going to read and respond to first -- and whose you're going to send to the trash unread? The answer: personal branding. The name of the email sender is every bit as important a brand -- is a brand -- as the name of the Web site you visit. It's a promise of the value you'll receive for the time you spend reading the message.
Nobody understands branding better than professional services firms. Look at McKinsey or Arthur Andersen for a model of the new rules of branding at the company and personal level. Almost every professional services firm works with the same business model. They have almost no hard assets -- my guess is that most probably go so far as to rent or lease every tangible item they possibly can to keep from having to own anything. They have lots of soft assets -- more conventionally known as people, preferably smart, motivated, talented people. And they have huge revenues -- and astounding profits.
They also have a very clear culture of work and life. You're hired, you report to work, you join a team -- and you immediately start figuring out how to deliver value to the customer. Along the way, you learn stuff, develop your skills, hone your abilities, move from project to project. And if you're really smart, you figure out how to distinguish yourself from all the other very smart people walking around with $1,500 suits, high-powered laptops, and well-polished resumes. Along the way, if you're really smart, you figure out what it takes to create a distinctive role for yourself -- you create a message and a strategy to promote the brand called You.
What makes You different?
Start right now: as of this moment you're going to think of yourself differently! You're not an "employee" of General Motors, you're not a "staffer" at General Mills, you're not a "worker" at General Electric or a "human resource" at General Dynamics (ooops, it's gone!). Forget the Generals! You don't "belong to" any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn't to any particular "function." You're not defined by your job title and you're not confined by your job description.
Starting today you are a brand.
You're every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. To start thinking like your own favorite brand manager, ask yourself the same question the brand managers at Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop ask themselves: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read it. Several times.
If your answer wouldn't light up the eyes of a prospective client or command a vote of confidence from a satisfied past client, or -- worst of all -- if it doesn't grab you, then you've got a big problem. It's time to give some serious thought and even more serious effort to imagining and developing yourself as a brand.
Start by identifying the qualities or characteristics that make you distinctive from your competitors -- or your colleagues. What have you done lately -- this week -- to make yourself stand out? What would your colleagues or your customers say is your greatest and clearest strength? Your most noteworthy (as in, worthy of note) personal trait?
Go back to the comparison between brand You and brand X -- the approach the corporate biggies take to creating a brand. The standard model they use is feature-benefit: every feature they offer in their product or service yields an identifiable and distinguishable benefit for their customer or client. A dominant feature of Nordstrom department stores is the personalized service it lavishes on each and every customer. The customer benefit: a feeling of being accorded individualized attention -- along with all of the choice of a large department store.
So what is the "feature-benefit model" that the brand called You offers? Do you deliver your work on time, every time? Your internal or external customer gets dependable, reliable service that meets its strategic needs. Do you anticipate and solve problems before they become crises? Your client saves money and headaches just by having you on the team. Do you always complete your projects within the allotted budget? I can't name a single client of a professional services firm who doesn't go ballistic at cost overruns.
Your next step is to cast aside all the usual descriptors that employees and workers depend on to locate themselves in the company structure. Forget your job title. Ask yourself: What do I do that adds remarkable, measurable, distinguished, distinctive value? Forget your job description. Ask yourself: What do I do that I am most proud of? Most of all, forget about the standard rungs of progression you've climbed in your career up to now. Burn that damnable "ladder" and ask yourself: What have I accomplished that I can unabashedly brag about? If you're going to be a brand, you've got to become relentlessly focused on what you do that adds value, that you're proud of, and most important, that you can shamelessly take credit for.
When you've done that, sit down and ask yourself one more question to define your brand: What do I want to be famous for? That's right -- famous for!
What's the pitch for You?
So it's a cliché: don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle. it's also a principle that every corporate brand understands implicitly, from Omaha Steaks's through-the-mail sales program to Wendy's "we're just regular folks" ad campaign. No matter how beefy your set of skills, no matter how tasty you've made that feature-benefit proposition, you still have to market the bejesus out of your brand -- to customers, colleagues, and your virtual network of associates.
For most branding campaigns, the first step is visibility. If you're General Motors, Ford, or Chrysler, that usually means a full flight of TV and print ads designed to get billions of "impressions" of your brand in front of the consuming public. If you're brand You, you've got the same need for visibility -- but no budget to buy it.
So how do you market brand You?
There's literally no limit to the ways you can go about enhancing your profile. Try moonlighting! Sign up for an extra project inside your organization, just to introduce yourself to new colleagues and showcase your skills -- or work on new ones. Or, if you can carve out the time, take on a freelance project that gets you in touch with a totally novel group of people. If you can get them singing your praises, they'll help spread the word about what a remarkable contributor you are.
If those ideas don't appeal, try teaching a class at a community college, in an adult education program, or in your own company. You get credit for being an expert, you increase your standing as a professional, and you increase the likelihood that people will come back to you with more requests and more opportunities to stand out from the crowd.
If you're a better writer than you are a teacher, try contributing a column or an opinion piece to your local newspaper. And when I say local, I mean local. You don't have to make the op-ed page of the New York Times to make the grade. Community newspapers, professional newsletters, even inhouse company publications have white space they need to fill. Once you get started, you've got a track record -- and clips that you can use to snatch more chances.
And if you're a better talker than you are teacher or writer, try to get yourself on a panel discussion at a conference or sign up to make a presentation at a workshop. Visibility has a funny way of multiplying; the hardest part is getting started. But a couple of good panel presentations can earn you a chance to give a "little" solo speech -- and from there it's just a few jumps to a major address at your industry's annual convention.
The second important thing to remember about your personal visibility campaign is: it all matters. When you're promoting brand You, everything you do -- and everything you choose not to do -- communicates the value and character of the brand. Everything from the way you handle phone conversations to the email messages you send to the way you conduct business in a meeting is part of the larger message you're sending about your brand.
Partly it's a matter of substance: what you have to say and how well you get it said. But it's also a matter of style. On the Net, do your communications demonstrate a command of the technology? In meetings, do you keep your contributions short and to the point? It even gets down to the level of your brand You business card: Have you designed a cool-looking logo for your own card? Are you demonstrating an appreciation for design that shows you understand that packaging counts -- a lot -- in a crowded world?
The key to any personal branding campaign is "word-of-mouth marketing." Your network of friends, colleagues, clients, and customers is the most important marketing vehicle you've got; what they say about you and your contributions is what the market will ultimately gauge as the value of your brand. So the big trick to building your brand is to find ways to nurture your network of colleagues -- consciously.
What's the real power of You?
If you want to grow your brand, you've got to come to terms with power -- your own. The key lesson: power is not a dirty word!
In fact, power for the most part is a badly misunderstood term and a badly misused capability. I'm talking about a different kind of power than we usually refer to. It's not ladder power, as in who's best at climbing over the adjacent bods. It's not who's-got-the-biggest-office-by-six-square-inches power or who's-got-the-fanciest-title power.
It's influence power.
It's being known for making the most significant contribution in your particular area. It's reputational power. If you were a scholar, you'd measure it by the number of times your publications get cited by other people. If you were a consultant, you'd measure it by the number of CEOs who've got your business card in their Rolodexes. (And better yet, the number who know your beeper number by heart.)
Getting and using power -- intelligently, responsibly, and yes, powerfully -- are essential skills for growing your brand. One of the things that attracts us to certain brands is the power they project. As a consumer, you want to associate with brands whose powerful presence creates a halo effect that rubs off on you.
It's the same in the workplace. There are power trips that are worth taking -- and that you can take without appearing to be a self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing megalomaniacal jerk. You can do it in small, slow, and subtle ways. Is your team having a hard time organizing productive meetings? Volunteer to write the agenda for the next meeting. You're contributing to the team, and you get to decide what's on and off the agenda. When it's time to write a post-project report, does everyone on your team head for the door? Beg for the chance to write the report -- because the hand that holds the pen (or taps the keyboard) gets to write or at least shape the organization's history.
Most important, remember that power is largely a matter of perception. If you want people to see you as a powerful brand, act like a credible leader. When you're thinking like brand You, you don't need org-chart authority to be a leader. The fact is you are a leader. You're leading You!
One key to growing your power is to recognize the simple fact that we now live in a project world. Almost all work today is organized into bite-sized packets called projects. A project-based world is ideal for growing your brand: projects exist around deliverables, they create measurables, and they leave you with braggables. If you're not spending at least 70% of your time working on projects, creating projects, or organizing your (apparently mundane) tasks into projects, you are sadly living in the past. Today you have to think, breathe, act, and work in projects.
Project World makes it easier for you to assess -- and advertise -- the strength of brand You. Once again, think like the giants do. Imagine yourself a brand manager at Procter & Gamble: When you look at your brand's assets, what can you add to boost your power and felt presence? Would you be better off with a simple line extension -- taking on a project that adds incrementally to your existing base of skills and accomplishments? Or would you be better off with a whole new product line? Is it time to move overseas for a couple of years, venturing outside your comfort zone (even taking a lateral move -- damn the ladders), tackling something new and completely different?
Whatever you decide, you should look at your brand's power as an exercise in new-look résumé; management -- an exercise that you start by doing away once and for all with the word "résumé." You don't have an old-fashioned résumé anymore! You've got a marketing brochure for brand You. Instead of a static list of titles held and positions occupied, your marketing brochure brings to life the skills you've mastered, the projects you've delivered, the braggables you can take credit for. And like any good marketing brochure, yours needs constant updating to reflect the growth -- breadth and depth -- of brand You.
What's loyalty to You?
Everyone is saying that loyalty is gone; loyalty is dead; loyalty is over. I think that's a bunch of crap.
I think loyalty is much more important than it ever was in the past. A 40-year career with the same company once may have been called loyalty; from here it looks a lot like a work life with very few options, very few opportunities, and very little individual power. That's what we used to call indentured servitude.
Today loyalty is the only thing that matters. But it isn't blind loyalty to the company. It's loyalty to your colleagues, loyalty to your team, loyalty to your project, loyalty to your customers, and loyalty to yourself. I see it as a much deeper sense of loyalty than mindless loyalty to the Company Z logo.
I know this may sound like selfishness. But being CEO of Me Inc. requires you to act selfishly -- to grow yourself, to promote yourself, to get the market to reward yourself. Of course, the other side of the selfish coin is that any company you work for ought to applaud every single one of the efforts you make to develop yourself. After all, everything you do to grow Me Inc. is gravy for them: the projects you lead, the networks you develop, the customers you delight, the braggables you create generate credit for the firm. As long as you're learning, growing, building relationships, and delivering great results, it's good for you and it's great for the company.
That win-win logic holds for as long as you happen to be at that particular company. Which is precisely where the age of free agency comes into play. If you're treating your résumé as if it's a marketing brochure, you've learned the first lesson of free agency. The second lesson is one that today's professional athletes have all learned: you've got to check with the market on a regular basis to have a reliable read on your brand's value. You don't have to be looking for a job to go on a job interview. For that matter, you don't even have to go on an actual job interview to get useful, important feedback.
The real question is: How is brand You doing? Put together your own "user's group" -- the personal brand You equivalent of a software review group. Ask for -- insist on -- honest, helpful feedback on your performance, your growth, your value. It's the only way to know what you would be worth on the open market. It's the only way to make sure that, when you declare your free agency, you'll be in a strong bargaining position. It's not disloyalty to "them"; it's responsible brand management for brand You -- which also generates credit for them.
What's the future of You?
It's over. No more vertical. No more ladder. That's not the way careers work anymore. Linearity is out. A career is now a checkerboard. Or even a maze. It's full of moves that go sideways, forward, slide on the diagonal, even go backward when that makes sense. (It often does.) A career is a portfolio of projects that teach you new skills, gain you new expertise, develop new capabilities, grow your colleague set, and constantly reinvent you as a brand.
As you scope out the path your "career" will take, remember: the last thing you want to do is become a manager. Like "résumé," "manager" is an obsolete term. It's practically synonymous with "dead end job." What you want is a steady diet of more interesting, more challenging, more provocative projects. When you look at the progression of a career constructed out of projects, directionality is not only hard to track -- Which way is up? -- but it's also totally irrelevant.
Instead of making yourself a slave to the concept of a career ladder, reinvent yourself on a semiregular basis. Start by writing your own mission statement, to guide you as CEO of Me Inc. What turns you on? Learning something new? Gaining recognition for your skills as a technical wizard? Shepherding new ideas from concept to market? What's your personal definition of success? Money? Power? Fame? Or doing what you love? However you answer these questions, search relentlessly for job or project opportunities that fit your mission statement. And review that mission statement every six months to make sure you still believe what you wrote.
No matter what you're doing today, there are four things you've got to measure yourself against. First, you've got to be a great teammate and a supportive colleague. Second, you've got to be an exceptional expert at something that has real value. Third, you've got to be a broad-gauged visionary -- a leader, a teacher, a farsighted "imagineer." Fourth, you've got to be a businessperson -- you've got to be obsessed with pragmatic outcomes.
It's this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called You. Except this: Start today. Or else

HANG IN THERE

2010-02-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Hang In There

Hang in there. Sometimes all you might need to the realization
of that which you've been waiting for is a little more stamina.

It might take you a little longer than the others. You might
have to work harder than the others. But others' victory won't
taste half as sweet as yours.

Real victory is achieved when real obstacles are overcome.
Without adversity, without challenges, without opposition....
there's no victory.

"Sometimes the success you look for can be found by overcoming
the obstacles that you want to run away from." ~Andres Lara

something for young ceos

2010-02-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

The easiest and fastest way to nail any idea at all is to put the wrong people on your team and this is a very common mistake among most entrepreneurs. Most times the first set of people that comes to mind when we conceive a new idea is people that we know with a proven track record; that’s people who have achieved a considerable amount of success in a particular field or profession–the so called “gurus”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying don’t look for people with outstanding records, but ask yourself this; can I manage this person or is this person the type that’s ready to work on your new project?

The point is; “When you are trying to make a move from ‘here’ to ‘there’, don’t go along with those who are already ‘there’, rather look for those who are ‘here’ and aspires to be ‘there’. This is because; those who are already ‘there’ lack the needed motivation to make the leap because they are already where you are headed. It’s like running a race and asking people ahead of you for help, you will only appear as a disturbance and that’s exactly what you are! You don’t expect the person on a race who has the finish line on the back of his mind to pause his own race and come back to drag you along (you will only slow them down and no one wants to be slowed down even you, right?)

Basically, there are two types of people that start new ventures, those with startup capital and those without (I mean startups without sufficient capital). If you happen to be in the first category, you are luckier. You have money to pay salary for your people for their contribution to the new venture, which doesn’t necessarily mean business success. But it’s more difficult for entrepreneurs in the second category and this is the situation with most entrepreneurs (lack of startup capital) which make it very difficult to find help. They can’t avoid to put the people they need on salary, they have to learn how to motivate and inspire their people to get the new venture off the ground, if they are able to find any at all.

Wherever you might find yourself in the above mentioned categories, the most important thing you must consider whenever you are looking for new people to join your team are ‘Attitude’ and ‘Self-discipline’ nothing else is as important. Yes! Not skills, not even qualifications.

One of the Nigeria most successful entrepreneurs of our age and a mentor, Tajuddeen Adepetu, Founder and CEO, Consolidated Media Associates, initiator of Soundcity Music Channel, Soundcity Blast Magazine, SpiceTV and a host of others, wrote this line on his office door back then, I don’t know if it’s still there, it’s reads “When I was starting out , I look for people who love to win and when I can’t find, I look for those who hate to lose” and it’s Herb Kelleher, Former Chairman and CEO Southwest Airlines in the US (one of the most successful airlines in America history), who said “It’s difficult to change someone’s attitude-so hire for attitude and train for skill”. What all this means is it’s not about people past record, skills or qualifications that matter when you are look for new employees, it’s their attitude, values and self-confidence.

Any employee with right attitude and who’s self-disciplined will deliver his/her duty diligently with or without you necessarily being present or put in any effort at all because he/she will run the business as if it’s his/her own. Richard Branson Founder, Virgin Group, in his own words said “A self-disciplined employee will have the patience to conduct routine business routinely, the talent to respond exceptionally to exceptional circumstances and the wisdom to know the difference between the two”.

In conclusion, if you are just starting out or when next you need to employ, look for the ‘gurus’ of tomorrow, invest in them, believe in them and give them freedom to use their initiative. It’s cheaper and the best for your business to easily get up and running. Whenever you find good people who believe in your dream, the dream is realized already. They will bring new ideas that will help the business survive everyday problems that are associated with startups because in today’s business world creativity and innovation is what drive any successful business. And you can always count on their loyalty but be warned! Make sure you reward them very well for all their effort when you finally ‘blow’ and as your company grow.. Never let them down because if you do your business is already dead.

Please do share with me your experience on this. Thank you.

Have a great time entrepreneuring for the rest of the week!

-young ceos network

MEDITATION

2010-02-02T08:32:00.002-08:00

How to Meditate on God's Word

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. (Ps 119:148)

Perhaps one of the most neglected disciplines in the Christian life these days is that of Meditation. I believe that very few Christians have been taught how important it is to pay close attention to what they think about.

Consider the following:

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Author Unknown

We have all heard the expression, "you are what you eat", but is also true to say "you are (and are becoming) what you think." Here is a challenge for you. Over the next few weeks take special note about what things you spend your time thinking about. Consider the following questions.

Are you critical of others?
Do you mope because you do not receive the praise you feel you deserve?
How much time do you spend worrying about this or that?
How much time do you spend grumbling or complaining or feeling sorry for your self?
How much time do you spend thinking about the TV shows you watched last night?
How much time do you re-live the bad things people do to you?
Do you list out all your misfortunes?
Do you allow yourself to be angry for long periods of time?
Do you think about bad things happening to the people you are angry with?
Do you think about bad things happening to yourself?
Do you rejoice in the misfortunes of others?
Do you dwell on lustful and impure thoughts?
Do you glory in the important position you hold in church?
Do you review reasons why you are better than others or better suited than others?
Do you list reasons why others you know are deficient in some way as compared to yourself?

Did you know that you are what you are right now - not what you would like to be, nor what you ought to be, nor are you what you used to be. You are what you are today. Today, the 'real you' is shown by what you do and by what you think about in your heart - what you meditate on. Further, the things that you allow your heart to dwell on today is building what you will be for tomorrow and the tomorrow after that.

MEDITATION

2010-02-02T08:32:00.001-08:00

How to Meditate on God's Word

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. (Ps 119:148)

Consider the following:

Are you critical of others?
Do you mope because you do not receive the praise you feel you deserve?
How much time do you spend worrying about this or that?
How much time do you spend grumbling or complaining or feeling sorry for your self?
How much time do you spend thinking about the TV shows you watched last night?
How much time do you re-live the bad things people do to you?
Do you list out all your misfortunes?
Do you allow yourself to be angry for long periods of time?
Do you think about bad things happening to the people you are angry with?
Do you think about bad things happening to yourself?
Do you rejoice in the misfortunes of others?
Do you dwell on lustful and impure thoughts?
Do you glory in the important position you hold in church?
Do you review reasons why you are better than others or better suited than others?
Do you list reasons why others you know are deficient in some way as compared to yourself?

MEDITATION

2010-02-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

How to Meditate on God's Word

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. (Ps 119:148)

Consider the following:

Are you critical of others?
Do you mope because you do not receive the praise you feel you deserve?
How much time do you spend worrying about this or that?
How much time do you spend grumbling or complaining or feeling sorry for your self?
How much time do you spend thinking about the TV shows you watched last night?
How much time do you re-live the bad things people do to you?
Do you list out all your misfortunes?
Do you allow yourself to be angry for long periods of time?
Do you think about bad things happening to the people you are angry with?
Do you think about bad things happening to yourself?
Do you rejoice in the misfortunes of others?
Do you dwell on lustful and impure thoughts?
Do you glory in the important position you hold in church?
Do you review reasons why you are better than others or better suited than others?
Do you list reasons why others you know are deficient in some way as compared to yourself?

ME,MYSELF N I RULING MY WORLD

2010-01-13T03:28:00.000-08:00

M ON MY WAY 2 D TOP

2009-09-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

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